chapter 11 part 2 emotional development: temperament and personality

Temperament

Individual differences in behavioral styles, emotions, and characteristic ways of responding

Thomas and chess: 3 types of temperament

1. easy - happy, easy to calm, adjusts well to new situations, regular routines (eg: feeding, sleeping)

2. Difficult - unhappy, adjusts badly to new situations, intense negative reactions to unfamiliar situations, irregular in their daily routines

3. Slow to warm up - somewhat negative, low activity level, low intensity of mood, somewhat difficult at first but over time they tend to become easier with repeated contact to novel people, objects, or situations

Thomas and chess outcomes

• children with an easy temperament were likely to be well adjusted as young adults

• Children with a difficult temperament were not as well adjusted

Research has also found that children with a difficult temperament at 5 yrs were more likely to engage in delinquent behavior at 15 yrs

Temperament is…

Biologically based

• twin studies show genetic influence. Identical twins are more alike in most aspects of temperament than fraternal twins

• Temperament is evolving aspect of behavior. It evolves as the child experiences are incorporated into their personality

hereditary and environmental contributions to temperament

many aspects of a childs environment can encourage or discourage the persistence of temperament

• moms

• stability of temperament

• goodness of fit

moms contributions to temperament

if abrupt, lacking confidence, or depressed

• may encourage the persistence of negative traits associated w a difficult temperament

• in contrast, a happy, responsive household may influence positive emotionality

stability of temperament

moderately stable throughout childhood

• fearful preschoolers tend to be inhibited as older children and adolescents

*experience matters (ease into social activities, or perhaps parents can get training to help them with children who have more difficult temperaments etc.)

“goodness of fit” is important…

the match between a childs temperament and the environmental demands the child must cope with

what is attachment?

enduring social emotional relationship

• strong affectional tie binding us to another

key elements: physical/ contact comfort and sensitive/responsive care

bowlbys theory of attachment

• maintain proximity (closeness) and feel secure

• a strong firm attachment proves a social-emotional or secure base from which the child can gain independence

• sensitive period for forming attachment in early development

bowlby believed…

• infants and primary caregivers are biologically predisposed to form attachments

• attachment is a gradual process (birth - 2 yrs and on)

mary ainsworth developed the..

STRANGE SITUATION: an observational measure that uses a sequence of episodes (introductions/separations/reunions) to measure the strength and quality of attachment between a child and (typically) his or her mother

• fathers and mothers dont differ on measures of attachment security - if fathers are actively involved in caregiving, they have similar types of interactions

• infants especially like to engage in physical play with others

according to ainsworth..

the quality of attachment is mainly based on how sensitive and responsive the mother is

4 types of attachment (occuring 8-9 mo)

1. securely attached babies

2. insecure avoidant babies

3. insecure resistant babies

4. insecure disorganized babies

securely attached babies

mom is treated as a safe/secure base. baby is at easy/explores when she is present, may protest mildly when she leaves, greets her and is comforted by her when she returns

• caregivers are typically sensitive to the babys signals and are consistently available / responsive to their needs

• in their studies it was the most common type of attachment

insecure avoidant babies

baby avoids mom, has little interest in exploring, little distress when she leaves, may look away / avoid her upon her return

• caregivers tend to be unavailable and rejecting

• not very responsive and they dont have a lot of physical contact with their children

insecure resistant babies

baby has positive and negative reactions to their mothers; mom is not used as a secure base in which to explore the playroom; the baby may cling anxiously to the caregiver and then resist her by fighting against the closeness by kicking or pushing away. when mom leaves the baby may cry loudly and then push away if she tries to comfort him/her on her return

• caregivers tend to be inconsistent

• tend to not be very affectionate and arent in synchrony when they interact with them

insecure disorganized babies

babies may appear fazed, confused, and fearful. they show strong patterns of avoidance and resistance or have particular behaviors like extreme fearfulness around caregiver

• caregivers may neglect or physically abuse; may be depressed

internal working model

set of expectations about the availability and responsiveness of caregivers generally and in times of stress, and whether they are deserving of nurturant care

internal working model securely attached

feel they deserve to be loved and trust others to love and care for them

• caregiver mainly predictable/responsive/sensitive

• stressful events could alter

internal working model insecurely attached

feel they dont deserve to be loved, people are unreliable

• caregivers often inconsistent with affection/predictability/responsiveness

• attachment to others (grandparents / coaches) can compensate

later outcomes in securely attached infants

likely to be more cognitively, emotionally, socially competent through young adulthood

• high self-esteem and self confidence

• popular, self directed, ready to learn, well adjusted, higher quality relationships with peers, teachers, romantic partners

later outcomes in insecurely attached infants

• likely to be less effective at using emotion regulation strategies

• likely to be more withdrawn, anxious, less competent, angry, and sometimes aggressive

• may be more angry and distant with parents as teens/young adults

effects of attachment

absence of attachment leads to problems

• romanian orphans

  • physical, cognitive, socio-emotional deficits

  • longer they spent in orphanages more likely long term problems

• infants need sustained interaction with responsive caregivers