Ch. 10: Emotional Development

Question 1

Emotions are useful because they help people to do what? Provide examples.

Answer 1

Adapt to environments.

E.g., fear = avoiding danger; happiness = strengthening relationships.

Question 2

Define the basic, universal emotions and the 3 elements that entail.

Answer 2

Happiness, anger, surprise, interest, disgust, sadness, fear.

Subjective feeling; physiological change; overt behaviour.

Question 3

Non-verbal behaviour is the primary mode in which emotion is communicated. List five.

Answer 3

Facial expression.

Eye gaze.

Tone of voice.

Bodily motion.

Timing and intensity of response.

Question 4

Describe emotion milestones for the following ages:

• 2-3 months
• 4-6 months
• 6 months
• 8-9 months
• 18-24 months
• 7 years

Answer 4

2-3m: happiness.

4-6m: anger.

6m: fear.

8-9m: all basic emotions.

18-24m: complex (self-conscious) emotions.

7y: regret.

Question 5

By 4-6 months, infants can identify what associated with different emotions? What is evidence for this?

Answer 5

Facial expressions.

Often match their emotions to others.

Question 6

Like adults, infants are biased towards _____ and pay attention to them for longer.

Answer 6

Negative emotions.

Question 7

What is social referencing?

Answer 7

In unfamiliar or ambiguous environments, infants rely on caregivers for cues to interpret situation.

Question 8

During elementary school, children understand that people can have what?

Answer 8

Mixed feelings.

Question 9

Cultures differ in terms of what two things?

Answer 9

Display rules; events that trigger emotions.

Question 10

What is emotional regulation?

Answer 10

Monitoring, evaluation, and modifying of emotional reactions to accomplish goal.

Question 11

Regulation of emotions begins in infancy. Provide two examples of this.

Answer 11

Will look away when encountering something frightening or confusing.

Will also move closer to a parent for protection and comfort.

Question 12

Regarding emotional regulation, by 24 months toddlers seem to have learned how to do what?

Answer 12

Direct emotions to meet some needs, but still rely on adults for help.

Question 13

Toddlers display _____ rather than fear or anger, as the most likely way to get _____.

Answer 13

Sadness; adult support.

Question 14

Many children learn to do what regarding anger and fear for social reasons?

Answer 14

Suppress them.

Question 15

Older children use _____ to regulate emotions.

Answer 15

Mental strategies.

Question 16

In adolescence, brain regions involved in emotion regulation, including the _____ and _____, undergo extended structural and functional development.

Answer 16

Limbic system; prefrontal cortex.

Question 17

Describe the Baum et al. (2014) study on emotion regulation in adolescents. What were its findings?

Answer 17

Ages 14-17; 3 week sleep manipulation trial.

2.5 hours less sleep for 1 week = significantly more tense/anxious, angry/hostile, confused, fatigued.

Question 18

List six emotion regulation strategies in adolescence.

Answer 18

Problem-solving.

Emotional expression.

Cognitive restructuring.

Acceptance.

Distraction.

Positive thinking.

Question 19

Define temperament.

Answer 19

Pattern of emotion and behavioural styles that are fairly stable across situations and are biologically based.

Question 20

Thomas and Chess identified 3 patterns of temperament. What are they?

Answer 20

Easy; difficult; slow-to-warm-up.

Question 21

Thomas and Chess identified 5 dimensions in temperament. What are they?

Answer 21

Activity level.

Positive affect.

Persistence.

Inhibition.

Negative affect.

Question 22

Rothbart (2007) proposed 3 dimensions of temperament. Define each.

Answer 22

Surgency/extraversion: extent child generally happy, active, vocal, seeking stimulation.

Negative affect: extend child angry, fearful, shy, frustrated, not easily soothed.

Effortful control: extent child can focus attention, not easily distracted, can inhibit responses.

Question 23

Identical twins are more alike in most aspects of temperament than fraternal twins. Which way is most influenced and when is this effect the largest?

Answer 23

Negative affect most influenced.

Bigger impact in childhood than infancy.

Question 24

Infants are more likely to develop intense, difficult temperaments when mothers are what?

Answer 24

Abrupt and lack confidence.

Question 25

Infants are less emotional when parents are _____.

Answer 25

Responsive.

Question 26

Environmental influences are particularly important for _____.

Answer 26

Positive affect.

Question 27

True or false: temperament is modestly stable through infancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Answer 27

True.

Question 28

Fearful preschoolers tend to be _____ as older child and adolescent.

Answer 28

Inhibited.

Question 29

Temperament is a _____, influenced by experience and opportunities.

Answer 29

Predisposition.

Question 30

Parent-child interactions are most successful when both parties do what?

Answer 30

Adjust to the needs of the other.

Question 31

At about two or three months of age, what first appears?

Answer 31

Social smiles: infants smile when seeing another person.

Question 32

At about what age do infants acquire stranger wariness?

Answer 32

6 months.

Question 33

Who founded attachment theory, what does attachment mean, what is the role of the parent, and what is its evolutionary perspective?

Answer 33

John Bowlby.

Attachment: formation of an enduring, social-emotional relationship with a responsive caregiver.

Parent = secure base.

Evolutionary perspective: attachment facilitates child’s survival.

Question 34

Who is Mary Ainsworth and what did she develop?

Answer 34

Pioneered the study of infant-parent attachment, developed Strange-Situation Procedure.

Question 35

In the Strange-Situation Procedure, separation from a parent activates what?

Answer 35

Attachment system.

