Human Development and Growth: MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy - Coursework Example

Human Development and Growth. MA Dance Movement Psychotherapy by – Department Introduction Based on five-hour observation of a child and a mother interaction I am going to examine the relationship in the family and describe my own emotional response to this involvement. My research is based on the assessment of the play between a mother and a daughter, its influence on the child, and its efficiency for the child`s cognitive development. I am going to apply Piaget`s play theory`s to asses this value of the qualitative play for the child`s evolution. Non-verbal communication between a mother and child will also be the object of observation and application of Winnicott`s attachment theory on practice. I will employ the concept of transitional object in order to understand child`s possible emotional state and frustrations. Attachment theory will also be helpful for recognizing critical moments in family relationship. I am going to draw certain conclusions regarding family members` psychological state basing on Laban`s Movement Analysis. I will characterize the movements of a daughter and a mother according to Laban`s basic characteristics paying attention to the slightest changes. I achieved a chance to observe the family of three in normal conditions. It was a helpful opportunity to watch how a mother and a child were moving and playing together in familiar environment. The mother and a 3-year-old daughter Cathy were waiting for me at home. The first visit to the family was nervous as the mother was unprepared to it and did not know what to do. She was worried a lot about how her role of a mother would be assessed by a third person. Levy and Lopata suggest that natural mechanism of mother`s worrying can be explained by two reasons. First, babies need permanent physical care such as feeding, washing, touching and so on. Thus, there appears certain connection between taking responsibility for physical care and the thoughts that reinforce that care (Levy & Lopata 2003, p. 145). This worrying is needed crucially as babies are very susceptible to external influence and illnesses, and mother`s care is one of the natural protective mechanisms. The other reason of anxiety is the desire to meet the social norms and to fit the image of a “good mother”. Due to the fact that mothers perceive their children as extension of themselves, they are also prone to think that others think of their children as their reflection. Sometimes worrying is another factor of being a good mother (Levy & Lopata 2003, p.146). Thus, mother`s worried state seemed natural and justified for me. The mother mentioned twice that she was pregnant and that she was trying to accustom Cathy to the thought of second child appearance. Vignette 1 The possibility to observe the family in the moment of play was especially fruitful for me. I watched Cathy and her mother sitting together at the desk in the Cathy`s room. The mother and the daughter were involved in the process of drawing; they were coloring a beautiful butterfly. Cathy was sitting very close to her mother and touching her gently. The child was very calm and positive, she was laughing occasionally. Being in the familiar surrounding Cathy and her mother felt very relaxed and joyful. Play is one of the most important stages of child`s cognitive development (Lillemur 2009, 76). According to Piaget the cognitive devolvement stems from interaction between a child and the environment based on the individual`s perception or thought-related construction of the reality. The process of cognitive development is possible when a child reinterprets the environment on the basis of the experience she/he already has or absorbs this new experience totally (Piaget 1967, 34). Piaget also considers that major cognitive processes occur in certain order, and these stages are common for all the humanity. Adaption to the environment includes assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation allows interpreting the world through already existing experience and accommodation requires reorganizing, changing, and redesigning of the already existing cognitive structure. Learning to something new, thus, mostly involves accommodation. And play is defined as pure assimilation by Piaget (1967, 112). For 3-year old Cathy play is the major process of cognitive development. She is still prone to interpret the reality in symbolic and magical terms. Mother likes turning the whole process into a play, she counts the pencils, asks Cathy about the colors, and jokes with a baby. It is evident that the child feels mother`s care and affection and there no barriers in their relationship. The quality of relationship and bond between Cathy and her mother is high as the child trusts her caregiver, relies on her, and feels happy and relaxed in her presence. According to Winnicott`s attachment theory, the way in which children built relationship with the others is a primary reflection of their relationship with their first caregiver. These prototypes are usually brought through the whole life and influence all the relationship of the child (1965, 52). Cathy was first observing me a lot but after a certain period of time she asked me to join. