Overview

Social development refers to the process by which individuals learn to interact with others and navigate the social world. It involves attachment, identity, morality, relationships, and emotional resilience—changing across stages of life from infancy through late adulthood.

Key Themes and Concepts

• Attachment: Bonds formed in infancy with caregivers influence later relationships. Includes secure, avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized styles (Bowlby, Ainsworth).
• Gender and Identity: Development of gender roles and identity begins early and is shaped by biology, socialization, and culture. Gender schemas guide behavior and self-concept.
• Moral Development: Includes Kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning—preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. Influenced by cognitive growth and social experience.
• Social Learning and Modeling: Children observe and imitate behaviors modeled by parents, peers, and media. Reinforcement and consequences shape behavior.
• Interpersonal Relationships: Peer interaction fosters social skills. Friendship, romantic relationships, and family dynamics evolve with age.
• Prosocial Behavior: Includes empathy, helping, and cooperation. Influenced by parenting, temperament, and emotional understanding.
• Risk and Resilience: Risk factors include poverty and trauma; resilience reflects the ability to adapt to challenges. Protective factors include strong relationships and problem-solving skills.
• Self and Social Cognition: Understanding of self and others develops with theory of mind, perspective-taking, and attribution styles.
• Wellness: Emotional and social well-being support lifelong development. Includes regulation of emotions, self-esteem, and coping strategies.

Quick Tip

Focus on major theories like attachment, gender identity, and moral development. CLEP may test developmental stages and how relationships, modeling, and social cognition shape behavior.