Lecture 17: Socio Emotional Development

Question 0

What is the ethological theory of attachment (Bowlby 1969)

Answer 0

Focuses on after 9months of age
It states that Infant’s emotional tie to mother is an evolved response
(I.e. Babies are born with built-in behaviours that keep parent nearby)

Question 1

What is attachment?

Answer 1

Strong affectional tie that humans feel toward special people in their lives

Forming strong relationships in 1st year is a major developmental task

Mother-infant or primary caregiver-infant relationship is the most studied

Question 2

What are the main features of infant attachment?

Answer 2

Selective attachment observed from 6-8 months to 18 months-2years
Intensified by anxiety provoking situations
Serves to reduce anxiety in stressful situations
Evidence of separation anxiety
Caregiver provides a secure base

Question 3

What is the mother infant bond?

Answer 3

A set of genetically prewired behaviours which facilitate the basic processes of parenting

E.g. Caregivers natural tendency to hold, talk, smile and respond to infants cry
The motherese, infant directed speech
The release of oxytocin

Question 4

What is the serve and return relationship?

Answer 4

A form of contingent reciprocity

This may be influenced by difficult temperament, parental mental illness

Question 5

What are factors that affect the development of attachment?

Answer 5

Opportunity to establish close relationship
Quality of caregiving
Baby’s characteristics
Family context

Question 6

What is the foundation of an infants later relationships?

Answer 6

Its emotional tie to mother

Question 7

What has research shown on this attachment bond?

Answer 7

It is not only dependent on hunger

Question 8

What is Harlow’s study?

Answer 8

Conducted in 1958, 1965 with Zimmerman.

Tested primary drives theory in Rhesus monkeys.

There were two surrogate mother options

1) wire surrogate which fed the infant
2) cloth surrogate which did not feed the infant

Question 9

What were the results of the Harlow study?

Answer 9

Despite wire surrogate supplying food, the infant monkeys formed an attachment with the cloth surrogate

Question 10

What are the main patterns of attachment?

Answer 10

Insecure avoidant (15%)
Insecure resistant (10%)
Secure (60-65%)

Question 11

What is insecure avoidant attachment?

Answer 11

Infants are not attached at all

Parental responsiveness is the lowest

Question 12

What is insecure resistant attachment?

Answer 12

Anxious, ambivalent responses.
Infants first seek and then avoid caregiver
Parental responsiveness is inconsistent

Question 13

What is secure attachment?

Answer 13

Use caregiver as a secure base

Parental responsiveness is highest

Question 14

What is the result of secure attachment in infancy?

Answer 14

More complex exploratory behaviour (2years)
More high level symbolic play
Better cognitive skills in middle childhood&adolescence
Better social skills at preschool
Internalised controls
Prosocial orientation
Intellectual achievement

Question 15

What is the relationship between fathers and attachment?

Answer 15

Fathers’ sensitive caregiving and involvement predicts secure attachment
Fathers spend more time in play
A Warm marital relationship supports parents’ involvement with baby

Question 16

What contributes to or detracts from secure patterns of attachment?

Answer 16

Parenting
Family circumstances
Cultural variations
Temperament

Question 17

What is the best predictor of secure attachment?

Answer 17

Parenting.
A parents ability to perceive and interpret child’s signals and intentions and respond appropriately and promptly will greatly increase secure patterns of attachment

Question 18

How does family circumstance affect the secure pattern of attachment?

Answer 18

Family circumstances are major life changes
The transition affects parent-child interactions
A parent’s experience affects the bonds established with children

Question 19

How do cultural variations affect secure pattern of attachment?

Answer 19

German parents have been known to value independence

Whereas Japanese parents rarely leave infants in other peoples care

Question 20

How do temperaments affect secure pattern of attachment?

Answer 20

Temperaments are early, stable dispositions in the domains of action, emotion attention and self regulation.

They appear basic.

They have two main dimensions:
Reactivity
Self regulation/effortful control

Question 21

What are the types of infant temperament?

Answer 21

Infants with easy temperament (40%)
Infants with difficult temperament (10%)
Slow to warm up child (15%)
Other (35%)

Question 22

What are infants with easy temperament like?

Answer 22

Quickly establish regular routines in infancy, generally cheerful, adapt easily to new experiences

Elicit positive responses from caregivers and others

Question 23

What are infants with difficult temperaments like?

Answer 23

Irregular daily routines,
slow to accept new experiences,
Tend to react negatively and intensely
Place children at risk for adjustment problems
Children Function worse when exposed to inept parenting, yet benefit most from good parenting

Question 24

What are slow to warm up child infants like?

Answer 24

Inactive, shows mild, low key reactions to environmental stimuli
They are negative in mood, adjusts slowly to new experiences

Question 25

What is the goodness of fit model?

Answer 25

Temperament and environment together can produce favourable outcomes

Question 26

Who is at the most risk of child abuse and neglect?

Answer 26

The most vulnerable:
Infants and toddlers
Foster children
Children with disabilities
Children whose parents have 
  Psychosocial problems
  Negative attributions towards child
Unwanted pregnancy

Question 27

What are the origins of child maltreatment?

Answer 27

Community:
Abusive parents isolated from public supports
Mistrust and avoid others
Few links between family and community

Larger culture:
Society views violence as appropriate to solve problems
Laws against maltreatment but support for use of physical force in parent-child relations
Child abuse is rare where physical punishment is not accepted

Question 28

What are the consequences of maltreatment?

Answer 28

Learning, adjustment and emotional problems
Aggressive behaviour
At school: non compliance, poor motivation
Cognitive immaturity interferes with achievement

Question 29

How can maltreatment be prevented?

Answer 29

Family, community and social interventions
Social supports to ease parental stress
Separating abusive parent from child