Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

attachment, infant development, gender development, sociocultural development

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

We often think about the development of a person’s interpersonal skills, relationships, and identity as something that happens after birth, and certainly, it does. However, in practice, prenatal (before birth) interactions between caregivers and the fetus start the sociocultural developmental process that continues after a baby is born. Personality development, interpersonal style, and identity begin before birth and extend far into the life span. Caregivers provide interactions as well as physical care during pregnancy, and after birth, that influence these developments. This chapter will provide an overview of how interactions from conception through age two influence trust and attachment, emotional development, play, and gender expression. We will examine the influence of the social and cultural environment, as well as the influence the child has on caregivers.

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