L07 Flashcards
What is temperament, and how does it relate to emotional development?
Temperament refers to consistent patterns of emotional and behavioral responses to the environment, believed to be genetically based and present in infancy.
What are the three temperament types identified by Thomas and Chess (1968)?
Easy babies (40%): Adjust well to new situations, generally cheerful.
Difficult babies (10%): Slow to adjust, react negatively to novel stimuli.
Slow-to-warm babies (15%): Initially difficult but become easier over time.
What are the 5 dimensions of temperament assessed by Rothbart (2001)?
Positive affectivity
Distress
Fear
Attention span
Activity level
What is goodness of fit in relation to a child’s temperament?
It refers to how well a child’s temperament aligns with the demands and expectations of their environment or parents. Better fit results in better social outcomes.
How do parents’ emotional expressions influence child development?
Parents’ emotional expressions can model when and how to express emotions, directly impacting emotional regulation, empathy, and social competence.
What are the effects of parents’ lack of emotional expression on children?
Children may not express emotions, may view emotions as “bad,” and may struggle with emotional identification, regulation, and understanding others’ emotions.
What is the Still Face Paradigm, and what does it reveal about emotional development?
Infants show distress when their caregiver maintains a still face, revealing how emotional communication and interaction are crucial for infant development.
What is attachment theory, and who developed it?
Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby, states that children are biologically predisposed to form emotional bonds with primary caregivers, which influence emotional and social development.
What are the 4 attachment styles identified by Mary Ainsworth?
Secure: Distressed when separated, easily soothed upon reunion.
Avoidant: Avoids or ignores parent, not distressed by separation.
Resistant: Clingy, distressed, hard to soothe after separation.
Disorganized: Contradictory responses, often fearful of the caregiver.
At what age do children enter the clear-cut attachment phase?
Between 6 months and 18-24 months; infants show clear attachment behaviors and separation distress.
What is the differential susceptibility hypothesis?
It suggests that some children are more sensitive to both positive and negative environmental conditions, affecting their development more than others.
What are the benefits of secure attachment for children?
More emotionally expressive.
Better social relationships, empathy, and academic performance.
Fewer behavioral problems (e.g., aggression, delinquency).
