chapter 6.emotional

8/12/2019 Chapter 6.Emotional

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Chapter 6:Emotional Development

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Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:

Define emotion and emotional development Explain the function of emotions Discuss what is temperament Describe the theories on attachment State steps to support childrens emotional development

This chapter focuses on the emotional development of children. Emotion is seen as

consisting of basic and complex emotions; and most important is the function of

emotions in an individuals life. Emphasis is on the issue of temperament and attachment

and the role of adults in supporting childrens emotional development.

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

6.1What is emotion?6.2What is emotional development?6.3Function of emotions6.4Expressions of emotions6.5Children having fear of school6.6Recognising others emotions6.7Temperament6.8Attachment6.9Supporting childrens emotional

development

Summary

Key Terms

References

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Physical Development &

Growth

Chapter 3: Cognitive Development

Piaget & Vygotsky

Chapter 4: Cognitive Development

Information Processing

Chapter 5: Moral Development

Chapter 6: Emotional Development

Chapter 7: Language Development

Chapter 8: Social Development

Chapter 9: Family Influence

Chapter 10: Influences Beyond the Family


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6.1 What is an Emotion?

What is an emotion? Emotion is a consciousness feeling such as joy, sorrow, fear,hate or the like that is experienced by a person. There are two types of emotions: basic

emotion and complex emotions:

Basic Emotions are experienced by people worldwide and each emotion

consists of three elements:

It is a subjectivefeeling (subjective because it varies with individuals) It is usually accompanied by certain physiological changes such as

increased heartbeat or breathing, and

Often manifested overtly as a behaviour such as crying or shaking.Complex Emotions are feelings of success (because ones expectations aremet) and feelings of failure (when ones expectations are not met). Examples

of complex emotions are pride, guilt and embarrassment.

6.2 What is Emotional Development?

Emotional development or growth is the process of developing feelings and

learning how to handle them appropriately. When we talk about emotional

development, we are referring to childrens growing ability to understand their ownfeelings; understand the feelings of others; manage their feelings; develop empathy

and establishing good relationships with family, friends and others. From the time

they are born, children quickly develop the ability to express different basic

emotions, cope with and manage their emotions (feelings). To do this they need the

help of parents and other adults to help them; i.e. cope and manage different feelings.

Sadness, fear, anger, and happiness are our most common basic emotions (feelings).

Complex emotions emerge when children are about 1 to 2 years of age. At

this age children have some understanding of the self and so they can have feelings of

guilt or embarrassment. For example, at this age children can have guilt feelings

when they have done something wrong such as breaking a toy. Every child has

emotional needs. Meeting those needs is one of the most important things parents andcaregivers have to do.

6.3 Functions of Emotion

Why do people have emotion? Would not life be better if people did not have

emotions like computers. Probably not! Try to imagine a world without emotions.

You would not find pleasure from having a good meal, having sex or holding a baby

in your arms. Hence, you need different emotions (different types of feelings) because


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they are essential for the continuity of human species. Several researchers argue that

emotions are useful because they help us adapt to the environment.

For example, you are walking home late

one night and you have to pass through a dimly lit

neighbourhood. What happens to you? The

chances are you become frightened and express

the emotion of fear. Fear is good. How come?

You become more attentive to sounds that might

signal the presence of threat. You become more

conscious of the surrounding. You probably walk

quickly to a safer location. Thus, fear is adaptive

because it organises your behaviour around and

important goalsavoiding danger.

Other examples of emotions that are adaptive include happiness, disgust and

so forth. If a person is happy, it may result in better interpersonal relationships. Whenpeople are happy with others, they tend to smile and this often causes other people to

feel happy too. Just like words of the song which says Smile and the whole world

smiles with you. Similarly, disgust is also an emotion that is adaptive. For

example, when you put spoilt food in your mouth, your immediately spit it out. Thus,

emotions enable humans to adapt to the different situations they encounter throughout

their life (Kail, 2008).

6.4 Expression of Emotions

Have you heard people say that a certain individual oftentimes expresses her

emotions! What does it mean? As mentioned earlier, basic emotions result in the

expression of a particular overt (outward or obvious) behaviour. In children, overt

behaviour are seen in facial expressions. Look at the three pictures of babies. Who is

sad? Who is angry? Who is happy?

