The effect of child-caregiver interacton on the social-, emotional and cognitive development of children

“Lack of caregiver-child interaction has been cited as a risk factor that contributes to loss of developmental potential. On the other hand, positive caregiver-child interactions are said to facilitate social-emotional development (Walker et al., 2011). This is especially true in infancy.”
“Lack of caregiver-child interaction has been cited as a risk factor that contributes to loss of developmental potential. On the other hand, positive caregiver-child interactions are said to facilitate social-emotional development (Walker et al., 2011). This is especially true in infancy.”

In this essay I wish to discuss the above emphasised statements in the context of normal social behaviour. This essay places specific emphases on three main areas; the role of attachment in child developement, how a lack of caregiver-child interactions affect the infant and the protective factors that could facilitate the child’s social-emotional development.
After World War II, it was found that many children who lost their parents presented similar psychological difficulties (Cassidy & Shaver, 1999). Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby wrote a pamphlet on the situation, entitled “Meternal Deprivation”. Out of this work spawned the attachment theory. For the first time people became aware that the close careciver-child attachment, usually mother-child, was very important in the healthy development of a child. Research has since and is still being done on understanding the role of attachment. Principles of the theory have been used to explain a number of social behaviours, such as social dominence, hierarchical social structures and even justice (Bugental, Acquisition of the Algorithms of Social Life: A Domain-Based Approach, 2000). The knowledge brought to light by