PSY 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Mental Model, Object Permanence, 18 Months

• School: Tunxis Community College
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 100
• Professor: Bourne

Document Summary

Built-in signals grasping, smiling, crying, and gazing into the adult"s eyes help bring newborn babies into close contact with other humans. Infants respond differently to a familiar caregiver than to a stranger. Attachment to the familiar caregiver is evident. Babies display separation anxiety, becoming upset when their trusted caregiver leaves. Like stranger anxiety, separation anxiety does not always occur; it depends on infant temperament and the current situation. In many cultures, separation anxiety increases between 6 and 15 months, suggesting that the infants have developed a clear understanding that the caregiver continues to exist when not in view. Consistent with this idea, babies who have not yet mastered piagetian object permanence usually do not become anxious when separated from the parent. Besides protesting the parent"s departure, older infants and toddlers try hard to maintain her presence (approach, follow, climb on to, etc. : formation go a reciprocal relationship (18 months to 2 years and on)