PYC4805 ASSIGNMENT 2 2026
DUE JUNE 2026
Question 1
Critically discuss how early social relationships influence social and emotional
development. In your answer, refer to relevant developmental theories and
empirical research, including the evolutionary psychology perspective. In your
discussion, analyse how different forms of attachment influence psychosocial
development with reference to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
Early social relationships, especially those with primary caregivers, play an important
role in a child's social and emotional development during infancy and early childhood.
According to the evolutionary psychology perspective, attachment behaviours help
children survive and adapt by keeping them close to caregivers. Different attachment
styles, such as secure and insecure attachment, strongly influence how children resolve
Erikson’s early psychosocial crises. According to Becvar and Becvar (2013), Erikson’s
model provides a useful framework for understanding individual development within the
family context. However, more recent research shows that these theories have both
strengths and limitations, particularly when cultural and environmental differences are
considered. Combining theory, research, and family systems perspectives provides a
deeper understanding of how early relationships influence child development.
, Early Social Relationships and Developmental Theories
Early social relationships provide the foundation for emotional regulation, social
competence, and internal working models of self and others. Attachment theory,
developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, posits that infants form emotional
bonds with caregivers that promote proximity-seeking for protection. From an
evolutionary psychology perspective, these bonds are innate adaptations shaped by
natural selection to enhance survival in ancestral environments where vulnerability to
predators and environmental threats was high (Bowlby, 1969; Simpson & Jaeger,
2022).
Secure attachments arise from consistent, responsive caregiving, fostering trust and
exploration. Empirical studies, such as Ainsworth’s Strange Situation paradigm,
demonstrate that securely attached infants use caregivers as a “secure base,” showing
distress upon separation but rapid soothing upon reunion. In contrast, insecure-
avoidant, insecure-ambivalent, and disorganised attachments result from inconsistent or
frightening caregiving, leading to emotional dysregulation and social difficulties
(Cassidy, 2013).
The prescribed textbook integrates Erikson’s psychosocial theory as a complementary
individual development model. Erikson extended Freudian ideas by emphasising social
and cultural influences across eight stages, with the first three particularly relevant to
infancy and early childhood (Becvar & Becvar, 2013, pp. 122–123).
Attachment Styles and Erikson’s Psychosocial Development
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust (Birth–18 months) aligns closely with attachment formation.
Secure attachment supports successful resolution, cultivating a sense of the world as
predictable and caregivers as reliable. This foundational trust facilitates emotional
security and positive social engagement. Insecure attachments, however, contribute to
DUE JUNE 2026
Question 1
Critically discuss how early social relationships influence social and emotional
development. In your answer, refer to relevant developmental theories and
empirical research, including the evolutionary psychology perspective. In your
discussion, analyse how different forms of attachment influence psychosocial
development with reference to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.
Early social relationships, especially those with primary caregivers, play an important
role in a child's social and emotional development during infancy and early childhood.
According to the evolutionary psychology perspective, attachment behaviours help
children survive and adapt by keeping them close to caregivers. Different attachment
styles, such as secure and insecure attachment, strongly influence how children resolve
Erikson’s early psychosocial crises. According to Becvar and Becvar (2013), Erikson’s
model provides a useful framework for understanding individual development within the
family context. However, more recent research shows that these theories have both
strengths and limitations, particularly when cultural and environmental differences are
considered. Combining theory, research, and family systems perspectives provides a
deeper understanding of how early relationships influence child development.
, Early Social Relationships and Developmental Theories
Early social relationships provide the foundation for emotional regulation, social
competence, and internal working models of self and others. Attachment theory,
developed by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, posits that infants form emotional
bonds with caregivers that promote proximity-seeking for protection. From an
evolutionary psychology perspective, these bonds are innate adaptations shaped by
natural selection to enhance survival in ancestral environments where vulnerability to
predators and environmental threats was high (Bowlby, 1969; Simpson & Jaeger,
2022).
Secure attachments arise from consistent, responsive caregiving, fostering trust and
exploration. Empirical studies, such as Ainsworth’s Strange Situation paradigm,
demonstrate that securely attached infants use caregivers as a “secure base,” showing
distress upon separation but rapid soothing upon reunion. In contrast, insecure-
avoidant, insecure-ambivalent, and disorganised attachments result from inconsistent or
frightening caregiving, leading to emotional dysregulation and social difficulties
(Cassidy, 2013).
The prescribed textbook integrates Erikson’s psychosocial theory as a complementary
individual development model. Erikson extended Freudian ideas by emphasising social
and cultural influences across eight stages, with the first three particularly relevant to
infancy and early childhood (Becvar & Becvar, 2013, pp. 122–123).
Attachment Styles and Erikson’s Psychosocial Development
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust (Birth–18 months) aligns closely with attachment formation.
Secure attachment supports successful resolution, cultivating a sense of the world as
predictable and caregivers as reliable. This foundational trust facilitates emotional
security and positive social engagement. Insecure attachments, however, contribute to
