Developmental psychologist Tedra Walden is shown here modeling a test situation with a toy robot that she uses to study the development of social referencing, one form of early communication. A second major function of close relationships is to provide social support, or emotional and practical help that bolsters us as individuals an d protects us from stress. Many developmental theorists have believed that no social relationship is more important to human development than that between parent and infant.
Some theorists argue that relationships with peers are equally significant.
Social cognition refers to thinking about the thoughts, feelings, motives and behaviors of the self and other people. Socialization refers to the process by which individuals acquire the beliefs, values, and behaviors judged important in their society. The primary agents of socialization are home, school, and peer groups. Social referencing refers to the process, evident starting in infancy, of reading the emotional reactions of other people and using this information to guide one's own behavior in ambiguous situations. Developmental psychologist Tedra Walden is shown here modeling a test situation with a toy robot that she uses to study the development of social referencing, one form of early communication.