A3. Emotional Development

Question 1

What is emotional development?

Answer 1

The way in which an individual feels about and values themselves and other people.

Question 2

What does emotional development involve?

Answer 2

Emotional developmentinvolves learning what feelings andemotionsare, understanding how and why they happen, recognising one’s own feelings and those of others, and developing effective ways of managing them.

This forms the basis of emotional literacy and empathy.

Question 3

What is self image?

Answer 3

the way an individual sees themselves, it is their mental image of themselves.

Question 4

What is self concept?

Answer 4

How we see and feel about ourselves, seeing ourselves as a unique individual

Question 5

What is self esteem?

Answer 5

how a person feels about themselves, self-worth or pride.

Question 6

What are the key features of emotional development that occur at each life stage?

Answer 6

Infancy 0-2 years: Attachment

Early childhood 3-8 years: Understanding self and others

Adolescence 9-18 years: Identity

Early and middle adulthood 19-65 years: Intimacy

Later adulthood 65+ years: Making sense of your life

Question 7

What is attachment?

Answer 7

A two-way emotional bond, where people depend on each other for sense of security.

Question 8

What did John Bowlby believe?

Answer 8

John Bowlby believed that the child could suffer a decline in intelligence, depression, aggression and delinquency if a attachment was not formed.

He said that children come into the world biologically pre-programmed to form attachments.

Question 9

Summarise Bowlby’s attachment theory

Answer 9

• Form one primary attachment. Infants form attachments because it is biologically programmed to do so.
• Infants display social releasers(such as smiling and crying) which increase their chances of receiving care
• A disruption of any kind has a negative impact- deprivation- could result in long term damage
• Babies therefore have an ‘attachment gene’
• Believes the person that spends more time with the child will have a positive attachment (sensitive responsiveness)
• Attachment to the primary care giver is a model for future attachment. = Internal working model.
• Mothering is useless if delayed until 2 ½ years.

Question 10

What is separation anxiety?

Answer 10

When an infant becomes anxious and fearful around strangers when the main care giver has left.

Question 11

How is Bowlby criticised by Rutter?

Answer 11

Rutter states that Bowlby oversimplified the theory of attachment and argued that maternal deprivation in itself may not lead to long term issues.
Rutter suggests that privation is more damaging. Privation happens when children do not have the opportunity to form attachments or have poor attachments caused by a lack of social or intellectual stimulation.
Bowlby believed attachment is a natural biological process, whilst others suggest that it is learned behaviour influenced by external factors such as; environment, culture or the baby’s temperament.

Question 12

Who criticises Bowlby?

Answer 12

Rutter

Shaffer and Emerson

Question 13

How is Bowlby criticised by Shaffer and Emerson?

Answer 13

Shaffer and Emerson (1964) suggested that babies are more likely to form sound attachments to care givers who respond effectively (positively) to their signals.

This is not necessarily the person they spend the most time with (sensitive responsiveness)
Therefore, playing and communicating with the child is the single most important factor in attachment.

Question 14

What are Shaffer and Emerson’s stages of attachment?

Answer 14

Asocial stage (up to 6 weeks): babies usually form attachments with anyone.

Indiscriminate stage (6weeks to 6 months): more sociable, can tell people apart. Stronger bonds with familiar people, no fear of strangers.

Specific stage (7months +): show separation anxiety and begin to show fear of strangers.

Multiple attachments 10-11 months +): Makes several attachments, becomes more independent.

Question 15

Describe Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation

Answer 15

Mary Ainsworth in the 1970s set to observe attachment security in children.
It applies to infants between the age of nine and 18 months.
The procedure involves series of eight episodes lasting approximately 3 minutes each, whereby a mother, child and stranger are introduced, separated and reunited.

Question 16

What did Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation classify attachment into?

Answer 16

• Secure
• Insecure avoidant
• Insecure ambivalent

Question 17

What were the results of Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 17

Ainsworth (1970) identified three main attachment styles, secure, insecure avoidant and insecure ambivalent/resistant. She concluded that these attachment styles were the result of early interactions with the mother.

