Initial Socialisation Enforcement for Organization of Affection - Term Paper Example

Early Socialisation Early Socialisation Introduction Ever since psychology started to be acknowledged as a discipline, no theme has cause much more recurrent and broad concern than the influence of environment versus heredity on human behaviour/action (Benoit 2004, p. 541). People have deliberated on which force is much stronger than the other when both nurture and nature are weighed together (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 12). Assumption aside, study into this area of psychology highly proposes that environments have a great role in the development and growth of all three behaviour domains: social, emotional and mental (Benoit 2004, p. 541). Lab experiments conducted in the 50’s reveal that baby primates who were brought up without their parents abnormally started into thin air for long time periods and hugged themselves strangely whenever they were in stressful situations. Sadly enough, the same behaviour is reported on children who, during their early years, lacked proper nurturing care (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 12). However, a study that has been more conclusive and startling is the recent discoveries from the neuroscience field (Benoit 2004, p. 542). With modern technological advances, particularly brain imaging, researchers have uncovered that the neural (electrical) activity of brain cells, in reality, transforms the physical configuration of the human brain. Also, this is caused by experience (Benoit 2004, p. 542). Early socialisation is a focused, labour-intensive procedure where infants are saturated with affluent experiences and delivered at the optimal pace and appropriate time for each individual child (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 13). This paper will discuss early socialisation with regards to topics such as factors determining attachment and the findings of psychological research into bonding and attachment, psychological perspectives on attachment and evaluate their practical significance, effects of privation and deprivation on children and effects of childcare provision on pre-school children among others. Bonding and Attachment Babies naturally become attached or fond of people who are responsive or sensitive in social interaction with them, as well as those individuals who are consistent caregivers from six to 24 months after birth. This is referred to as sensitive responsiveness embedded in the attachment theory (Benoit 2004, p. 541). Attachment is an element of a relationship between people (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 24). To put it in the context of our paper, this is an aspect through which babies become attached to their caregiver, which makes the child secure, safe and protected. What the child basically does is he or she uses the caregiver as a safe ground from which to explore (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 24). Bonding, on the other hand, formed by the physical touch the caregiver provides to the child. In other words, this is the deepen skin-to-skin contact at the early critical period of the child with the care giver (Benoit 2004, p. 541). In the nature of love, Harry Harlow showed that a baby rhesus monkey formed an affectional bond with surrogate mothers with soft cloth even without offering food, but this did not occur with wire surrogate mothers even if they offered the monkeys food (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 24). This is because the monkeys were less pleasant to a cold touch. Finally, Konrad Lorenz used to example of a hatching-goose to show how children are attached to their caregivers. Geese there were completely hatched by their mothers had more attachment to them than geese that were incubated (Benoit 2004, p. 541). This goes a long way to show that physical interaction between infants and their caregivers during their early days goes a long way to improve the bonding of the child (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 25). Individual Differences in Attachments There are four forms of infant-parent attachment patters; and all of them have their significant consequences once they become adults; avoidant, secure, anxious (resistant) and disorganized (Landa & Duschinsky 2013, p. 4). In the secure pattern, the child uses the caregiver as a safe group for exploration (Benoit 2004, p. 542). They also protest when the caregiver leaves and look for immediacy and are comforted on return, going back to exploring the children are also comforted by a stranger but show clear fondness for the caregiver (Benoit 2004, p. 542). In the anxious pattern, they become too clingy and are unable to handle absences of their caregiver, which leads them to seek for constant reassurances; for instance, when the infant’s sense of security and safety are endangered, such as when the child is sick, emotionally upset or physically hurt; mainly, frightened (Benoit 2004, p. 542). Starting at roughly the age of six months, babies come to expect specific caregivers’ quick responses to their grief and, thus, develop their own behaviours (for instanc, developing strategies for coping with grief when in the presence of a caregiver) anchored in day to day interactions with their caregivers (Benoit 2004, p. 542). Mary Ainsworth claimed that babies whose caregivers constantly take action to their distress in ‘loving’ or sensitive ways, like picking the baby up quickly and reassuring him or her, feel safe in their understanding that they can freely convey negative sentiments that will draw out comforting from their caregiver (Benoit 2004, p. 542). It is believed that children who missed this stage are drawn away from others when they become adults (Landa & Duschinsky 2013, p. 4). This is why some people opt to separate themselves from others. John Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis John Bowlby argued that mothering is of no use if belated until after two-three years and, for a majority of children, if belated until after one year months, because this critical phase of the child (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 56). If the attachment shape is disrupted or broken during the critical two year phase, then the child will undergo permanent long-term effects of this maternal deprivation. This danger goes till the baby hits five years. Bowlby applied the phrase maternal deprivation