Separation from parent = emotionally stressful.

Reunion with parent = emotionally calming.

Question 36

The Strange-Situation Procedure measures what three things?

Answer 36

Infant’s proximity seeking, ease with which they are soothed, rapidity of return to play.

Question 37

The Strange-Situation Procedure is comprised of 7 steps, each lasting 3 minutes. What are they?

Answer 37

1. Parent and baby - playtime.
2. Stranger, parent, and baby.
3. Stranger and baby.
4. Parent and baby.
5. Baby left alone.
6. Stranger and baby.
7. Parent and baby.

Question 38

Define the five key features of secure attachment during the Strange-Situation Procedure. It characterizes what percentage of North American babies?

Answer 38

Explores room, plays with toys.

Misses parent during separations, e.g., often cries when left alone.

Prefers parent over stranger.

Actively greets parent, e.g., seeking out physical contact.

Settles and returns to play easily.

Characterizes 60-65%.

Question 39

Define the five key features of insecure avoidant attachment during the Strange-Situation Procedure. It characterizes what percentage of North American babies?

Answer 39

Not distressed by separation from parent.

Likely avoids/ignores parent on reunion.

Little to no proximity seeking, distress, anger.

Appears unemotional in response to parent.

Stronger focus on toys/environment than parent.

Characterizes ~20%.

Question 40

Define the three key features of insecure resistant attachment during the Strange-Situation Procedure. It characterizes what percentage of North American babies?

Answer 40

Baby may be wary/distressed pre-separation.

Appears preoccupied with parent throughout.

Not easily consoled by parent upon reunion.

Characterizes 10-15%.

Question 41

Define the key feature of insecure disorganized attachment during the Strange-Situation Procedure. It characterizes what percentage of North American babies?

Answer 41

Disorganized or disoriented behaviours in presence of parent.

Characterizes 5-10%.

Question 42

Define affect attunement. What three things do parents need to do to foster healthy attachment?

Answer 42

Affect attunement: ability to “match” the child’s affective state.

Sensitive, attentive, responsive to child’s needs.

Question 43

Attachment relationships develop from parent-child communication. Define parent-child synchrony and its course.

Answer 43

Harmonious, reciprocal, mutually responsive interaction between parent and child.

Initially one-sided, facilitated by parent’s sensitivity and responsiveness.

Question 44

_____ gives rise to secure attachment.

Answer 44

Contingent communication.

Question 45

Contingent communication involves what two things?

Answer 45

Parent’s ability to accurately interpret child’s signals.

Parent’s ability to respond in a timely and effective manner.

Question 46

What are the four functions of attachment?

Answer 46

Maintain infant’s sense of security.

Regulate infant’s affect and arousal.

Communication / promote expression of feelings.

A base for exploration.

Question 47

Describe the parent’s contingent communication and the child’s internal working model of the parent for the attachment styles:

• secure
• insecure avoidant
• insecure resistant
• insecure disorganized

Answer 47

Secure: high contingent communication, child’s model = trustworthy.

Insecure avoidant: low contingent communication, child’s model = unavailable.

Insecure resistant: inconsistent contingent communication, child’s model = inconsistent.

Insecure disorganized: disorganized contingent communication (e.g., fear of child; elicits fear), child’s model = disorganized.

Question 48

_____ is associated with “deactivation” of the attachment system, while _____ is associated with “overactivation” of the attachment system.

Answer 48

Insecure avoidant; insecure resistant.

Question 49

Describe parental role behaviour during play and after surgery.

Answer 49

During play: mothers more affectionate than fathers; fathers more stimulating and proprioceptive.

After surgery: mothers touch their children at higher rates than fathers; mothers more likely to embrace children.

Question 50

Cultural differences in caregiving influence attachment styles on the Strange-Situation Procedure. Describe the attachment styles in Germany, Korea, and Japan.

Answer 50

Germany: fewer secure, more insecure-avoidant.

Korea: more secure, fewer insecure-avoidant.

Japan: more insecure-resistant, fewer insecure-avoidant.

Question 51

Regarding attachment, what remains true cross-culturally?

Answer 51

Caregiver sensitivity associated with infant security.

Question 52

Questions in the Adult Attachment Interview target what two things?

Answer 52

Memories related to attachment.

Relationships with parents (past and present).

Question 53

List the four parental models of attachment.

Answer 53

Secure/Autonomous: objective and balanced.

Dismissing: normalizing or idealizing of parents.

Preoccupied: preoccupied with past attachment relationships; blame themselves for difficulties.

Unresolved/Disorganized: lose track, become silent, or abruptly switch topics when loss/trauma brought up.

Question 54

A person’s attachment style on the AAI is associated with what two things?

Answer 54

Their own attachment style as an infant on the SS.

Attachment style of their infant on the SS.

Question 55

Prospective studies using AAI with pregnant women found what?

Answer 55

Attachment style prior to giving birth can predict infant’s attachment style on the SSP in ~70% of babies.

Question 56

What are the four phases of growth of attachment?

Answer 56

Preattachment (birth to 6-8 weeks): begin to recognize mothers by sight, smell.

Attachment in the making (6-8 weeks to 6-8 months): behavioural changes around presence of familiar and unfamiliar figures.

True attachment (6-8 months to 18 months): singled out attachment figure as special individual.

Reciprocal relationships (18 months on): development allows partnership.

Question 57

Infants develop an internal working model of their parents. What does this mean?

Answer 57

Set of expectations about caregiver’s availability and responsiveness generally, and in times of stress.