lesson 3 psych Summary & Study Notes

🧠 Overview

Emotional development refers to the lifelong changes in the ability to recognise, express, and regulate emotions. Early experiences with caregivers shape emotional growth, resilience, and social functioning across the lifespan.

👶 Attachment and Emotional Development

Attachment is the emotional bond an infant forms with a primary caregiver. This bond supports feelings of safety and security and influences how children learn to trust others, seek comfort, and explore their environment. Attachment formed in infancy affects short- and long-term emotional outcomes.

🔬 Ainsworth — The Strange Situation

The Strange Situation is a controlled observational procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth to assess infant–caregiver attachment. It measures the infant's responses to a sequence of separations and reunions with the caregiver and interactions with a stranger. Observations focus on how the infant uses the caregiver as a secure base for exploration.

📝 Procedure (8 episodes)

The assessment consists of eight brief episodes (about 3 minutes each):

• (1) Caregiver, infant, and experimenter together.
• (2) Caregiver and infant alone.
• (3) A stranger joins caregiver and infant.
• (4) Caregiver leaves; infant with stranger.
• (5) Caregiver returns; stranger leaves.
• (6) Caregiver leaves; infant left briefly alone.
• (7) Stranger returns.
• (8) Caregiver returns; stranger leaves.

📊 Scoring & Key Behaviours

Attachment classifications rely primarily on four interaction behaviours directed toward the caregiver: proximity and contact-seeking, contact-maintaining, avoidance of proximity and contact, and resistance to contact and comforting. Other important observations include exploratory behaviour, search behaviours (e.g., following caregiver, going to empty chair), and affect displays (crying, smiling).

Typical attachment behaviours include crying to attract attention, clinging in the presence of a stranger, stopping crying when picked up by the caregiver, and lifting arms to be picked up.

🔎 Attachment Types (Ainsworth)

• Secure attachment

  • Description: Balanced dependence and exploration; caregiver is a safe base.
  • Typical infant behaviour: Some distress on departure; seeks comfort and is easily soothed on return; returns to play.
  • Prevalence: Approx. 65% of one-year-olds in original samples.
  • Linked caregiving: Sensitive, responsive, consistent.

• Insecure-avoidant attachment

  • Description: Infant minimises emotional expression and physical closeness.
  • Typical infant behaviour: Little visible distress when caregiver leaves; avoids or ignores caregiver on return; treats caregiver like a stranger.
  • Prevalence: Approx. 20% of one-year-olds in original samples.
  • Linked caregiving: Emotionally unavailable, rejecting, or neglectful responses.

• Insecure-resistant (ambivalent) attachment

  • Description: Infant is anxious about caregiver availability and shows ambivalent behaviours.
  • Typical infant behaviour: Intense distress on separation; seeks contact but resists comfort on return; difficulty settling.
  • Prevalence: Approx. 12% of one-year-olds in original samples.
  • Linked caregiving: Inconsistent responsiveness.

🧭 Developmental Outcomes

Secure attachment is associated with higher self-esteem, confidence in seeking social support, trust in relationships, and better emotional communication. Securely attached children tend to develop skills that help them navigate social challenges.

Insecure attachment (avoidant or resistant) is linked to increased anxiety, difficulty expressing or regulating emotions, trust issues, and higher risk for later mental health problems. Patterns may include craving or rejecting affection and inappropriate emotional expression.

🔄 Stability and Change

Attachment patterns are relatively stable over time but can change if caregiver behaviour changes significantly. Sensitive, consistent caregiving can alter insecure patterns toward greater security, while major life changes or caregiver problems can disrupt secure attachment.

🗝️ Key Terms

• Attachment
• Secure attachment
• Insecure-avoidant attachment
• Insecure-resistant (ambivalent) attachment
• The Strange Situation
• Proximity-seeking, Contact-maintaining, Avoidance, Resistance
• Exploratory behaviour, Affect displays

📚 Practical Notes for Study

Focus on the observable behaviours used to classify attachment in the Strange Situation, the caregiver interaction styles linked to each attachment type, and the typical developmental outcomes associated with secure and insecure attachments. Remember that context and changes in caregiving can alter attachment trajectories.