Years of DiscoveryEmotional, Social, and Cognitive Development in Childhoodhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_uscBJn0p0&feature=fvwk

Temperament: The ‘How’ of Behavior

• Temperament is a characteristic style of behavior, or disposition.• The ‘how’ of behavior- the

characteristic way in which a behavior is performed.•Varies from child to child

Types of Temperament

• Easy children- Playful, respond positively to new stimuli. Quick to develop regular sleeping schedules.

Types of Temperament

•Difficult children- React negatively to new situations or people. Irritable dispositions. Difficulty establishing regular sleeping hours and feeding schedules.

Types of Temperaments

• Slow-to-warm-up children- Low levels of activity, avoid new stimuli. Withdraw from new situations. Require more time to become comfortable in new situations

Temperament

•Developmental psychologists feel that children’s temperaments are shaped both by nature and nurture•Child temperament isn’t always an

indication of adult temperament (children adapt to their environments).

Attachment

• Attachment is the enduring emotional bond that infants and older children form with their caregivers.• Attachment develops over time from

infancy • Crawl toward a caregiver• Maintain contact with caregiver (being held or

carried)• Show signs of distress (crying when they leave)

Attachment in Human Infants

•Mary Ainsworth developed a lab-based method called the strange situation, to observe how infants react to separation and reunions with caregivers (typically mothers).

Attachment Behavior in Other Animals• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=02r3u59FRPU&feature=related

Attachment Types

• Secure Type- These infants use their mother as a secure base for exploring the environment. They checked on where she was at and limited their movements when she was gone. Some cried when she left, but were soothed when she returned (65-70%)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNrHUHU

Attachment Types

• Insecure-Avoidant- Paid little attention to the mother when she was in the room and explored easily. Showed little distress when she left and ignored her return (20%).

Attachment Types

• Insecure-Resistant- Clung to mother despite desirable toys in the room. High level of distress when mother departed and continued to show distress upon her return and attempts to comfort. Reached out to be picked up, but turned away when they were attempted to be lifted (10%).

Attachment Types

• Later research showed a 4th type called Disorganized/disoriented- Infants lacked a consistent or organized strategy for responding to separations and reunions. They seemed confused and unable to approach the mother directly for support even when in distress