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Early social development

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Psychology for Teachers

Part of the book series: Psychology for Professional Groups ((PPG))

Abstract

Human beings are social creatures. The relative defencelessness of the individual, particularly in early childhood, has helped ensure over the millions of years of human evolution that people stick together. We live and work in social groups, and there is evidence that isolating the individual from others can lead to severe cognitive and emotional problems. We have become programmed, if you like, to be gregarious. And so pervasive is this programming that the way in which we experience our own lives is very much determined for us by the way in which we think other people see us. Not content with simply living together in our social groups, we need the esteem and support of the group if we are to develop into happy and well-adjusted people.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wales College of Cardiff, UK

    David Fontana (Consultant in Educational Psychology, Professor, Catedrático)

  2. University of Minho, Portugal

    David Fontana (Consultant in Educational Psychology, Professor, Catedrático)

Authors
  1. David Fontana
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Copyright information

© 1995 David Fontana

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Cite this chapter

Fontana, D. (1995). Early social development. In: Psychology for Teachers. Psychology for Professional Groups. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-24139-2_1

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