A. What is temperament?

Constitutionally based individual differences in emotional, motor and attentional reactivity and self-regulation that demonstrate consistency across situations as well as relative stability over time

Constitutionally based individual differences

• biologically based
• due to Nature
• or perhaps Nurture?

Four techniques
1.

2.

3.

4.

Limitations in methodology
 

 Two Models

1. Thomas and Chess (1971):
 
 

2. Rothbart & Bates (1998):
 
 

The New York Longitudinal Study
 
 
 

3 Basic Temperament Categories

1. Easy child (40%)

 
 

2. Difficult child (10%)

 

3. Slow-to-warm-up child (15%)
 
 
 

Over Time?

• Some evidence for stability over time:

• Overall, long-term stability of temperament is not high

Kagen:  Is Shyness Inherited?

• Children who are either very inhibited or uninhibited at 21 months

• Suggests that

Stability of Temperament Over Time: Conclusions

• Some dimensions (e.g., shyness-sociability, activity) may be more stable than others
• Patterns best explained by a "Goodness of fit" model

 

A. Characteristics of Attachment: Bowlby

1. Child enjoys contact with mother
 

2. Tries to remain close
 

3. Protests when separated
 

4. Comforted by mother's presence
 

5. Has expectations for relationships

B. Issues in Attachment Research

1. How does attachment occur?

Psychoanalytic and Learning Theory:

• Role of mother as provider of nourishment
• Not supported by Harlow's research, 1959

Bowlby’s Ethological Theory:Attachment is a biological process, built into species

• Imprinting studies

• Harlow's research

• Infants’ built-in behaviors

• Research with hospitalized children (Spitz)

Bowlby’s Theory

Attachment is a biological process
Occurs in a fixed stage sequence
Stages and characteristics are universal
Mother is the central figure
Occurs during a critical period
Provides basis for later social and emotional development

• Ainsworth’s contributions
• Verified sequence cross-culturally
• Developed method to "measure” attachment

• Identified 3 different types of attachments
• Later developments

4 Types of Attachment
1. Secure (65%)
 
 
 
 

2. Insecure/Resistant (15%)
 
 
 
 

3. Insecure/Avoidant (20%)
 
 
 

4. Disorganized/Disoriented (characteristic of abused infants, < 5%)
 
 
 

Mothers

• Responsiveness: Ainsworth's observations

• Adult attachment models (pp. 418-419)

Babies -- temperamental differences
 
 

Fathers -- attachment occurs with fathers, too

4. What are the long-term effects of attachment?

A. Effects of different types of attachment
(Waters et al., 1979):

• Attachment assessed at 15 months
• Observed again in nursery school at 3.5 years

 

B. Disrupted attachment or failure to form attachment

• Spitz (1946) -- institutionalized infants
• Recent research -- Rumanian orphans (Chisolm, 1998)
children able to form attachments
differences between children who were adopted early (< 4 months) and later adoptees (>8 months)
EA children:
 

LA children:
 
 

LA children adjustment mediated by:
 
 

Evidence for a critical period??
 
• Effects of Day Care

 
Belsky & Rovine, 1988: children in day care more  20 hours/week for the first year were more likely to be insecurely attached

Understanding these results:

 
 
 
 
 
Other factors to consider
 
 
 
 
 

See also Article by Scarr, Phillips & McCartney