A B C

Facial expression is one component of an emotion. According to Fox, Kimmerly &

Schafer (1991), when infants and adults smile, they are happy which is accompanied

by a physiological change. The left frontal cortex of the brain tends to have more

electrical activity than the right frontal cortex. Children all over the word express

basic emotions in the same way. Regardless of region or culture, all children the samefacial expression of anger, sadness and happiness as shown in the three picture above.


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6.5 CHILDREN HAVING FEAR OF SCHOOL

Nigel Blagg (1990), in his book school phobia mentioned that childrens fear

of school is a condition that has been recognised since the 1960s. According to him;

They will experience extreme anxiety. They are off school,

typically with their parents' knowledge and approval. And

they often have symptoms like tummy aches, head aches

and nausea. Some of them suffer severely with depression.

Any attempts to get them to school, when they are at their

worst can lead to quite extreme behaviour - temper

tantrums, screaming, kicking. It is very distressing for the

adults.

School phobia results in children refusing to go school and is equally

common among boys and girls and is most likely to occur between age 5 to 11 (see

Figure 6.1). Incidence of school refusal is highest when schools reopen. What is

school refusal? School refusal is defined as the behavior of resisting or refusing to

attend a specific class or to stay in school for an entire day (Sharma, 1996). Such

school refusal may be accompanied by one or more of the following behaviors:

o complaints about stomach pain, headache, or nausea before or during school;o crying before and during school;o frequent visits to the school nurse;o temper tantrums; specific fears;o anxiety or sadness.

Other than refusing to go to school, these children are well-behaved, and academically

smart kids. Unlike truants, they stay home only with their parents' knowledge.

Generally, they have a close relationship with one or both parents. Overall, they are

good kids. So the question arises why does a child who wants to comply with the

parents' wishes and be good, refuses to go to school.

Figure 6.1 Parents

coaxing child who

refuses to go to

school


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A) WHY SOME CHILDREN REFUSE TO GO TO SCHOOL?

Some children refuse to go to school because they are overly anxious. Somemay have specific fears or concerns regarding teachers, peers, or some other

aspects of the school setting.

Some children may consciously or unconsciously worry, not about the schoolas such, but about being away from home. These are children who may be

afraid to sleep on their own, insist on having lights on in their room at night,

and have nightmares about their safety or the safety of their parents.

Some children are anxious about something at school or home and need to begradually exposed to the situation they want to avoid.

Some children tend to feel that others see them in a negative way. Theybecome unduly self-conscious and avoid social situations in which they fear

others may criticise them or make fun of them behind their back.

Some have negative and troublesome relationships with their peers, and are,perhaps, teased by mischievous children or harassed by a bully.

B) WHAT MAY BE DONE?

Parents Should Talk to their Child Parents should talk to their child several times about going to school in

advance and it should be done even after school starts

Listen and be interested in what the child has to tell. Parents could share their initial fear and positive experiences when

they first went to school. Parents should tell how they understand how their child feels, but dont

tell them they shouldnt feelthat way. Sometimes children just need to

think out loud and their fear will eventually fade.

Read A Childrens Book

Parents could read a book to their child about going to school. This is to help the child feel understood and be less afraid.

.

Draw a Story

Parent should consider drawing pictures with their child and creating astory that describes what happens at school).

Story should include walking him or her to their first class, hugginggoodbye, classroom activities, making friends, school projects, comingto pick him or her up.

Get To Know The School

Parents could visit the school a few days before school officially starts.Most schools have a pre-school day where parents can come to school,

meet their teacher and be with their child. Bring a snack and have some

fun on the playground.


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Expect Physical Complaints

Keep in mind that some children will express their fears in familiar andsafe words like "my stomach hurts." This is perfectly normal. Look

them over and check their temperature even if you dont believe them.

These are important comforting behaviors that can be reassuring to a

child. .

Dons Make Staying Home More Rewarding In some cases, school refusal starts out with children experiencing

discomfort in the school setting, but as time goes on, they develop a

liking for staying home. It dawns on them how much more fun it is to

stay home than to go to school and do the "boring stuff."

Don't make staying home more rewarding than going to school.Eliminate or reduce all incentives for staying home. On the contrary,

attach rewards and incentives to going to school and staying therethroughout the school hours.

Some teenagers suddenly become reluctant to go to school because of an

appearance and self-esteem problem, or social "image" problem prompted by a school

rumor or being let down by a friend. They need appropriate skills and parental support

to deal with such situations. Openness in communication and closeness with parents

can be really helpful. Some children are clinically depressed and experience

significant difficulty in getting up and getting out of bed in the morning. Children

who are clinically depressed or who suffer from an anxiety disorder need professional

help.

