Emotional Development and Attachment PDF

Emotional Development and Attachment Development of Emotions, Temperament, Attachment and Love  What are emotions? Feeling or affect that occurs when a person is in a state or interaction that is important to him or her, especially to his or her well-being. Essentially, it...

Emotional Development and Attachment Development of Emotions, Temperament, Attachment and Love  What are emotions? Feeling or affect that occurs when a person is in a state or interaction that is important to him or her, especially to his or her well-being. Essentially, it is a reaction to the frustration or satisfaction of a need.  Emotions continued… Affective states involving a high level of activation, visceral changes and strong feelings: An experience characterized by a strong degree or feeling and characterized by marked motor expression A peculiar conscious state during which pleasantness or unpleasantness is predominant Sum total of experiences during a period of time which marked bodily feelings takes place A dynamic expression of an instinct which may emanate from conscious or unconscious sources The Emotional Sequence Stimulus Feeling (physiological Reaction (trigger) correlates) Regulation of Emotion Key dimension of development Effectively managing arousal to adapt to circumstances and to reach a goal.  Emotions in Infancy Primary emotions: first six months of an infant (surprise, interest, joy anger, sadness, fear and disgust) Self-conscious emotions: require self-awareness (jealousy, empathy, embarrassment, pride, shame and guilt). 18 months Emotional Expression and Social Relationships Coordinated interaction with the caregivers which begins the motional bond between them\ Reciprocity and are mutually regulated Sensitive and responsive parents help their infants grow emotionally  CRYING a recent study revealed that newborns of depressed mothers showed less vocal distress when another infant cried, reflecting emotional and physiological dysregulation (Jones, 2012). Basic cry. A rhythmic pattern that usually consists of a cry, followed by a briefer silence, then a shorter inspiratory whistle that is somewhat higher in pitch than the main cry, then another brief rest before the next cry. Some infancy experts stress that hunger is one of the conditions that incite the basic cry. Anger cry. A variation of the basic cry in which more excess air is forced through the vocal cords. Th e anger cry has a loud, harsh sound to it, almost like shouting. Pain cry. A sudden long, initial loud cry followed by breath holding; no preliminary moaning is present. Th e pain cry is stimulated by a high-intensity stimulus. SMILING 2 – 6 months after birth Reflexive smile. A smile that does not occur in response to external stimuli and appears during the first month aft er birth, usually during sleep. Social smile. A smile that occurs in response to an external stimulus, typically a face in the case of the young infant. Social smiling occurs as early as 4 to 6 weeks of age in response to a caregiver’s voice (Messinger, 2008).  FEAR First appears at about 6 months and peaks at 18 months Abused and neglected infants show fear as early as 3 months Stranger anxiety : 6 months , more intense by 9 months and reaches its peak at 1 year of age Separation protest: 7-8 months and peaks at about 15 months  Emotional Regulation and Coping 1st year of life an infant develops an ability to inhibit the intensity and duration of emotional reactions Thumb sucking to soothe themselves By 2 years of age, toddlers cans use language to define their feeling John Watson Mary Ainsworth and John Bowlby  Early Childhood Pride and guilt is common Emotional understanding was linked to Prosocial behavior By 5 years of age, most children can accurately identify emotions that are produced by challenging circumstances.  Middle and Late Childhood Improved emotional understanding Marked improvements in the ability to suppress or conceal negative reactions The use of self-initiated strategies for redirecting feelings Increased tendency to take into fuller account the events leading to emotional reactions Development of a capacity for genuine empathy Adolescence Described as a long emotional turmoil Girls are especially vulnerable to depression in adolescence More fleeting emotions  Adult Development and Aging Stress and gender: - women are more vulnerable to social stressors - men are more likely to respond to stress with fight or flight - tend and befriend  Socioemotional Selectivity Theory older adults become more selective about their activities and social relationships in order to maintain social and emotional well-being. older adults often spend more time with familiar individuals with whom they have had rewarding relationships  TEMPERAMENT Individual differences in behavioral styles, emotions and characteristic ways in responding With regard to its link to emotion, temperament refers to individual diff erences in how quickly the emotion is shown, how strong it is, how long it lasts, and how soon it fades away (Campos, 2009).  Chess and Thomas’ Classification An easy child is generally in a positive mood, quickly establishes regular routines in infancy, and adapts easily to new experiences. A difficult child reacts negatively and cries frequently, engages in irregular daily routines, and is slow to accept change. A slow-to-warm-up child has a low activity level, is somewhat negative, and displays a low intensity of mood. Kegan’s Behavioral Inhibition Inhibition to the unfamiliar: 7-9 months, continuity from infancy to early childhood  Rothbart and Bates’ Classification Extraversion/surgency includes “positive anticipation, impulsivity, activity level, and sensation seeking” (Rothbart, 2004, p. 495). Kagan’s uninhibited children fi t into this category. Negative affectivity includes “fear, frustration, sadness, and discomfort” (Rothbart, 2004, p. 495). Th ese children are easily distressed; they may fret and cry oft en. Kagan’s inhibited children fi t this category. Effortful control (self-regulation) includes “attentional focusing and shifting, inhibitory control, perceptual sensitivity, and low-intensity pleasure” (Rothbart, 2004, p. 495). ATTACHMENT AND LOVE  Attachment An enduring emotional bond with another person Attachment theory: Tries to study the parent-child attachment and it’s impact to the development of the child.  Attachment Continued… Harry Harlow (1958) Freud : Oral stage Eric Erikson: Trust vs. Mistrust  John Bowlby Biological predisposition  Biological predisposition of attachment A baby cries, clings, coos and smiles Later the baby crawls, walks and follows the mother Increase in the infant’s chances of survival Schaffer (1996) Phase 1: From birth to 2 months Attachment Is directed to human figures Phase 2: 2 to 7 months Focused on one figure Phase 3: 7 to 24 months Specific attachments develop Phase 4: from 24 months onwards Children become aware of others 'feelings an d goals  Mary Ainsworth (strange situation) Securely attached children: Caregiver as a secure base Insecure avoidant children: little interaction with the caregiver Insecure resistant children: cling to the caregiver then resist her Insecure disorganized children: disorganized and disoriented  Middle and Late Childhood Attachment id more sophisticated Expansion of social world Secure attachment is associated with lower level of internalized symptoms , anxiety and depression in children Higher level of emotional regulation  Adolescence adolescents who were securely attached at 14 years of age were more likely to report at age 21 that they were in an exclusive relationship, comfortable with intimacy in relationships, and attaining increased financial independence.  Dating and Romantic Relationships Entry into romantic attractions and affiliations at about 11 to 13 years of age Exploring romantic relationships at approximately 14 to 16 years of age Consolidating dyadic romantic bonds at about 17 to 1  Adulthood Romantic relationships Higher quality of attachment in childhood more secure attachments in adulthood Secure attachment style Avoidant attachment style Anxious attachment style