Infancy
Attachment & Temperament
Week 8
Ch 4 / Sections 2 & 3
Infancy – Piaget’s Sensory Sub-stages
# 1 to 4
1)
Reflexive schemes / (0- 1 mos.) - Centering around the infant’s own
body…(Reflexes: sucking, rooting & grasping)
2) Primary circular reactions / (1- 4 mos.)- Repeated movements,
centering around infant’s body & objects…by chance
3) Secondary circular reactions / (4-8) - Infants repeat actions that include
objects in their environment; focus on reactions from the object &
reactions of other’s in the environment…
4) A child’s ability to relate 2 actions/ (8-12 mos.) Intentional
behavior…moving Piaget’s hand out of the way to get a desired object.
Piaget’s Sensorimotor stages
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xscJbx6T7E8
 6 min 16 sec
 Terms:
- Schemes
- Symbolic representations
- Assimilation
- Object permanence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue8y-JVhjS0
(Bowlby) Attachment
 The emotional bond between an infant and their primary
caregiver…
 Phases of attachment
 Phase 1 (Birth – 2 mos.): Indiscriminate Social
Responsiveness
 Phase 2 (2-7 mos.): Discriminate Social Responsiveness
Phase 3 (8-24 mos.): Focused Attachment
Attachment is connected to an infant’s emotional & physical
development…
Wariness of strangers- will cry and retreat to the
mother in the presence of a stranger.
 Separation protest (anxiety) - the infant will cry &
look for the mother when they are separated.
 Mary Ainsworth (strange situation)…separation anxiety
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHP_NikTkao
Time: 3 min. 50 seconds
 What happens when an infant does not develop a healthy
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
-
attachment?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TDogqEmKSE
Attachment styles:
Secure
Insecure
Avoidant/Ambivalent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH1m_ZMO7GU
Small Group Discussion
 How does culture influence the attachment process?
 Provide examples of your own…
Emotions
 Fear is not shown until around 9 mos. (mobile/ depth
perception); visual cliff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6cqNhHrMJA
2:36
 Anger is exhibited around 6 mos.
 Shame begins to be displayed around 18 mos.
Getting Ready for the next Topic…
Small Group Discussion
 Think of a child that you know…his/her behavior, how
he/she responds to the world, or people in the environment.
 Q: So, what is the reason for the child’s “personality”?
 Considering a child’s “personality”, what may be some
concerns about the parent-child relationship,
 Think of two (or three different children that you know)
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


that are 6-12 years old.
How are they different?
Why are they different?
Do the child(ren’s) parent(s) treat them differently because
of the child(ren’s) respective “personality”?
Knowing about “Temperament” will help answer these
questions.
Temperament
 The aspect of personality, which includes emotional
expressiveness & responsiveness to environmental stimulation…
 Is meant to describe the behavioral style, reflecting…
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgXwCqzh9B8
8:25
 Predictions based on stability of temperament are more accurate
 Stability of temperament style (beyond 24 mos.) relies
on:
1) child’s ability to make effortful control;
2) the child’s experience
 Thomas & Chess
 Goodness of fit…
 9 dimensions of temperament…
 3 main categories were identified…
9 dimensions of temperament
 Activity- refers to how active a child is…
 Intensity- refers to the energy level of a child’s… response
 Sensitivity- refers to how much stimulation is needed to
evoke a child’s response…
 Adaptability- refers to how much time a child takes to
adjust to changes/intrusions/restrictions/transitions, etc.
 Approach -Withdrawal- refers to a child’s response to
new things: food, person, toy or place…
 Persistence - refers to a child’s tendency to continue an
activity until it is finished…
 Distractability- refers to how easily a child is drawn away
from an activity he or she is involved in…
 Rhythmicity- refers to the predictability of a child’s sleep-
wake cycle, hunger/eating pattern, & elimination pattern…
 Mood- refers to a child’s tendency to be smiling and
cheerful as opposed to unsmiling & thoughtful…
3 Temperament Categories:
The easy child- 40 % of sample
The difficult child- 10 % of sample
The slow-to-warm-up child- 15 % of sample
 35 % of sample: did not fit any of the categories