6.6 RECOGNISING OTHERS EMOTIONS AND REGULATINGEMOTIONS

You are waiting for a friend whom you going to ask for a loan of RM200. When your

friend arrives, he is in a bad mood; cursing and swearing about how unfair was his

boss. You immediately change your plans and realise that now is not the right time to

ask for a loan. What you have done is to recognise another persons emotions and

adapted or changed your behaviour accordingly. When do children learn to do this?

Studies have shown that babies as early as 4 months and definitely by 6 months areable to distinguish facial expressions associated with different emotions. For example,

6.2 LEARNING ACTIVITY

a) Why do some children refuse to go to school?

b) How should parents deal with children who fear school?

c) How have you handled children who refuse to go to

either as a parent or a teacher?


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when mothers smile and talk in a pleasant voice, babies express happiness themselves.

On the other hand, when mothers are angry or sad, infants become distressed

(Montague & Walker-Andrews, 2001).

Between the ages of 2 and 5, children gradually learn how to manage their feelings.

For example, a toddler may get mad and have a tantrum if a toy is taken away. As the

child matures emotionally, he or she will learn to express anger in other ways. Young

children also begin to develop moral emotions and to feel ashamed or guilty when

they do something wrong. When bad things happen, young children may feel

responsible for no logical reason. Children do not always know the words to explain

how they feel.

Young children frequently get frustrated because there is a large gap between the

things they want to do and what they are actually able to do. This often results in a

temper tantrum. Feelings and behaviour are closely linked. When feelings are not well

managed, childrens ability to think can be impaired. As a result, children act on theirfeelings often without thinking. By the time they start school, children are more aware

of their own feelings and the feelings of others. They are better able to link their

thoughts and feelings and use words to describe their feelings. As such, they become

better able to change and shape the way they feel. Childrens ability to change and

adapt their feelings means they are more likely to tolerate their own frustration better,

put off getting things they really want and are able to calm themselves down.

6.7 TEMPERAMENT

Temperament is defined as the abilities that children born with that enables them tointeract with and react to people, places and things. In the late 1960s, Alexander

Thomas, Stella Chess, and associates traced the lives of 141 individuals from infancy

through adulthood called The New York Longitudinal Study. The study identified

NINE TEMPERAMENT CHARACTERISTICS or TRAITS(see Table 6.1).

Activity Is the child always moving and doing somethingOR does he

or she have a more relaxed style?

Rhythmicity Is the child regular in his or her eating and sleeping habitsOR

somewhat haphazard?

Approach/

withdrawalDoes the child meets strangers" OR tends to shy away from

new people or things?

Adaptability Can the child adjust to changesin routines or plans easily or

does he or she resist transitions?

Intensity Does the child react stronglyto situations, either positive or

negative, OR does the child react calmly and quietly?

Mood Does the child often express a negative outlook OR is the

child generally a positive person? Does the childs mood shift

frequently OR is the child usually even-tempered?


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Persistence &

attention spanDoes the child give up as soon as a problem ariseswith a task

OR does the child keep on trying? Can the child stick with an

activity a long time OR does the childs mind tend to wander?

Distractibility Is the child easily distractedfrom what he or she is doing ORcan the child shut out external distractions and stay with the

current activity?

Sensory

thresholdIs the child bothered by external stimulisuch as loud noises,

bright lights, or food textures OR does the child tend to

ignore them?

[source: Kathy Oliver, Understanding your childs temperament. Consumer

Services. Columbus. Ohio, 2002]

The researchers found that these nine traits were present at birth and continued to

influence development in important ways throughout life. By observing a child's

responses to everyday situations, the researchers could assess these temperaments.

TEMPERAMENT TYPES

These NINE traits combine to form THREE basic types of temperaments.

Easy or Flexible Children (40%) aregenerally calm, happy, regular in sleeping

and eating habits, adaptable, and not easily

upset. Because of their easy style, parents

need to set aside special times to talk about

the child's frustrations and hurts becausehe or she won't demand or ask for it. This

intentional communication will be

necessary to strengthen your relationship

and find out what your child is thinking

and feeling.

