Attachment and Emotional Development

Erickson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development has ____ stages

Eight

Stage 1 of Erikson’s Theory

Trust Vs Mistrust - Infancy

Stage 2 of Erikson’s Theory

Autonomy vs Doubt -Toddler

Stage 3 of Erikson’s Theory

Initiative vs Guilt - Preschool

Stage 4 of Erikson’s Theory

Industry vs Inferiority - School-Aged

During Stage 2 of Erikson’s Theory, Autonomy can be encouraged by…

Caregivers encouraging self-sufficient behavior

During Stage 2 of Erikson’s Theory, Doubt is formedby…

too many demands too soon, caregivers doing everything for the child, or ridiculing the child during early attempts

During Stage 3 of Erikson’s Theory, Initiative can be encouraged by…

pushing the children to form own ideas

During Stage 4 of Erikson’s Theory, Guilt is formed by…

adults discouraging independence and decision-making

Emotions

the feelings, both psychological and psychological, that people have in response to events that are personally relevant to their needs and goals

Emotions play important roles in…

• Communication with others

• Behavioral organization

Influences on emotions

• Biological - regions of the brain

• Environmental - Parents talking to child about emotions

Early emotions (1st 6 months)

Contentment, distress, interest

Primary emotions within the 1st year

Surprise, happy, anger, scared, fear, disgust

Self-conscious emotions (anxiety, embarrassment, etc..) require____

self-awareness

Emotional Regulation

the ability to moderate affective states such that feelings are experienced authentically and expressed according to both personal needs and social convections

Face-to-Face play

babies expect people will respond to them (if they smile at someone, they expect the other person to smile

Emotional Contagion

infants can detect other people’s emotions from a young age

Social referencing

When an older child (~1 years old) starts to develop the ability to read emotional cues in order to determine how to react in certain situations

Infants’ social sophistication and insight

Understanding their emotions and their own emotions; leads to empathy

Empathy

the ability to recognize and share the emotions of another person

4 ways to support emotional development

1. talk about feelings & emotions with children

2. offer emotional outlets (journal, writing, talking it out, etc)

3. discuss characters’ emotions in literature

4. recognize children in toxic stress and their special emotional needs

Temperament

biological beginnings of later personality

In early temperament development, there stable differences in…

reactivity and self-regulation

Thomas and Chess Model of Temperament - 3 types of babies

1. Easy babies

2. Slow-to-warm-up babies

3. Difficult babies

Rothbart’s Model of Temperament

suggests that temperament emerges as children’s brains develop distinctive capacity for responding to impulses and regulating their attention, emotion, and activity

Rothbart’s Model of Temperament - 3 dimensions of temperament

1. Extraversion/Surgency

2. Negative Affect

3. Effortful control

Inhibited/Shy

• react negatively, withdraw from new stimuli

• High heart rates, stress hormones, and stress symptoms

Uninhibited/Sociable

• React positively, approach new stimuli

• Low heart rates, stress hormones, and stress symptoms

5 Dimensions of Personality

1. Extraversion

2. Neuroticism

3. Conscientiousness

4. Agreeableness

5. Openness

Extraversion

the extent to which a person is socially outgoing

Neuroticism

extent of being anxious fearful

Conscientiousness

extent of being persistent and organized

Agreeableness

extent of being warm and sympathetic

Openness

extent of being curious and imaginative

Attachment

emotional bond from children to caregiver

Difficulties in parents forming and emotional bond

• Baby: baby in the NIC-U, unusually fussy, disability

• Parent: post-partum depression, extreme poverty, conflict in relationship

Why does attachment form?

Infants have an innate (but environmentally influenced) capacity to attach to caregiver —> soothing not feeding

Stages of Attachment

1. Pre-attachment: 0-6 weeks

2. Attachment in the making: 6 weeks-6-months

3. Clear-cut attachment: 6-8 months

Pre-attachment: 0-6 weeks

infant recognizes caregiver, not attached

Attachment in the making: 6 weeks - 6 months

attachment beginning to develop, but mostly indiscriminate

Clear-cut Attachment: 6-8 months

Attachment is formed

Types of Insecure Attachment

1. Resistant/Ambivalent

2. Avoidant

3. Disorganized

Secure Attachment

1. 65% of babies

2. Parent Behavior: Consistently warm & responsive to infants needs, body contact

3. Child characteristics: actively explores toys when alone with mother, outgoing with stranger when mother is present, upset when mother leaves

4. Strange Situation: Will go to parent when reunited, Will calm down relatively quickly

Resistant/Ambivalent Attachment

1. 10%

2. Parent Behavior: Inconsistent & unpredictable

3. Child characteristics: ambivalent, resistant, anxious

4. Strange Situation: Will initially go to parent but then will resist

Avoidant Attachment

1. 20%

2. Parent Behavior: Unresponsive & negative

3. Child characteristics: not wary of stranger but may avoid or ignore them

4. Strange Situation: Will not go to parent, may turn away, or are slow to greet

Disorganized Attachment

1. Parent Behavior: Abusive, neglectful - parent behaves at times in frightening manner

2. Child characteristics: may first seek proximity then move away when mother is near, or display different patterns for each of the reunions

3. Strange Situation: Greatest level of insecurity

Secure Attachment Outcomes: internal Working Model

1. People are dependable, trustworthy

2. I am effective

Insecure Attachment Outcomes: Internal Working Model

1. People are not dependable, not trustworthy

2. I am not effective

Secure Attachment Outcomes: Child Well-Being

1. Better teacher-student relationships

2. Better peer relationships

3. Better emotional regulation

4. Increased resiliency when faced with challenge or failure

Insecure Attachment Outcomes: Child Well-Being

What percentage of children in the US are affected by Emotional/Behavioral Disorders during childhood

25%

3 Common EBDs

1. Depression

2. Anxiety

3. Conduct Disorder

EBDs in school result in difficulties in

1. Learning

2. Connecting with others

3. Controlling personal behavior

4. Regulating mood

5. Being angry, afraid or distressed causing headaches, stomachaches, etc.

Depression: What does it look like?

Sadness, discourages, worthless, withdrawn

Depression: Risk factors?

1. Genetic component

2. Environmental factors

Depression: Prevalence?

At about 19 years: 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys

Depression: Future Outcomes?

risk of suicide, academics

Depression: how can you help?

giving emotional reassurance, consulting parents + professionals

Anxiety: What does it look like?

worrying, phobias

Anxiety: Risk factors

genetic component, family environment

Anxiety: Prevalence?

1 in 8 children

Anxiety: future outcomes

struggle in school, substance abuse

Anxiety: How can you help^?

1. Support independent decision making

2. Help in uncertain situations

3. provide extra structure + stability

Conduct Disorder: What does it look like?

chronic pattern of misbehavior, little shame or regret for wrongdoing

Conduct Disorder: Risk Factors

1. Genetic component

2. Difficulty with impulse control

3. child grows up in abusive or violent environment

Conduct Disorder: Prevalence?

2-6% of school-aged youth; 3-4x higher in boys

Conduct Disorder: Future Outcomes?

1. Antisocial/criminal behavior

2. Early death

3. poor family life + divorce

Conduct Disorder: How can you help?

collaborative problem solving

Supporting children with EBDs

• Supportive relationship

• teach social skills

• provide extra structure + stability

• promote respect and autonomy

• open communication with parents

• look for signs of suicide/self harm