Child Care Arrangements for Infants with Working Mothers: Temperament Research & Attachment Theories

1. Child-Care Arrangements for Infants with Working Mothers 14.1 7.8 Own home 16.4 32.7 Other home 18.1 Child-Care facility 31.2 38.4 41.3 Other Under 1 year 1 - 2 years

2. Summary of Temperament Research • Infants were rated on 9 personality dimensions: • Activity level • Rhythmicity • Approach/withdrawal • Adaptability • Emotional reactivity • Responsiveness to stimuli • Mood (positive or negative) • Distractibility • Attention span • Then classified into three categories of temperament: • Easy (40%) • Difficult (10%) • Slow to Warm Up (15%) • 35% were unclassifiable

3. Comparison of Infant Temperament in Four Cultural Groups Cultural Group Dimension American Autralian Greek Chinese Activity level Rhythmicity Approach-withdrawal Adaptability Emotional reactivity Responsiveness to stimulation Quality of mood Distractibility Attention span H H H H L L H H H H H H H L L H H H L L L L H H L L L L L L L H H L L H Note: H = high level of the temperamental quality; L = low level of the temperamental quality. Source: Prior et al. (1987)

4. BOWLBY'S PHASES OF ATTACHMENT FORMATION Birth - 2 months 2 - 7 months 7 - 24 months 24 months PHASE I: INDISCRIMINANTE SOCIABILITY Infant shows no preference among care-givers PHASE II: ATTACHMENTS IN THE MAKING Infant shows increasing preference for most familiar and responsive individuals PHASE III: SPECIFIC, CLEAR-CUT ATTACHMENTS Infant displays separation anxiety and stranger anxiety PHASE IV :GOAL-COORDINATED PARTNERSHIPS Infant can increasingly tolerate short parental absences (Bowlby, 1969)

5. ATTACHMENT CLASSIFICATIONS • Secure attachment • Avoidant attachment • Ambivalent attachment • Disorganized/disoriented attachment

6. Theories of Attachment Psychoanalytic: “I love you because you feed me.” (Freudian) Learning Theory: “I love you because you’re reinforcing.” (Skinner) Cognitive: “I love you because I know you.” (Piaget) Ethological: “I love you because I was born to love.” (Bowlby) Contact Comfort: “I love you because you are cuddly.” (Harlow)

7. Forming Attachments: The "Cloth Mother" and "Wire Mother" Experiment cloth fed wire fed 18 15 cloth mother 12 9 HOURS SPENT WITH MOTHER 6 wire mother 3 0 5 45 65 105 125 25 85 145 165 MEAN AGE (DAYS)

8. The Episode of the Strange Situation Number of Episode Persons Present Duration Brief Description of Action 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Mother, baby, and observer Mother and baby Stranger, mother, and baby Stranger and baby Mother and baby Baby alone Stranger and baby Mother and baby 30 seconds 3 minutes 3 minutes 3 minutes or lessa 3 minutes or moreb 3 minutes or lessa 3 minutes or lessa 3 minutes Observer introduces mother and baby to experimental room, then leaves. Mother is non-participant while baby explores; if necessary, play is stimulated after 2 minutes. Stranger enters. Minute 1: stranger silent. Minute 2: stranger converses with mother. Minute 3: stranger approaches baby. After 3 minutes mother leaves unobtrusively. First separation episode. Stranger's behavior is geared to that of baby. First reunion episode. Mother greets and comforts baby then tries to settle him again in play. Mother then leaves, saying bye-bye. Second separation episode. Continuation of second separation. Stranger enters and gears her behavior to that of baby. Second reunion episode. Mother enters, greets baby, then picks him up. Meanwhile stranger leaves unobtrusively. aEpisode is curtailed if the baby is unduly distressed. bEpisode is prolonged if more time is required for the baby to become involved in play. Source: Campos et al., 1983.

9. Patterns of Adult and Infant Attachment Description of Pattern Adult or Infant Attachment Pattern Infant Adult Infant Adult Infant Adult Infant Adult Secure Autonomous (secure) Avoidant (insecure) Dismissing (Insecure) Resistant (insecure) Preoccupied (insecure) Disorganized-disoriented Unresolved Displays positive affect sharing when nondistressed Describes childhood, both positive and negative aspects; relationships are valued and important. Avoid caregiver; suppresses attachment behaviors and focuses on external environment Fails to recall details of childhood relationships; relationships are not valued or important Behaves ambivalently about contact, both signaling for it and rejecting it Describes childhood relationship experiences incoherently and exhibits angry preoccupation Exhibits one or more strange or bizarre conflict behaviors, directed toward caregiver toward caregiver. Lacks resolution of mourning after a significant loss or severely traumatic experience. Source: Adapted from van Ijzendoorn & Bakermans-Karenburg (1997).

10. Summary of Psychosocial Development in the First Two Years • Attachment to the caretaker is formed. • Infants are in Freud’s “oral” psychosexual stage. • Infants go through Erikson’s Trust vs. Mistrust crisis. • From total dependency, growing personal autonomy emerges in the second year.

11. Summary of Early Childhood Psychosocial Development • Increasingly complex, imaginative play. • Well-developed self image and gender identity • Resolves the Oedipus or Electra complex. • Resolves the Eriksonian crisis of Initiative vs. Guilt. • Parenting style and disciplinary approach affect child.