Difficult, Active, or Feisty Children (10%) areoften fussy, irregular in feeding and sleeping habits,

fearful of new people and situations, easily upset by

noise and commotion, highly strung, and intense in

their reactions. Providing areas for vigorous play towork off stored up energy and frustrations with some

Table 6.1 Nine temperament traits or characteristics


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freedom of choice allow these children to be successful. Preparing these

children for activity changes and using redirection will help these children

transition (move or change) from one place to another.

Slow to Warm Up or Cautious Children(15%) arerelatively inactive and fussy, tend to withdraw or to

react negatively to new situations, but their reactions

gradually become more positive with continuous

exposure. Sticking to a routine and your word, along

with allowing ample time to establish relationships in

new situations, are necessary to allow independence

to unfold.

The other 35 percent of children are a combination of these patterns.

Behaviours that lead to a child being classified as easy or difficult can vary based

on parental and cultural values, attitudes and practices. By understanding these

patterns, parents can tailor their parenting approach in such areas as expectations,

encouragement, and discipline to suit the child's unique needs. The following are tips

for adults such as parents and teachers:

Be aware of the child's temperament and respect his or her uniqueness withoutcomparing him or her to others or trying to change your child's basic

temperament.

Adults should be aware of their own temperament and adjust their naturalresponses when they clash with their child's responses.

Communicate. Explain decisions and motives. Listen to the child's points of view and encourage teamwork on generating

solutions.

Adults should set limits to help their child develop self-control. Respectopinions but remain firm on important limits.

Be a good role model because children learn by imitation.This match between the child's temperament and the demands or expectations of his

or her environment (family, school, childcare setting) greatly improves relationships.

Parents who are tuned into their child's temperament and who can recognize theirchild's strengths will find life more enjoyable. It will be a dynamic dance that will last

a lifetime.

TEMPERAMENT TYPES ACCORDING TO ROTHBART

Temperament refers to differences in childrens emotional reactions and ability to

regulate and control their emotions. Mary Rothbart (2004) proposed another way of

classifying temperament types such as the following:

\

Surgency / Extraversion refers to the extent to which a child is generallyhappy, active, vocal and seeks interesting stimulation


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Negative Affect refers to the extent to which a child is angry, fearful,frustrated, shy and not easily soothed.

Effortful Controlrefers to the extent to which a child can focus attention, isnot readily distracted, and can inhibit responses.

Rothbart argues that these temperament types are evident in infancy, through

childhood and plays an important role in determining adolescent and adult

personality. However, one cannot classify individuals being one type and not another.

For example, children who are high on Effortful Control tend to be high on

Surgency / Extraversionand low on Negative Affect. In other words, children who

can control their attention and inhibit responses tend to be happy and active but not

angry or fearful.

HOW TEMPERAMENT AFFECTS A CHILDS SCHOOL EXPERIENCE?

Achievement in school is obviously related to a child's ability, to his motivation, to his

experiences, and to the quality of instruction he receives. Achievement is also related

to temperament. Consider how a child must adapt to a reading or mathematics

assignment, especially if the assignment is long and demanding. The child must

"settle down," focus energy and attention, adapt to new directions, resist distraction,

and persist, even when the task may be boring or difficult. (Keogh, 2011) identified

temperament dimensions and factors that affected a child's academic success in

school. Most important was task orientation, which is related to temperamentdimensions of activity level, distractibility, and persistence.

A child who achieves is able to moderate physical activity appropriately, minimise

distractions and focus on task, and persist. Teachers like students with these

temperament characteristics and find them easy to teach. Children with less positive

temperaments are often viewed by teachers as lower in "teachability," requiring more

teacher time, management, and instruction.

It is important to note that a teacher, like each of her students, brings her own

temperament to the classroom. Some teachers are active, quick responding, and

intense. Others are deliberate, low key, and reflective. These differences play out inthe classroom. Classrooms differ in the pace of instruction, in the nature of personal

interactions, and in the emotional tone in the room.

Fortunately, in many cases the fit between the student and teacher is a good one, so

that both are comfortable and life in the classroom is positive. In some cases,

however, the fit between teacher and child temperaments is not so positive, and both

student and teacher are frustrated and unhappy. Imagine Zak, a Slow-to-Warm-Up

boy, in a fast-paced, frequently changing classroom where the high-energy teacher is

quick, intense, and expects fast responses from students. Imagine Andyin a slow-

paced classroom where the teacher stresses order and quiet, and assignments are long.

