Lecture 4: emotional development and attachment

Question 1

Still face reaction

Answer 1

If you look at an infant and have completely neutral expression they become distressed, can’t cope with lack of any emotion or communication.

Question 2

Social referencing

Answer 2

• from 1yr
• actively seek emotional information from others
• look to others to gage their emotional reaction and so how they should react

Question 3

Self-conscious emotions

Answer 3

• Higher order set of feelings
• need adult to input about ‘when’
• 18 months: shame, embarrassment
• 3yrs envy, guilt, pride

Question 4

Emotional self regulation

Answer 4

-strategies to adjust own emotional state
• 4 months – babies can shift their attention
• 1 years – toddlers can crawl or walk towards or away from stimuli
• 2 years – language allows expression of feelings

Question 5

Early childhood

Answer 5

Talking about emotional states increases
o	More reflective comments made
Empathy becomes more common
o	May or may not lead to sympathy/prosocial behaviour
Self regulation of emotion
o	Impact of Caregivers
o	Temperament

Question 6

Middle childhood

Answer 6

• Integration of social expectations into emotions
• Increased cognitive understanding
o Experiencing two emotions simultaneously
o Facial expression may not match emotion felt
• Emotional self regulation
o Coping strategies vary across situations
♣ In Control – problem-solving/seek help
♣ No Control – distraction/redefine situation
• Perspective taking
o Same event can be interpreted with different emotions
o Imagining how someone else feels

Question 7

Temperament

Answer 7

=individual difference in emotional reaction, activity level, attention and emotional self-regulation

Question 8

Thomas and Chess (1977)

Answer 8

• Study of infants
• 9 dimensions of behaviour discovered (eg hyperactivity, attention)
• Dimensions tend to cluster together
• Clusters form 3 general types of temperament:

1. Easy (40%)
   • Cheerful, adaptive, quick to establish routines
2. Difficult (10%)
   • Negative, slow learner, irregular reactions to routines
   • High risk for anxiety and aggression in later childhood
3. Slow to warm up (15%)
   • Negative, adjusts slowly, mild reactions to stimuli
   • Tend to be slow and fearful in later childhood
   *Unclassified (35%)
   • unique combinations of the nine characteristics

Question 9

Attachment Theory

Answer 9

=strong ties with others that are rewarding in a variety of circumstances

Question 10

Bowlby’s Ethological Theory

Answer 10

=evolved response that promotes survival
-built in behaviours to keep parent near by
• Implications for feelings of security and ability to establish trusting relationships
o Inner representation of attachment figure forms an internal working model for future relationships

Question 11

4 Stages of Bowlby’s Ethological Theory

Answer 11

1. Preattachment (birth to 6 weeks) – built in signals promote closeness with caregiver
2. ‘Attachment in the making’ (6 weeks to 6-8 months) – respond differently to stranger
3. ‘Clear cut’ attachment (6-8 months to 18-24 months) -separation anxiety
4. Reciprocal relationship (18-24 months onwards) – anxiety reduces, understand factors influencing parents’ presence & can influence this (e.g., language)

Question 12

Measuring Attachment

-Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’

Answer 12

-looks at reaction to reunion with caregiver 
o	Secure (~65%)– parent as base, upset when separated, seek contact on reunion
o	Avoidant(~20%) – unresponsive to parent, not upset when separated, avoid parent on reunion
o	Resistant(~10/15%) – clingy, upset on separation, difficult to comfort on reunion
o	Disorganised(~5/10%) – confused contradictory behaviours on reunion

Question 13

Cultural variation

Answer 13

• German infants more avoidant attachment than American Infants
-possible cultural differences in how much babies are encouraged to be non-clingy and independent
• Infants of the Dogon people of Mali show almost no avoidant attachment

Question 14

Attachment opportunity

Answer 14

•Observations of institutionalized infants:

*Spitz (1945, 1946)
• One nurse looking after 7 babies
• Babies became depressed – emotional difficulties
• Attachment prevented – no bond formed

*Tizard & Rees (1975)
• More caregivers per child
• But high staff turnover so attachment prevented
• Children adopted after 4 years of age
• Secure attachment possible even at 4-6 years
• But, emotional/social problems more likely

Question 15

4 qualities of caregiving

Answer 15

• secure attachment
• avoidant attachment
• resistance attachment
• disorganised attachment