Lifespan Development II Flashcards
Explain Bowlby’s 44 thieves study
- looked at link between thieves delinquency and their psychopathology and their environmental upbringing
- the thieves were 5-17, and all had average IQs and socioeconomic levels
- 17/44 thieves had experienced prolonged maternal deprivation
- of the remaining thieves (25), 17 had hostile mothers and 5 had hostile fathers
- he found that maternal deprivation was the strongest predictor among the 44 for more serious thieving behaviour
- maternal deprivation can lead to maladjusted behaviour
How can infants be investigated if they can’t talk?
- Researchers observe infant’s facial expressions, vocalisations and other behaviours to infer their emotions
What feelings grow as self-awareness does too?
Envy, empathy and embarassment
When do infants begin to understand the riles they are supposed to follow and also display guilt
Age 2
Define emotional regulation
The process by which we evaluate and modify our emotional reactions
Give examples of emotional regulation that infants show.
Babies understand how to soothe themselves, for example, they suck their thumb or cling to parents. Toddlers reduce stress by finding their caregiver or clinging to a doll
Explain what emotional competence is
Individuals emotional expressiveness and their emotional regulation ability
What does an individuals’ emotional competence influence?
- their social behaviour and likeabilty - children who can’t control their anger or frequently display sadness will be less popular
Explain Field, Woodson, Greenberg and Cohen’s findings (1982)
newborns imitate emotional expressions they have observed in others
Explain what social referencing is.
The process by which infants and children use the emotional response of others to guide their actions
Which study supplied evidence for social referencing
Sorce, Emde, Campos and Kilneet (1985) -
- placed a virtual cliff in front of babies
- mother other side adopting happy, encouraging face or a fearful expression
- happy face = babies are more likely to cross over
- Fearful face = almost no babies attempted to cross
Explain temperarment
A biologically based general style of reacting emotionally and behaviourally to the environment
Explain Thomas and Chess’s research (1977) on temperament
parents were asked to describe their childrens’ behaviour and most infants fit into one of three classification:
- easy infants: eat and sleep on schedule, playful and adaptive
- difficult infants: irritable, fussy eaters and sleepers, reacted negatively to new situations
- slow-to-warm-up infants: least active and mildly negative in new situations, but will slowly adapt
Of the infant classifications found by Thomas and Chess (1977), which were most likely to develop emotional and behaviour problems
Difficult infants
What is a disadvantage of Thomas and CHess’s research
Some people believe that temperament is only moderately stable during infancy
What is an inhibited infant?
They are quiet and shy, cry and withdraw when exposed to unfamiliar stimuli (including people). This represents 20-25% of infants
What is an uninhibited infant?
Social, verbal and spontaneous infants
What were highly inhibited and highly uninhibited 1 or 2 year olds like when they were 7 years old?
Their personalities were likely to be the same
Can childhood personality continue into adulthood? Is there a piece of research that you can describe which suggests so?
Yes, this seems to be a trend. Research shows that inhibited boys at ages 8-12 were more likely to delay marriage and fatherhood and show reluctance to entering new social relationships. Additionally, inhibited girls are more likely to grow up and leave work and become housewives, or drop out of uni
What does Erikson’s psychological theory propose and name the 8 stages.
Erikson believes personality develops through tacking 8 psychological stages, these stages are always present but they become especially important at specific ages- basic trust vs basic mistrust, autonomy vs shame and doubt, initiative vs guilt, industry vs inferiority, identity vs role confusion, intimacy vs isolation, generativity vs stagnation, integrity vs despair. Successively resolving each crisis helps the individual to meet the next.
What is the psychological stage that occurs in the first year and what does it involve?
Basic trust vs basic mistrust - here we develop either a basic trust or basic mistrust of the world based on how well our needs are met and how much love and support we receive
What is the psychological stage that occurs in years 1-2 and what does it involve?
Autonomy vs shame & doubt - here toddlers begin to try and exercise their individuality. Children may not later have the courage to try and exercise their independence if their parents are overly harsh and restrictive during this time. For example, toilet training.
What is the psychological stage that occurs in years 3-5 and what does it involve?
Initiative vs guilt - at this age children are curious about the world. They will develop a sense of initiative if they are allowed their freedom and if their questions are answered, but if they are held back or punished for their curiosity then they may develop guilt and suppress their curiosities.
What is the psychological stage that occurs in years 6 to puberty and what does it involve?
industry vs inferiority - the childs’ life expands to school and peer activities. Here children who experience pride and encouragement in mastering tasks develop a drive to achieve (industry). However, children who experience repeated failure or have lack of praise may develop and sense of inferiority.
Why do babies have a innate predisposition to learn about the world from others?
Because they have a preference for looking at faces (right in their eyes) and social situations.
What are important early social interactions? What is a study that looks into this?
Imitation behaviour. Meltzoff and Moore - newborns imitate a range of non-emotional facial gestures
What is imprinting?
A sudden biologically primed form of attachment. It occurs in some bird and mammal species. Often involves a critical period
What is attachment?
A strong emotional bond that develops between children and their primary caregivers
Is there a critical period for attachment or is it just sensitive?
There is a sensitive period. This is the first few years - this is when we can form a strong bond easiest. It is harder to form attachment later in the childhood or adulthood but it isnt impossible
What did people originally believe was the reason infants bonded with their mothers?
The food provided by the mother as this satisfied the infants need for nourishment.
Describe Harlow’s study
He separated monkeys from their mothers and raised them in isolating cages, with two ‘surrogate mothers’. One mother was bare wire with feeding bottle and the other was a cloth covered wire mother. The monkeys became attached to the cloth mother. When they were exposed to frightening stimuli they would cling to it and even tried to feed whilst still in contact with the cloth mother. This suggests that contact comfort was more important than food in the encouragement of attachment.
Explain Bowlby’s thoughts on attachment.
He believed that attachment develops in 5 different phases:
- indiscriminate attachment
- discriminatory attachment
- specific attachment
- goal-corrected attachment
- lessening of attachment
What phase of Bowlby’s theory of attachment occurs at 0-3m and what does it involve?
The indiscriminate attachment behaviour. Infants are responsive to anybody in their environment - equally happy with stranger as with primary caregivers. These behaviour encourage care-giving behaviours from adults
What phase of Bowlby’s theory of attachment occurs at 3-7m and what does it involve?
Discriminatory attachment behaviour. Infants direct their attachment behaviour towards caregivers more but they are still happy to be around strangers. At 6-7m children develop stranger anxiety.
What is stranger anxiety?
Distress over contact with unfamiliar people
What phase of Bowlby’s theory of attachment occurs at 7/8m- 3yrs and what does it involve?
Specific attachment behaviour. Infants have meaningful attachments to specific caregivers. These caregivers become a secure base which the infant uses to explore their environment.
What phase of Bowlby’s theory of attachment occurs at 3yrs to school age and what does it involve?
Infants begin considering caregivers’ needs. For example, they can wait if they see their caregiver is busy. Here the attachment relationship becomes more of a partnership.
What phase of Bowlby’s theory of attachment occurs at school age and what does it involve?
At this phase child and caregiver spend significant amounts of time away from each other. There is a trust that their caregiver will be there when they need them rather than the constant proximity
