Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 10 Social-Emotional Development in the First Year 277 Social-emotional development is an important type of development that happens as quickly during the fi rst year as physical and intellectual development. A baby enters the world with unique traits, which are the roots of the child’s later personality. By the end of the fi rst year, personality traits are even more evident. As a baby’s social- emotional world expands, he or she forms ideas about him- or herself and whether the world is a friendly place. The baby begins to express feelings with different emotions. Aspects of Social- Emotional Development Social-emotional development involves a person’s concepts about him- or herself as well as concepts about others. There are three main aspects or parts of social-emotional development. 1. Disposition or general mood of a person. Some people have a more cheerful disposition, and others are more moody. 2. Social relations, such as interactions with people and social groups. These interactions may include family members, friends, schools, and clubs (Figure 10.1). 3. Ways people express feelings through emotions (thoughts that lead to feelings, such as joy, fear, and anger, and cause changes in the body). For example, if you are upset at someone or something (a thought), you may become angry (a feeling), which may increase your heart rate (a change in the body). Even babies have emotions, which they display through their interactions with others. Temperamental Differences in Babies Temperament is the inherited tendency to react in a certain way, such as being cheerful or grumpy. Sometimes the word disposition also defi nes the ways people react consistently in different settings and over a long period of time. Jerome Kagan, a well-known psychologist and researcher, has extensively studied personality, including temperament, in children. He theorizes that temperament is inherited and very noticeable by three months of age. Some children inherit genes that cause them to become overexcited and have problems calming down whereas other babies are rather easy-going. Kagan believes temperament does not determine behavior, but does push a child to react in a certain way. In his research, Kagan compared infants who are high reactive and low reactive, and then studied Figure 10.1 Social relations, one of the three aspects of social-emotional development, involves interactions with family members, friends, and other people. What are the most important social relations in your life? With whom do you interact the most?