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the child`s relationship with the mother allows her to perceive the world as the trustworthy place. Cathy was not afraid of a new person, and though she felt uncomfortable for the first time, formal experience with her primary caregivers allowed her to treat the world in positive and welcoming way. Cathy on her stage of development is tend to copy mother`s actions and gestures, turning play into a learning process. I also noticed that the mother encouraged the child to choose the colors herself and to try various color combinations, to make decisions in other words. Such behavior stimulates a child to forming her true self. According to Winnicott, mother`s responsibility is to react in a welcoming and reassuring way to a child`s requests, spontaneous emotions, and proposals. In early childhood this includes feeding a baby when he/she is hungry, talking and calming when she/he is crying. For the children of Cathy`s age reacting to initiatives and emotions is the most effective way of developing a child`s authentic self. The girl understood that she did not have to avoid her thoughts, emotions, and manifestations and could recognize her identity clearly (Winnicott 1972, 77). Cathy seemed protected, confident, and tranquilized, she was not timid. She kept eye contact with her mother and addressed her when she needed support or advice. Thus, it is possible to presume that the atmosphere in the family was nurturing, loving, and optimal for the child. I also utilized Laban Movement Analysis for assessing the movements of the child and the mother in order to make conclusions about their inner psychological state. According to Groff, “at the heart of Laban Movement Analysis is recognition that movement is a psycho-physical process, an outward expression of inner intent” (1995, 14). Every movement clearly bears some meaning consciously or unconsciously. Laban distinguishes weight, space, time, and flow to describe movements (1975, 66). Mother`s movements were sustained, open hearted, and direct. Her drawing was characterized by free flow of movements. Cathy was adapting to mother`s movements and gestures, and was acting delicately in the terms of space and free in the terms of flow (Laban 1975, 66) . Then I noticed that the mother touched her belly, this movement is habitual for pregnant women as it bears protective connotation. This made Cathy feel worried and suspicious. Her face expression changed suddenly and signified of loss and discomfort. The child asked her mother for hug. When mother talked to Cathy and touched her, the girl felt relief. According to attachment theory proposed by Bowlby, children are prone to ask for proximity with the primary caregiver or attachment figure when they feel sad or insecure (1969, 34). Bowlby in his attachment theory underlined the necessity of primary contact between a mother and a child for successful adjustment of a child in future. It was remarkable, that the child of her age could interpret her emotional state and ask for support in crucial circumstances. It means that the type of attachment experiences by Cathy in early childhood was secure. This type of connection presupposes dependence of the child on the mother. The child was given maximum attention and care thus she/he felt distress in the caregiver`s absence and happy at caregiver`s presence (Bowlby 1958, 358). The moment touched me and even made me cry I was overwhelmed with my own memories of similar situation from my childhood. For a moment I felt in Cathy`s shoes, experiencing the same situation. Realizing that the time of my childhood has run out made me sensitive and vulnerable as being an adult in I can no longer seek for mother`s support difficult situations. Vignette 2 As soon as I arrived the next time I noticed mother`s depressed and upset mood. The mother informed me that she had lost her unborn baby. She did not say anything else and just hugged Cathy and placed her really close to herself. That was the first time when she was holding the child so close. The mother`s body looked exhausted and heavy. She was holding Cathy`s belly and legs and caressing them. This signified that mother lacked support and personal contact herself a lot. The mother also needed being reassured that she was a good mother despite the fact the she lost her unborn baby. Mother`s movements were sustain and direct, they were even strong in the terms of weight (Laban 1975, 56). Mother was defending herself with Cathy, and Cathy felt it. The girl was distracted; her head was turned in the opposite direction from her mother. The girl was holding tight her doll, and it seemed that she was a bit frustrated. I defined Cathy`s doll as her transitional object as I noticed this doll for the second time. According to Winnicott, such object serves as intermediate between outer real world and inner magical world in a child`s perception. Comfort objects are mainly used in the phase of transferring from total development from a caregiver to a relative independence (1971, 23). When the child realizes that the mother cannot guarantee her support, and the sense of former omnipotence she/he may fell anxious and frustrated. That is why children are prone to hold these transitional objects when they go to bed or find themselves in unpleasant situation (Winnicott 1971, 25). In Cathy`s case the girl felt mother`s loss and detachment but being too small to understand the reasons just got upset and could not find support she used to receive from her mother in this case. Despite the fact that the mother was touching and massaging Cathy`s back the girl felt uncomfortable and her transitional object could serve her as a relief. The girl was feeling mother`s detachment subconsciously which resulted in her sustained but strong movements (Laban 1975, 56). I felt in the mother`s shoes who was incapable to explain to Cathy the burden of the loss and grieve and was devastated inside feeling relief only holding her first child close to her. As a witness I also noticed that the girl was lonely as she could not interpret the situation right. Probably, to give way to her emotions, Cathy started screaming and crying which made the mother angry. The girl fell to the floor, and the mother understood that she had to calm