Importance of Early Childhood Experiences on Bowlbys theory - Essay Example

Importance of early childhood experiences to emotional, social and cognitive development Introduction Bowlbys theory of attachment asserts that a child needs to develop some relationship with a caregiver in order to develop normally. Evidence has it that children get attached to people who care and love them. The attachment is even stronger when children stressed and scared. The reaction of adults has a profound impact on children in their later life. Children use such developed relationships as a template to work out other relationships when they grow up. Children are also able to develop coping behaviors when they lose a person they love and care about. When a person is bonded emotionally with other people, attachment begins. However, events taking place with the attachment may be difficult to understand. This makes the relevance of John Bowlby’s attachment theory to this paper. This paper seeks to examine the importance of early childhood experiences to later emotional, social and cognitive development through focusing on Bowlby’s attachment theory and using case studies from Freud and Dann (1951) Genie (1977) Czech Twins (Koluchova, 1972) Romanian Orphans (Rutter et al). Earlier childhood experiences are significant for understanding effective social, cognitive and emotional development of a child. The cross-sectional survey statistics reveals that cheerful people tend to function well than miserable people. They can also be more productive and interact with others than their counterparts. For instance, positive emotions of the child can be the consequences of a certain cognitive or behavioral processes. The research indicates that positive emotions in the early child development are beneficial for cognitive process and interpersonal relationships (McCartney and Phillips 2006, p. 90). The brain is complex; thus varied structures of the brainwork together to process and generate emotional information or emotional behavior. Therefore, family, parental influences and other environmental factors are likely to play significant roles in child development from childhood to adulthood. According to Bowlbys theory of attachment, attachment is a psychological connectedness occurring between human beings and last for a long of time. In Bowlby’s assertion of attachment theory, attachment keeps a baby connected to his mother, especially when the needs of the child are considered to be only be satisfied by his parent. Attachment theory is characterized by factors such as: safe heaven, where children rely on caregivers for comfort at dangerous times; secure base, where good and reliable foundation is given to children by their caregivers; proximity maintenance, where children look to explore the world and still want to remain close to their caregivers; and separation distress, which explains why children become sorrowful and unhappy when they are separated from their care givers. On the other hand, authors such as Freud and Dann (1951) Genie (1977) Czech Twins (Koluchova, 1972) Romanian Orphans (Rutter et al), have identified styles of attachment observed in relationships. Some of these styles include: secure attachment, where children are glad with their caregivers around, but very unhappy when left alone; ambivalent attachment, where children get sorrowful and upset when separated from their caregivers; avoidant attachment, where children tend to keep away from their parents; and disorganized attachment, especially where there is no defined attachment between the caregiver and the children. Several studies have it that determining styles of attachment in social relationships have a long lasting impact on the future emotional, social and cognitive development. Bowlby did an incredible deal of study on social development of kids; thus, he later proposed social development theory. Bowlby believes that early relationships with caregivers play significant roles in the development of a child, and continues to influence social relationships later in the life of a child (Bowlby 1953, p. 145). In the Bowlbys attachment theory, he attempts to reveal the distinctive emotional relationship that children tend to form with their caregivers. The basis of attachment theory can be drawn from Freud’s theories of affection; hence, it is accredited in the attachment theory of Bowlby. The attachment theory refers to distinct emotional relationship that involves the exchange of care, love and comfort between the child and the caregiver. The attachment theory is the first theory of child development, and it attempts to reveal thephysiological connectedness between human beings (Bowlby 1953, p. 123). Bowlby asserts, “the love of a mother in infancy stage is essential for psychological wellbeing just as proteins are crucial too for bodily wellbeing” (Bowlby 1953, p. 129). Additionally, Bowlby interviewed and observed children in hospitals as well as various institutions in order to understand the impact of child-parent separation. From the research, he found that the mental health of a child was dependent upon warm and continuous motherly love or the loving bond between the child and caregiver (Cassidy and Shaver 2008, p. 79). Children separated from their parents tend to suffer physical and emotionally because of a broken attachment. Children of this category had a difficultly in forming an attachment or close relationships with others. The main subject in the theory of Bowlby is that bond, which caregivers create as a sense of love and safety to their offspring.The child can grow up and recognize or learn that caregivers are dependable; thus, create a secure base for them to explore the world. The implications of attachment theory are seen in the development of children’s emotional, social and cognitive relationships. For instance, if adult relationships are considered attachment relationships, we should then observe similar individual differences in adult