Infancy and Early Childhood Final

maternal programming

Influences of pregnancy on stress vulnerability, cognitive function and maternal behavior

what happens to estrogen and progesterone levels across pregnancy

estrogen and progesterone levels increase across pregnancy

what happens to stress response levels across pregnancy

studies show lower stress responses in pregnant organisms when put through physical and physiological stress

Study on stress responses in pregnant rates

study showed lower ACTH levels in pregnant adult female rats doing stressful tests

Pregnancy and the Northridge earthquake

Study following pregnant women in Orange County after a nearby earthquake showed lower stress levels at the 2nd and 3rd trimester

does the timing of a stressor affect length of gestation

the earlier in pregnancy the earthquake hit the earlier the baby was born

why do progesterone levels increase during pregnancy

help maintain a healthy uterine environment (increased blood circulation, thickened uterine lining for implantation), immune system regulation, prepping breasts for lactation

why do estrogen levels increase during pregnancy

placenta development, nutrient exchange for fetus, and uterine lining support

memory in pregnant rats

spatial memory increased due to change in hippocampus in adult female rats seen in better performance during maze tests than non-pregnant rats

memory in pregnant women

non-pregnant women performed better at verbal word recall than pregnant women

rodent-human paradox

beneficial effects in rodents and detrimental effects in humans

why might the rodent-human paradox exist

species or task differences

are pregnant women worse at all tasks?

mothers may be better at tasks such as multi-tasking, performance under stress, emotion recognition

psychoanalytic theory of attachment

I love you because you feed me

learning theory of attachment

infants become attached to the person who feeds them

what theory did Harry Harlow develop

contact comfort (monkey experiment)

contact comfort

infant monkeys prefer a soft, cuddly surrogate mother over a wire one that provides milk, proving attachment is not driven by feeding

why is contact comfort important

disproves the idea that infants attach to whoever feeds them, emphasizing the value of comfort and affection in attachment

ethological theory

attachment serves to protect the survival of the species, focus on biological and evolutionary components of development

imprinting

attachment to the first moving object that is observed (geese experiment)

what characteristics do infants have that promote attachment

they are cute, adults are biologically predisposed to respond to babies’ signals

John Bowlby’s explanation of attachment

attachment is based on infant’s primary need for safety and security

according to John Bowlby how does attachment develop

infant learns that safety is best provided by one or 2 individuals who they develop a special bond with and use as a secure base

social referencing

looking at secure base in unknown situations to use their emotions to decide how to respond

stages in the ethological theory of attachment

pre-attachment, attachment-in-the-making, clear-cut attachment, formation of a reciprocal relationship

pre-attachment

birth - 6 weeks, variety of signals bring infants into close contact with adults

attachment-in-the-making

6 weeks - 8 months, discriminating sociability, start responding differently to caregivers compared to strangers

clear-cut attachment

6-8 and 18 months to 2 years, attachment to caregiver is evident

stranger anxiety

wary reaction to strangers peaking at 8-10 months

why does stranger anxiety occur

can’t protect themselves so need to alert parents

what is stranger anxiety like across infant development

At 5 months infant is happy to see stranger, at 9 months infant is sad to see stranger

separation anxiety

after formation of a primary attachment infants begin to get upset upon separation

why do infants fear strangers and separation

it helps them stay safe and survive

formation of a reciprocal relationship

2 years on, partnership