to denote the loss or separation of the mother together with failure to establish an attachment (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 56). The fundamental theory of the Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis is that repeated disturbance of the attachment between a baby and his or her primary caregiver (mother) could lead to long term social, cognitive, as well as emotional difficulties, for the baby. Apart from his thoughtful distinctions with psychoanalytic notions, the hypothetical foundation of Bowlbys monograph was contentious in numerous ways. Some deeply disagreed with the need for maternal love so as to function averagely, or that the development of a constant relationship with a bay was a significant aspect of parenting (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 56). The notion that early on experiences have harsh consequences for psychosocial and intellectual development was contentious in itself. Other critics have questioned the level to which his theory was endorsed by the proof he gave. There is disapproval of the perplexity of the impacts of hardship and deprivation which mean no and loss of the primary attachment person, respectively and particularly, the failure to differentiate between the impacts of missing a primary attachment person, as well as other forms of understimulation and deprivation, which may influence children in institutions (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 57). Difference between Deprivation and Privation Deprivation and privation are also attachment theories that were formed by John Bowlby (McLeod 2008, p. 1). An attachment that is broken is normally referred to a deprivation, but where there is an opportunity to form an attachment, the situation is referred to as privation (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 62). There are numerous situations wherein deprivation can occur (breaking of an attachment) either shortly, for instance by hospitalisation or everlastingly by death. Unfortunately enough, there are situations, as well, of children being treated so badly, maybe being isolated for a lot of years, that they never have the chance to shape an attachment (privation) (McLeod 2008, p. 1). Deprived infants do not reveal distress when taken away from a common figure, which shows a lack of attachment. Privation is likely initially to cause clinging, attention-seeking and blanket friendliness, dependent behaviour, and then as the person grows up, an inability to stick to rules, feel guilt or form lasting relationships (Mercer, Sarner & Rosa 2003, p. 62). Bowlby argued that, if disruption occurs during attachment, then the infant might have deprived emotional development (McLeod 2008, p. 1). A lot of thieve report such cases. Privated infants, on the other hand, develop fairly well when compared to these deprived children. In a study conducted by McLeod (2008, p. 1), the author found out that children who were at some point of their live privated of their attachment still managed to develop well emotionally unlike children who were deprived of their attachment. Positive and Negative Aspects of Day Care on Children’s Social and Cognitive Development Research has revealed that infants who averaged more than 45 hours a week in day care throughout the initial 54 months scored roughly three points more than the average on a measure of behavioural issues (Shpancer 2006, p. 234). This discovery can be presented as a worrisome, and negative, effect of daycare. However, it can just also be perceived positively, as proof of the exceptional resilience of babies. School performance was furthermore least in children who did not attend any day care (Shpancer 2006, p. 235). The highest social performance also came from the infant with the maximum socio-economic status. However, countless studies have found that the best person who could develop the cognitive part of the infant it the primary caregiver, who is the infant’s mother (Shpancer 2006, p. 235). Also, there are fewer behaviour issues at the ages of 2 and 3 when the child is raised by the mother at an early age unlike being enrolled to a day care program (Shpancer 2006, p. 235). This is why nations such as the United States are thinking to prolong the pregnancy leave of mothers from six to nine months with higher pay so that the mothers could properly raise the child (Shpancer 2006, p. 235). Another positive aspect of day care programs is that they are forced to meet the law requirements to raise a child properly so that they develop no issues (Shpancer 2006, p. 236). Conclusion Ever since psychology started to be acknowledged as a discipline, no theme has cause much more recurrent and broad concern than the influence of environment versus heredity on human behaviour/action. People have deliberated on which force is much stronger than the other when both nurture and nature are weighed together. Assumption aside, study into this area of psychology highly proposes that environments have a great role in the development and growth of all three behaviour domains: social, emotional and mental. This paper has discussed early socialisation with regards to topics such as factors determining attachment and the findings of psychological research into bonding and attachment, psychological perspectives on attachment and evaluates their practical significance, effects of privation and deprivation on children and effects of childcare provision on pre-school children among others. The paper finds that, in order for infants to develop well into later life, their primary caregivers (mothers) should be actively involved in almost every aspect of their early life. References Benoit, D 2004, Infant-parent attachment: definition, types, antecedents, measurement and outcome, Pediatrics Child Health vol. 9, no. 8, 541–545. Landa, S & Duschinsky, R 2013, Letters from Ainsworth: Contesting the ‘Organization’of Attachment, Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 3-6. McLeod, S 2008, Privation and attachment, viewed 11th April, 2014, at http://www.simplypsychology.org/privation.html Mercer, J, Sarner, L & Rosa, L 2003, Attachment therapy on trial: the torture and death of Candace Newmaker. Child Psychology & Mental Health, Praeger, Westport, CT. Shpancer, N 2006, The effects of daycare: persistent questions, elusive answers, Early Childhood Research Quarterly vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 227–237. Read More