relationships. Also, the manner in which adult relationships occur or work should be the same as the infant caregiver relationships. In addition, whether an adult is insecure or secure in adult relationship may be a reflection of the experiences with the primary caregivers. Childhood experience is very vital in the development of children’s social, cognitive and emotional relationships. Bowlby’s theory of attachment states that a child has an innate need have an attachment to one main figure. Children should get care continuously at least for the first two years. In case this attachment is disrupted or broken during the first two years, the child is likely to suffer long term consequences which are irreversible. John Bowlby on his maternal deprivation hypothesis assumes that continuous disruption of infant-caregiver attachment may lead to long term social, cognitive and emotional difficulties for the children. Children are likely to experience the following in their later life if this attachment is disrupted: delinquency, increased aggression, reduced intelligence, affectionless psychopathy, and depression. It is hence important to note that the attachment relationship of a child with their caregivers leads to internal working model development. Freud and Dann (1951, p. 34) acknowledge that early development experiences of the child play significant roles in personality development and influence behaviors of children in adulthood. The authors emphasize on the importance of childhood experiences and events up to their late life. The psychoanalytic research study carried out by Freud and Dann attempted to reveal the way early childhood development experiences are significant in the development of a child. Sigmund Freud developed a psychoanalytic child development approach in order to explain the way earlier child experiences play significant roles in personality development. In Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, he reveals the way personality develops through various stages of childhood during which the pleasure seeking energies of the kid become focused on some erogenous areas (Freud and Dann 1951, p. 45). This psychosexual force is the one that Freud describes as the driving power behind personality growth behavior of the child. The case of identical twins boys known as Czech twins from Britain are among the examples of children that were affected psychologically (Jarvis and Chandler 2001, p. 54). The Czech twins lost their mother shortly after birth, thus were taken care of by the orphanage institution for a year after being fostered for six years by their aunt. After the twins’ father married again, they were taken to stay with their father, but the cruel stepmother locked them inside the cold, dark room and beat them seriously. After the age of seven years, they were taken by a certain social institution where the psychologists discovered that they had impaired communication problems and difficulties to interact socially. They showed no social-emotional or intellectual deficits in their childhood, but the extensive social therapy helped them until they started showing up some signs of social-emotional interactions at the age of 20 years. Another case presented by Curtis, (1977) is that of Genie, who never developed attachments to other people and had social interaction problems, thus she could not live without individual care (Jarvis and Chandler 2001, p. 54). Gene was discovered when she was 13 years old locked in an enclosed room where she had been kept since infant life. Gene could not speak or stand, but could only whimper; thus, she attracted many psychologists to study her. Acquiring first language is significant for social and emotional development of the child. However, the case study of Gene reveals the way language and cognitive development of the child in her earlier childhood experiences are significant for social interactions in adulthood. The case of Gene and Czech twins reveals the way Bowlbys attachment theory is significant, and also reveals the effect of deprivation. Gene was able to form attachments after receiving cognitive tests and other psychological examinations; thus, she developed some social interaction skills. Conclusion In summary, attachment begins when a person is bonded emotionally with other people. However, things taking place with the attachment may be complex to understand. This paper has examined the importance of early childhood experiences to later emotional, social and cognitive development the research discovered that early childhood experiences are very necessary for later cognitive, social and emotional development. The paper has also provided various approaches that revealed the way earlier childhood experiences plays significant roles in late cognitive, social and emotional development of the child. It packed the research with some case studies including the Czech twins, Gene case study and the Romanian Orphans on the way earlier childhood experiences in psychology development is crucial. These case studies presented varied factors that impact child development in late cognitive, social and emotional development or issues arising from deprivation. Bibliography Bowlby, J. (1953). Child care and the growth of love. Melbourne: Penguin Books. Bowlby, J. (1951). Maternal care and mental health. World Health Organization Monograph. Cassidy, J.,& Shaver, P. R. (2008). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: Guilford Press. Freud and Dann (1951).The psychoanalytic study of the child.Volume 6. New York: International Universities Press. Jarvis, M., & Chandler, E. (2001).Angles on child psychology.Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. Koluchova (1972).Psychophysiologic and psychologic characteristics in Czech twins in reaction to stress situations. Praha: Univ. Karlova. McCartney, K.,& Phillips, D. (2006). Blackwell handbook of early childhood development. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Read More