Andrew's high activity, distractibility, and low persistence increase the likelihood ofproblems.


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When children are of school age they spend many waking hours in an environment

away from home and parents. In school they must adapt to new demands, to new

adults, and to many different children. They must learn to follow complex rules in the

classroom and on the playground, and they must learn that their personal wishes and

needs are not always a priority. For some children the move from home to school is

easy, and they flourish. For others the transition is not simple, and they have a

difficult time adjusting. For a slow-to-warm-up child like Zak, the first weeks are

frequently filled with anxiety, and he may seem withdrawn and unmotivated. For

Andy, the new demands may lead him to overreact, increasing his intensity and his

activity.

6.8 ATTACHMENT

A) WHAT IS ATTACHMENT?

The most important property of humankind is the capacity to form and maintain

relationships. These relationships are absolutely necessary for any of us to survive,

learn, work, love, and procreate. Human relationships take many forms but the most

intense, most pleasurable and most painful are those relationships with family,

friends and loved ones. Within this inner circle of intimate relationships, we are

bonded to each other with "emotional glue"bonded with love (Perry, 2011).


a) How would you define temperament?

b) Explain the different temperament types. Are you able toidentify these temperament types in the classroom?

c) How does temperament affect a childs school

experience?

Figure 6.2: Attachment is the

foundation on which all other

close, long-term relationships

will be built.


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Each individual's ability to form and maintain relationships using this "emotional

glue" is different. Some people seem "naturally" capable of loving. They form

numerous intimate and caring relationships and, in doing so, get pleasure (Figure 6.2).

Others are not so lucky. They feel no "pull" to form intimate relationships, find little

pleasure in being with or close to others. They have few, if any, friends, and more

distant, less emotional glue with family. In extreme cases an individual may have no

intact emotional bond to any other person.

Newborn humans infants cannot survive without a caregiver to provide food and

protection, and will not thrive without other types of support as well. While infants

have relatively few inborn behaviorssuch as crying, rooting, and suckingthey

also come with many behavioural systems ready to be activated through interaction

with another person. In their first year babies brains double in volume and their

experiences will be hardwired in as a foundation on which to build their lives. The

deep bond which children form with their primary caregiver is called attachment.Attachment is found in all mammals to some degree, especially nonhuman primates.

Attachment is an emotional bond to another person.

B) GROWTH OF ATTACHMENT

Psychologist John Bowlby was the first attachment theorist, describing attachment as

a "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings"(Bowlby, 1969, p.

194). Bowlby believed that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers

have a tremendous impact that continues throughout life. According to Bowlby,

attachment also serves to keep the infant close to the mother, thus improving thechild's chances of survival. The attachmentbond has the following key elements:

1. an attachment bond is an enduring emotional relationship with a specificperson;

2. the relationship brings safety, comfort, and pleasure;3. lossor threat of loss of the person evokes intense distress.

Attachment is usually with the mother; but children are also attached with their

fathers, grandparents or someone else. According to Bowlby, there are FOUR

PHASES IN THE GROWTH OF ATTACHMENT (see Table 6.1).

PHASES CHARACTERISTICS

Preattachment

(0 to 2 months)

Learn to recognise their mother by smell and sound Parents respond to infants smile or cry creating an

interactive system

Beginning of attachment relationshipAttachment in the

making(2 to 8 months)

Develops a sense of trust with the familiar adult theyare interacting withlaugh and smile more often

Consoled by the parent of main adult when upset


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Do protest when separated from main adult or parentTrue Attachment(8 to 24 months)

Singled out the special attachment figure whichusually is the motherstable socioemotional base

Attachment relationship established has a mentalrepresentation of the mother

Become distressed when separated from the mother lost their secure base

Reciprocal

Relationships(24 months on)

Begin to have a better of symbols and language ofadult or parent

Begin to understand parents feelings and goals Can cope with separation because they understand that

parents will return

With his identification of the four stages of attachment, John Bowlby (1969) was

instrumental in illuminating the changes in the development of attachment between

mother and child.

During the PREATTACHMENT PHASE or indiscriminate sociabilityphase, infants interact with most people with their cries, coos and smiles

from birth to two months in order to receive attention.

Between two and eight months (ATTACHMENT MAKING PHASE), theinfants begin to develop a preference for the responses of familiar adults such as the mother.