down the girl so she kissed her on a cheek and told her a story. It was a crucial moment as the daughter demanded mother`s genuine attention and care and the mother finally realized it and was there to support her child. I felt pity for the mother, and her need of support and verbal encouragement. I also felt lost and frustrated for not being able to help the mother at that moment. Vignette 3 The third visit to the family influenced me greatly. When I came Cathy and her mother were preparing some food in the kitchen. The atmosphere was light and positive as both of them were joking and singing. Mother`s movements were fluid and delicate and the daughter seemed to mirror mother`s gestures (Laban 1975, 56). Winnicott suggests that mirroring is an important step of slow ego separation from the caregiver. "In individual emotional development the precursor of the mirror is the mothers face....What does the baby see when he or she looks at the mothers face? I am suggesting that, ordinarily, what the baby sees is himself or herself."  (Winnicott 1967, 27). It was also important that Cathy was learning and acquiring her first skills by imitating her mother`s actions in the kitchen. They were taking all the space of the room which resulted in their indirect movements. The movements were also quick as there was much work to do. When the father of the family appeared the child`s attention was instantly captured by him. She ran out to meet him and to give him a hug. It was evident that the father played important role in the daughter`s world. The girl was moving strongly and emotionally, she was happy and joyful. Cathy asked the father to play with her despite her mother`s request to return to the kitchen. The girl`s movement were free in terms of flow, quick and direct. She certainly was overwhelmed with emotions, which proved her great affection to her father and his exceptional role in her life. For the daughter the presence of the male figure, which loves her and takes care of her, is extremely important for her future. However, it seemed that Cathy has more profound and meaningful bond with her mother, and it is no wonder. As soon as the mother called for Cathy she returned to the kitchen. Mother-daughter bond is the most important for the child of Cathy`s age. According to Erikson, in this period children try to measure their control and power of the surrounding. Caregivers have to encourage their children to study the world around and to experiment (Aiken 1998, 35). Play and games are crucial for this stage, thus Cathy tries to spend all her time with her mother, who serves as a helper and a guide in her world exploration. However, and episode with Cathy`s father made me upset a little. When the father was hugging his daughter I felt cold and stopped breathing. For a moment I felt completely immobile, and then I realized that viewing this scene has great impact on me as I never had a complete family. This image helped to understand that I needed father`s figure in my life and was always feeling pity for his absence. I understood that I also needed more care and attention to overcome my childish problems. Conclusion This experience helped me to apply the most influential theories of Piaget, Winnicott, and Laban to practice. I came to conclusion that accurate observation and noticing of the small changes in the human behavior can bring fruitful results. My position of a 3-d person observer allowed assessing impartially family members` emotional state. Examining the movements according to Laban Movement Analysis permitted me to draw conclusions about family members’ psychological state in each situation. I have also managed to evaluate child`s state of cognitive development relying on the information received during observation of her manner of play, speech, and relationship with the environment. The girl`s bond with her parents and attitude to me helped to elaborate coherent understanding of her relationships with the people in general and even forecast possible evolution of the relationship with other people. Family comforting, loving and trustworthy atmosphere allows to make positive prognosis of girl`s psychosocial development. Strong connection between the girl and the father plays positive role in the girl`s development and self-actualization as well, however, the mother remains her primary caregiver and the source of support. This examination was crucial for me as well as it allowed me to trace my emotional response to basic family situation and acknowledge my own reactions. I recognized my personal problems, such as lack of father`s figure. Reference List Aiken, L 1998, Human development in adulthood, New York, Plenum Press Bowlby, J 1956, Mother-child separation. Mental health and infant development, 1, 117-122. Bowlby, J 1958 The Nature of the Child`s Tie to His Mother. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 39, 350-371. Bowlby, J 1969,  Attachment. Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1. Loss. New York, Basic Books. Groff, E 1995, `Laban Movement Analysis: Charting the Ineffable Domain of Human Movement`, JOPERD, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 27-30. Laban, R 1975 Laban’s Principles of Dance and Movement Notation, London, MacDonald and Evans. Levy, H., & Lopata, J 2003, Social problems across the life course, Lanham, Rowmen and Littlefield Publishing. Winnicott, D 1965, The Maturational Processes and the facilitating Environment: Studies in the Theory of Emotional Development, London, Tavistock Publications. Winnicott, D 1971, Playing and Reality, London, Routledge. Winnicott, D 1967, Mirror-role of the mother and family in child development, London, Hogarth, 26-33. Winnicott,D 1973, The Child, the Family, and the Outside World, London, Routlege, 115-116. Read More