Emotional Development Across The Life Stages

Emotional development is the way an individual begins to feel about and value themselves and other people. 

Forms the basis of emotional literacy amd empathy. 

Attachment- emotional bond between 2 people. 

Emotional Literacy- understanding and describing emotions. 

Emotional development begins with attachments to the main care giver. 

If the attachments are strong this can lead to a positive self-image and good self-esteem. 

Self-Image- how you see yourself. 

Self-Esteem- how you feel about yourself. 

He was a pyschiatrist in a children's home. 

Attachment is crucial for development of the children. 

Attachment is a survival mechanism (evolution).

Considered a child's relationship with their mother. 

Linked the importance of social, emotional and cognitive to the relationship that the child had with their mother. 

Infancy is a crucial period for forming positive attachments. 

Critical Period- Essential that the attachment forms by 2 years. 

• Children suffer separation anxiety when they are separated from their mothers.
• The caregiver provides comfort and safety hence the development of attachments. 
• Infants have a universal need to seek close proximity with their caregiver when under stress or feeling threatened. 

Proximity- How close you are to something (mother).

Maternal Deprivation- When a child is removed/without their mother. 

Maternal Deprivation can cause long-term issues such as delinquency and lowered IQ. 

Social Releases- 'cute' behaviours which triggers the mothers attachment system.

Bowlby oversimplified his theory. 

Rutter argued that maternal deprivation in itself may not result in long-term problems but privation is more damaging. 

Privation- no opportunity to form an attachment. 

Critics suggest attachment is a learned process influenced by factors such as environment and culture. 

Rudolf Schaffer and Peggy Emersob (1964) aimed to investigate the formation of early attachments. 

They studied 60 babies (31 male/29 female) at monthly intervals for the first 18 months of their life. 

The sample were all from Glasgow and the majority were from skilled working-class families. 

The children were all studied in their own home and a regular pattern was identified in the development of attachment. 

The babies were visited monthly for approximately 1 year, their interactions with their carers were observed, and carers were interviewed. 

A diary was kept by the mother to examine evidence for the development of an attachment. 

Stranger Anxiety- repsponse to the arrival of a stranger. 

Separation Anxiety- distress level when separated from carer, degree of comfort needed return. 

Social Referencing- degree that a child looks at carer to check how they should respond to something new (secure base). 

Parenting is one of the most important factors affecting a child's development. 

The feelings and relationships between parent and child is crucial. 

Babies need strong attachments in order to be emotionally and socially well developed. 

Children with good attachments are more likely to have more confidence, higher self-esteem, are less likely to be clingy and less likely to show demanding behaviour. 

Parents with an Addiction

Absent Parents 

Abuse/Health Issues 

Disability

Premature Babies

Post-natal Depression

Separation

Foster care/Adoption

Emotional Unavailability 

Up to 3 months- Most babies respond indiscriminately to any caregiver. 

3 months up to 7 months- Infants can distinguish between their main caregiver and other people. The infant will accept care from other people. 

7 months up to 9 months- This is when the infant looks to particular people for security, comfort and protection. The baby shows fear of strangers and unhappiness when separated from their main caregiver. Some infants are more likely to display fear of strangers and stranger anxiety than others. 

9 months+- The baby starts to become more independent and forms several attachments, referred to as multiple attachments.