Chapter 5 Theories of Psychological Development PART THREE

Chapter 5: Theories of Psychological Development PART THREE: THEORIES OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Emotional Development: Romanian Orphans �http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ut. Q 4 s. Pg. No. EY How important is the psychological bond. . or ATTACHMENT. . between infants and their caregivers in emotional development ?

Definition of Attachment An enduring emotional tie to a special person, characterized by a tendency to seek and maintain closeness, especially during times of stress.

Roots of Attachment Theory • John Bowlby applied ethology (the study of behaviour) to infants • Infant’s innate behaviors are evolved responses which promote survival John Bowlby, British psychiatrist (19071990)

Importance of Attachment • Implications for infant's sense of security • Affects internal working model • Freud, Erikson, Behaviorists described its impact on development

Bowlby’s 4 Key Characteristics of Attachment � Proximity Maintenance- desire to be near the caregiver. � Safe Haven- the ability to be able to return to the caregiver when scared. � Secure Base- from which infant can explore surrounding environment. � Separation distress- anxiety when caregiver leaves

Bowlby’s Four Stages of Attachment Pre attachment phase • Birth - 6 weeks • Baby’s innate signals attract caregiver • Caregivers remain close by when the baby responds positively

Attachment in the Making • 6 wks to 6 -8 months • Develops a sense of trust that caregiver will respond when signaled • Infants respond more positively to familiar caregiver • Babies don't protest when separated from parent

Clear-cut Attachment • 6 -8 months to 18 -24 months • Babies display separation anxiety • Babies protest when parent leaves

Formation of Reciprocal Relationship • 18 mo - 2 yrs • Toddlers increase their understanding of symbols and language improves • Toddlers understand that parents will return

Factors which Affect Attachment • Opportunity for attachment • Quality of caregiving • respond promptly and consistently • interactional synchrony – the sensitively tuned “emotional dance” • Infant characteristics • infant's temperament, special needs, prematurity, or illnesses

More Factors which Affect Attachment • Family circumstances • Stress can undermine attachment • Parents’ internal working models • Parents’ own attachment experiences • Parents’ ability to accept their past

Measuring the Quality of Attachment • Mary Ainsworth researched attachment • Designed the “strange situation” • A lab experiment with 8 different episodes of separation and reunion • Attached infant will: • Use mother as a secure base • Be soothed by the mother during the reunion Mary Ainsworth, American Psycholgist (1913 -199)

Secure attachment � http: //www. youtube. com/ • Uses caregiver as a secure base • May show distress at separation, but the baby can be soothed at reunion • 60 -65% of Australian children watch? v=QTsew. Nr. HUHU

Insecure-Avoidant Attachment • Unresponsive to parent when she is present • Not distressed by parting • Avoids or slow to greet parent on return • 20% of Australian children

Insecure-Resistant Attachment • Infants remain close to parents and not eager to explore • Distressed by separation • During reunion, infants are both clingy and resistant • 12% of Australian children

Disorganized/Disoriented Attachment • No coherent strategy for handling separations or reunions • Baby looks dazed and confused • 5 -10% of Australian children

How do the Different Perspectives view Attachment

Harlow’s Attachment Experiment �http: //www. psychexchange. co. uk/videos/view/2097 8/

Harlow’s Experiments in Monkeys � Nonhuman primates can offer tremendous insights into human development. � Of all animals, apes and monkey are the most closely related to humans behaviorally, anatomically, and physiologically. � Rhesus monkeys share over 90% of their genes with those of humans. Harry Harlow, American Psychologist (19051981)

Harlow discovered that baby monkeys deprived of their mothers (left) would transfer their affections to a cloth surrogate. When they needed to eat, they would scamper over to a milk-bearing wire mother, but then quickly return to cuddle with the softer surrogate.

Harry Harlow 1905 -1981 � RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT All the rhesus monkeys raised in isolation were Fearful Easily frightened Did not mate Those artificially inseminated became abusive mothers

Harry Harlow 1905 -1981 �Harlow used this bear for the fear test. When Harlow put this in the cage with the isolated monkeys, they were afraid.

Harry Harlow 1905 -1981 �The typical response in the fear test was to cling to the cloth mother. (not the wire mother with the food)

Implications For The Human Socialization Process � Parental contact is absolutely critical to infants’ psychosocial well-being. Critical = absolutely necessary…. won’t happen without it. � Following WW II, psychologists coined the term “analyitic depression” to describe the clinical response of human infants to prolonged maternal separation.