Psychodynamic - Debate Flashcards
The mother as primary care-giver of an infant
> Feeding
Freud’s views on the importance of mother
Deprivation damage
Mothers not fathers
Should be - Feeding
> NHS recommends infants breastfed for at least first 6months = offers healthiest start to infants: protects from infections and diseases
build strong physical and emotional bond between mother and baby - important in subsequent emotional development
mother has to be available every 2 hours - essential for survival
everyone else limited to supporting care giving role
Doesn’t need to be - Feeding
1950s behaviourists - infants classically conditioned to associate mother with sense of pleasure (food, unconditioned stimulus)
>Schaffer and Emerson (1964) primary attachments not formed with person who feeds or spends most time. Strongly attached infants had carers who responded quickly and sensitively to their signals, offered child most interaction
Should be - Freud’s view on importance of mother
> mother-infant dyad most important in oral stage. - depends on mother to satisfy needs of libido = overinduldgence or frustration leeds to emotional problems
seperation anxiety caused by infant realising bodily needs will go unsatisfied if seperation
Doesn’t need to be - Freud’s views on importance of mother
> consider historical context - time, women didn’t vote, ideas of different roles may reflect the norms and values at the time
importance of father ‘I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection - importance in a boy’s developments (oedipus complex)
Should be - deprivation damage
Bowlby - early and prolonged seperation can have lasting emotional effects. - lead to affectionless character (lacks ability to feel normal affection, shame or sense of responsibility.
>central role of mother in healthy emotional development
Doesn’t need to be - deprivation damage
> even though ‘maternal’ in maternal deprivation hypothesis - doesn’t mean exclusively the mother
‘a child should experience a warm, intimate and conitnuous relationship with his mother (or permanent subsitute)
Should be - mothers not fathers
> women better - men not psychologically equipped to form this kind of intense emotional relationship. - due to biological or social factors
female hormone oestrogen underlies caring behaviour
sex-stereotypes that affect male behaviour: feminine to be sensitive to needs of others
Doesn’t need to be - mothers not fathers
> men are capable of forming close attachments with children
-single parent family
view that men are not emotional is outdated
changing stereotypes: men and women take on roles traditionally done by opposite sex
Conclusion
> out of date = no conclusive evidence, mistakenly emphasises that children have one primary care giver
- healthy development relies on multiple important relationships
