Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

1. Different types of attachment

   • Secure attachment
     • Sensitive responding
     • Healthy cognitive/emotional development in future
   • Insecure attachment
     • Avoidant
     • Resistant
     • Lack of sensitive responding
     • Poor cognitive/emotional development in future

2. Explanations of attachment

   • Classical Conditioning
     • Learning through association
     • Association between an individual & sense of pleasure = attachment bond
   • Operant Conditioning
     • Learning through reward
     • Learning through reward

3. Bowlby's evolutionary explanation of attachment

   • #We have evolved a biological need to attach to our main care give - monotropy. Forming this attachment has survival value as staying close to mother ensure food and protection. # Strong attachment provides a 'safe base' giving us confidence to explore. # Also gives a template for all future relationships (we learn to care for others) #First 3 years of life = critical period for attachment to develop (or else it may never happen) #If attachment doesn't develop it can seriously damage child's social/emotional development

4. Effects of privation

   • Early experiences can be overcome in the right conditions
   • Contradict's Bowlby's sensitive period

5. Effects of Institutional care

   • Longer time spent in institutional care = more likely to experience disinhibited attachment
   • Effects are not as global as Bowlby's critical period suggests.

6. Cross Cultural Variations

   • In different cultures, behaviour attachment types can vary
   • Different upbringings, religion, morals... affect differences in similarities

7. Impact of Day care

   • Agression
     • Many who attended = more aggressive
   • Peer relations
     • Increased independence
     • More friends
   • Mediating variables
     • Individual differences
     • Amount of time spent there
     • Age
   • Implications of research
     • Importance of secure base
     • Continuity hypothesis
     • Adopt before sensitive period