Child psychology

Question 1

What is bonding?

Answer 1

a relationship that usually begins at the time of birth between a parent & infant, which establishes the basis for an ongoing mutual attachment –> bonding = foundation for attachment

Question 2

What did Harlow’s (1959) monkey experiment reveal?

Answer 2

attachment & need for emotional connection in infancy is critical, innate need for contact comfort

Question 3

What is attunement?

Answer 3

when an adult is able to tune into babies’ needs, perhaps by observing their sounds, expressions & body language

Question 4

How does Bowlby define attachment? What features characterise an attachment?

Answer 4

a long-enduring, emotional tie to a specific individual, characterised by:
- selective- focused on specific individuals who elicit attachment behaviour to an extent that is not found with other people
- involve physical proximity seeking where effort is made to maintain closeness to the attachment figure
- provide comfort & security
- produce separation upset when proximity cannot be obtained

Question 5

Outline the 1st stage of Bowlby’s attachment theory.

Answer 5

Pre-attachment (0-2 months) –> indiscriminate social responsiveness, not able to distinguish that they are dependent on caregivers but will allow individuals to take care of them

Question 6

Outline the 2nd stage of Bowlby’s attachment theory.

Answer 6

Attachment-in-the-making (3-7 months) –> learning the basic rules of interaction, becoming wary, distinguish between caregivers

Question 7

Outline the 3rd stage of Bowlby’s attachment theory.

Answer 7

Clear-cut-attachment (8-24 months) –> separation anxiety, wariness of strangers (thus, it is important to consider how you act with children of this age)

Question 8

Outline the 4th & final stage of Bowlby’s attachment theory.

Answer 8

Goal-corrected partnership (24+ months) –> relationship more two-sided, children understand parents’ needs and contribute to
the relationship

Question 9

What behaviours did Ainsworth investigate in the Strange Situation?

Answer 9

• exploration: to what extent does the child explore their environment
• reactions to departure: how does the child respond when the caregiver leaves
• stranger anxiety: how does the child respond to being a lone with a stranger
• reunion: how does the child respond to the caregiver when they return

Question 10

What do attachment types link to?

Answer 10

how available & involved the caregiver is, both physically & emotionally, with the infant –> impacted by the parents’ lifestyle & various other social factors

Question 11

What were the attachment types found by Ainsworth?

Answer 11

Secure, insecure-resistant, insecure-avoidant, disorganised

Question 12

What are the benefits of securely attached children?

Answer 12

• learns the carer is positively responsive to behaviour
• show more facial expressions, eye contact etc.
• understand emotional cause & effect
• show emotional feelings, promoting appropriate stress-coping strategies
• promote feelings of calm, confidence & willingness to try new things associated with development- more willing to explore the environment
• embrace new experiences & adapt to some degree
• more likely to trust, depend on & care for other

Question 13

What variables are involved in a disorganised attachment?

Answer 13

unresolved loss & trauma, parental insensitivity, frightening parenting behaviour

Question 14

Outline some general criticisms of attachment theories.

Answer 14

• no consideration of other, external factors, like society & culture
• don’t recognise the role of genetics & temperament

Question 15

Describe the model of separation outlined by Robertson & Robertson (1971).

Answer 15

1) distress- protest & crying, refuse to be comforted
2) despair- quiet & apathetic, hopelessness
3) detachment- child appears to have come to terms with separation, begins to form new relationships, unable to trust parent on return (may be clingy, or cold)
BUT- consider temporal validity, children more used to separation nowadays, AND cultural differences with children who are not used to any separation

Question 16

Outline the key components identified by Howe (2006) involved in attachment support for parents of children with disabilities.

Answer 16

• improve material & economic circumstances
• strive to achieve good social support
• help parents understand their child’s disability
• help parents resolve issues of loss & trauma, including disability diagnosis
• help insecure parents reflect on & reprocess attachment issues relating to their own childhood experiences

Question 17

How can we support siblings of hospitalised sick children?

Answer 17

• someone to speak to or gain an attachment from
• assure them that their parent still loves & cares for them
• keep life as close as possible to normal
• answer their questions
• try to maintain contact with the sibling/ family e.g. video calls, facilitate visits to the ward where possible

Question 18

How can child psychology link to nursing practice?

Answer 18

• Encourage parents to care for their children e.g., in the neonatal unit, encourage the parent to change nappies, or bathe the infant
• Involving siblings & parents
• Reassurance & positive encouragement to support parents such as reassuring them that overly clingy behaviour is natural for the environment
• Encourage parents to swap, so each can rest and recuperate
• Engage age-appropriately to the child, e.g., get on their level, tailor interactions to their developmental stage
• If any insecure attachment behaviour is observed, bare that in mind as it may alert you to other contributing factors
• Facilitate opportunities to bond- such as in the neonatal unit with skin-to-skin contact; kangaroo care, promoted from birth to help bonding, promotes breastfeeding