Temperament & Attachment

Question 1

What are the nine characteristics that make up temperament when the infant is around 3 months of age?

Answer 1

• activity level (e.g., kick or don’t kick)
• rhythmicity (e.g., eating, sleeping, defecation)
• approach-withdrawal (e.g., delight in new vs. fear new)
• adaptability (e.g., adjust to change vs. don’t adjust)
• intensity of reaction (e.g.,
  emotion)
• responsiveness threshold (e.g., react/not react to
  noises)
  -quality of mood (e.g., happy vs. sad)
• distractibility (e.g., by new toy)
• attention span

Question 2

What is the frequency of the resulting overall characterisations as easy, difficult or mixed?

Answer 2

Easy: 40%

Difficult: 10%

Mixed: 50%

Question 3

Discuss the stability of temperament characteristics, for instance, shyness.

Answer 3

Moderately stable with genetic component.

temperament in childhood more influenced by heredity than temperament in infancy

Shyness:
* one of most durable & consistent traits
* shy men tend to date less & marry late
* Shy Women: tend to stay home rather than work

Question 4

Discuss the causes and likelihood of post-natal depression.

Answer 4

10 - 20% of parents develop post-natal depression
- not wanting to hold baby or feeling detached
- -ve thoughts about the baby
- sleep problems

• more likely if baby is fussy, has problems feeding, or has colic (consistent crying for no reason) or reflux
• can cause suicide or infanticide
• post-partum psychosis: 1/1000 women

risk factors:
* previous history of severe depression
* depression and/or anxiety during the antenatal period
* partner who has developed depression in the postnatal
period
* limited education
* other children in the family

Question 5

What two types of anxiety increase toward the end of a child’s first year?

Answer 5

Stranger: from 6 months, peak at 10 14 months
- wail when meet stranger
- depends on baby’s temperament, mother-infant r/s, stranger’s behaviour to baby

Separation: begins 8 months, peak at 14 months
- differs depending whether parents leave abruptly or give goodbyes & reassurance

Question 6

How are the types of anxiety measured?

Answer 6

Strange Situation Test:
1 & 2) Mother, baby
3) Stranger enters - sits, talks with mum, play baby
4) Mother leaves - stranger withdraws to seat
5) Mother returns, stranger leaves
6) Mother leaves - baby alone
7) Stranger returns
8) Mother returns -stranger leaves

• Steps 1, 2, 5: with mum: explore? secure?
• Steps 4, 6: when mum leaves: distressed?
• normal to be distressed but question is whether baby is
  too distressed
• Steps 5 & 8: when mum returns: is comforted?

Question 7

Is attachment stable over the lifespan and how is it affected by culture?

Answer 7

Yes, unless there are big -ve events

Question 8

how many children fall into each category of attachment?