Lecture 8 Psychology 101

7/28/2019 Lecture 8 Psychology 101

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Lecture #8

Attachment:-kids grow attached to parents and vice versa

-what is needed for a good parent/child bond?

1) Body contact-physical contact between parents and child fosters attachment

-true for many species

-e.g. Harlow study-what kind of artificial mothers do monkeys attach

to?

-cuddly/soft terrycloth mothers vs. wire mothers

with food-the babies attached to the terrycloth mom

-shows comfort matters more than food -> monkeys

prefer attachment to terrycloth artificial mom over

wire cage, nourishing mom2) Familiarity

-true for many species-many animals (chickens, ducks) have a critical attachment period

- after hatching, babies will imprint/attach to the first

moving object they see-imprinting a critical period for attachment; animal will

follow and attach to the first moving object it sees

-Konrad Lorenz - got chicks to attach to him instead of

their mom-humans dont imprint

-humans have no critical period - its a slow, gradual development-need cognitive advances like stranger anxiety, closeness,and memories

-attach to people after they are familiar

-securely attached children see parents as a secure base from which to explore the world

and a safe haven in times of stress

-how do you attach securely?

3) Temperaments

-some kids are predisposed to attach securely

-they are relaxed, easy-going-get upset when mom leaves, but are happy when she

returns

-other kids are naturally insecurely attached-they are irritable, always upset

-act betrayed when mom leaves - scream when she leaves

and ignores her when she returns

-its hard to change temperament over childhood


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4) Responsive parenting

-some parents always look in on their kids, respond to them, knowwhat they are doing, attend to their concerns, etc...

-have kids who are more securely attached

-other parents are not responsive, dont check up consistently-have kids who are less securely attached

-can kids with insecure temperaments but responsive parents becomesecurely attached? - monkey studies suggest yes

Film

-rhesus monkeys-2 types of personality: bold/daring, shy/timid

-boldest babies have moms that are available when baby is frightened but does not

interfere when baby explores

-shy/clingy babies have nervous moms-newborn babies already have temperaments (e.g. reactive newborns become shy

babies) showing genetic contribution-but can behavior change? - can they learn a different personality?

-place reactive newborn with relaxed mother

-2 months later, the baby is a bold monkey - complete transformation

conclusion: responsive parenting can create secure attachments

-Parenting styles-3 kinds of parenting styles

1) Authoritarian-expect obedience

-parent imposes rules on children

-very strict, might use more punishment than other parents

2) Authoritative

-also have rules, but explain the logic behind them

-can be demanding and strict but also responsive-may allow older children to have more of a say in making the rules

3) Permissive-feel child should have most of the control

-submit to kids desires

-undemanding-treat kids like little adults

-use little punishment

-research in how children develop


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-the most self confident kids with the highest self esteem and social

competence have authoritative parents

-why?-may be that kids know what to expect from parents, so

they have more control

-but we dont really know why authoritative parents havethese kids -could be that the parenting style causes

these traits, that the traits bring out the authoritative style

in parents, or some thing else causing both (e.g. goodgenes, stable marriage, etc...)

-as children get older, parenting style predicts the types of lovers they are

-kids with responsive parents -> secure lovers-kids with cold/rejecting parents -> avoidant lovers

-kids with ambivalent/avoidant parents -> anxious/ambivalent

lovers (clingy)

Social Development

Erik Erikson

-stages of social development

-at every stage, you are trying to resolve a basic issue-how you resolve it affects you for the rest of your life

-e.g.

-birth-1 year, issue: trust vs. mistrust - do your parents take care of

you dependably? if yes: you learn to trust; if not, you learnmistrust

-adolescence (teens into 20s), issue: identity vs. role confusion -

who is the real you? During adolescence, we confront theissue of identity vs. role confusion. We enter an identity crisis,

trying out different possible roles- some people integrate them

successfully, some dont-young adulthood (20s-early 40s), issue: intimacy vs. isolation -

you enter into close relationships and learn intimate love or

become socially isolated

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Lecture 8 Psychology 101