Socioemotional development is a gradual process of acquisition of comprehension of one’s social role and the competence to decipher social situations successfully. According to Brown & Conroy, the social exchanges that happen between caregivers and infants “evolve into complex social interactions with others, and children’s interactional histories are a primary mechanism that leads to their social-emotional competence.”
Socio-emotional development starts from the moment of birth; this process “creates a foundation for these achievements as young children begin to comprehend how human behavior is related to mental goals, intentions, feelings.” There are a number of theoretical concepts that comprise it, namely attachment theory, which explores the significance of an infant’s experiences in close relationships and emphasizes the importance of prospective development. Thus, socioemotional development is one of the core aspects – and one of the first ones to emerge in a child’s life – that sets a vector for further growth.