Ainsworth (1978) suggested the ‘caregiver sensitivity hypothesis’ as an explanation for different attachment types. Ainsworth’s maternal sensitivity hypothesis argues that a child’s attachment style is dependent on the behavior their mother shows towards them.

Sensitive’ mothers are responsive to the child’s needs and respond to their moods and feelings correctly. Sensitive mothers are more likely to have securely attached children.
In contrast, mothers who are less sensitive towards their child, for example, those who respond to the child’s needs incorrectly or who are impatient or ignore the child, are likely to have insecurely attached children.

Question 18

Describe secure attachment

Answer 18

show distress when caregiver leaves, easily soothed by care giver, confident that care giver can meet their needs. Happy with strangers when care giver is there.

Question 19

Describe Insecure avoidant attachment

Answer 19

Caregivers are likely to be emotionally unavailable so infants are more independent. Do not seek comfort when distressed. May go to a stranger to seek comfort.

Question 20

Describe insecure ambivalent attachment

Answer 20

Care giver has a inconsistent response so infants can be clingy and dependant but also difficult to soothe are do not feel secure when around caregiver.

Question 21

What factors might affect attachment and why?

Answer 21

Prematurity – if a premature baby is in an incubator, they
cannot be picked up and held. This can affect the attachment process.

Disability – some parents find it harder to attach to a baby with a disability, and they may struggle with their feelings. Some babies with disabilities may experience difficulty forming attachments.

Emotional unavailability – may be due to parents having
problems with alcohol or drug abuse, illness or generally
struggling with their role.

Foster care/adoption – ‘looked after children’, children within the care system, may experience inconsistency of care givers,which can affect attachments and their sense of identity.

Separation – separation of parents from their baby, eg due
to illness, bereavement or the parents divorcing, can affect
attachment. This can impact on a baby’s sense of identity.

Post-natal depression (PND) – some mothers are depressed after birth, but PND lasts longer and may affect a mother’s ability to bond with her baby.

Question 22

Describe emotional development and childhood

Answer 22

As children get older they meet a wider range of people and this starts to influence the picture they are forming of themselves.

Children do not just do the things they are taught or imitate, they think about what is happening and decide what their own values are. This called internalising or examining within themselves.

This is where they understand themselves and others.

Question 23

List factors that can promote positive self-concept in childhood

Answer 23

Positive feedback from parents/teachers
Acceptance within friendship groups
Good grades at school
Encouraging them to accept failures
Praise
Feeling accomplished by joining a hobby/interest

Question 24

List factors that can promote negative self-concept in childhood

Answer 24

Negative comments from parents
High expectations with consistent criticism
Bullying
Bad grades at school/falling behind from peers

Question 25

Decribe adolescence and emotional development

Answer 25

Identity is shaped by our personality, peers, family and social media influences.

Identityis largely concerned with the question: “Who are you?” What does it mean to be who you are?

A person may hold multiple identities such as a teacher, father, or friend. Each position has its own meanings and expectations that are internalized as identity.

The main aspect that impacts on emotional development during adolescence is self-esteem/self image.

Question 26

What factors can affect emotional development in adolescents?

Answer 26

Physical and emotional changes during puberty can impact on self esteem.

Body image is an essential part of a young person’s self esteem. Poor body image can result in poor self-concept.

Social media, peer pressure and social influencers can impact positively and negatively on self concept

Question 27

What affects self-esteem in early and middle adulthood?

Answer 27

Influenced by life style, job and marital status.
Career promotions increase self-esteem.
Sense of intimacy
Stress and life events can result in low self esteem.

Question 28

What affects self-image in early and middle adulthood?

Answer 28

Having roles such as; parent, partner, member of a football team can help to give status but also guidelines for behaviour.
Life events such as marriage, parenthood, promotion

Question 29

Describe later adulthood and emotional development

Answer 29

Making sense of your life
Loss of loved ones
Health issues
Need for care
Regrets
Retirement