With the TRUE ATTACHMENT PHASE (eight to 24 months), the infantspossess a strong attachmentto their caregivers and suffer from separation

and stranger anxiety. Their strong relationships with their caregivers are

formed in tandem with the development of their motor ability to move

towards their caregivers for safety and verbal skills that enable them to

socialize with their caregivers on a more complex level than before.

During the RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS phase that starts typicallyfrom age two years, young children have acquired representational and

memory skillsthat allow them to relate to their environment in an active

way. Thus, they do not require the constant attention of their parents. Theyalso begin to adjust their perspectives of various situations and understand

the points of view of their parents. At the same time, they are able to cope

with short periods of separation from their parents.


a) How would you define attachment?

b) Explain the FOUR phases of attachment growth

development?

c) Discuss some of your personal experiences on attachment.
http://www.lotsofessays.com/essay_search/John_Bowlby.htmlhttp://www.lotsofessays.com/essay_search/John_Bowlby.html


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C) TYPES OF ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIPS

Mary Ainsworth (1978, 1993), an early researcher on attachment developed a

methodology, called Strange Situation. in which an infant is kept in a room with its

mother. Suddenly, the mother leaves the rooms for about 3 minutes, and then the

mother comes back to the room; and Ainsworth observed the reaction of the child.

Together with later researchers identified the following FOUR TYPES OF

ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIPS (see Table 6.2).

Secure

Attachment

The child may or may not cry

when the mother leaves the

room. But when she returns, the

baby wants to be with her and if

the child is crying, it stops.The child knows that the mother

is dependable, which creates a

secure base for the child to then

explore the world.

The child seems to say:

I missed you terribly but

now that youre back, Im

okay.

[about 60-65% chi ldren are

of th is type]

Avoidant

Attachment

The child is not visibly upset

when the mother leaves the

room. When she returns, the

child may ignore her by looking

or turning away.

The child ignores the motherwhen present; little distress on

separation and actively turns

away from the mother upon

reunion


You left me again, I always

have to take care of myself.

[about 20% chil dren are of

thi s type]

Resistant

Attachment

The child is upset when the

mother leaves and remains upset

or even angry when she returns,

and it difficult to console.

The child stays close to themother. Gets very distressed

upon separation and even angry

and resists physical contact upon

reunion with the mother.


Why do you do this? I

need you desperately and

yet you just leave me

without warning.

[about 10-15% chi ldren are

of th is type]


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Disorganised

Attachment

The child seems confused when

the mother leaves the room.

When she returns, the child

seems not to really understand

whats happening.

Confusion about approaching or

avoiding the mother; most

distressed by separation; upon

reunion acts confused and dazed.


Whats going on here? I

want you to be here, but you

left and now youre back. I

dont know whether to

laugh or cry.

[about 5-10% chi ldren are of

thi s type]

What do these types of attachment relationships? In general, these types of

attachment suggest the quality of the relationship a child feels toward a particular

person (parent, grandparent, caregiver, etc.). They represent childrens felt sense of

security and comfort level with the persons responsiveness to their needs. They are

important because children often show different outcomes in their well-being based

on attachment style. Some of the important aspects of a childs growth affected by

attachment quality include the following:

Children who are secure in their attachments more freely explore theirenvironment and are able to learn with confidence, while children who are

insecure are more likely to struggle in being confident and learning about their

surroundings.

Children who are secure tend to be more popular with peers and exhibit morepositive social interaction with other kids, while children who are insecure

seem more at risk for hostile, anti-social or difficult relationships with other

children.

Children who are secure tend to be more emotionally stable and able toexpress and manage their feelings well, while children who are insecure are

more likely to be emotionally unstable and have difficulty in expressing and

managing feelings.

Children who are secure demonstrate greater ability to handle stress and helpothers handle stress, while children who are insecure are more likely to

struggle when stressed, act out in unhealthy ways and be insensitive to others

who are stressed.

The importance of attachment quality can be significant. How do such attachments

develop? Several key factors can affect the quality of a childs attachment.These caninclude the childstemperament(more active and outgoing, etc.), the contextof the

Table 6.2 The four types of attachment relationships


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situation (stranger present, familiar room, etc.), early history (traumatic experience,

etc.) and other things. But the way in which a parent r esponds to and in teracts with a

young chi ld is the key factor in how an attachment develops. A childs attachment

style generally develops based on the childs perception or understanding of the

caregivers reliability in providing comfort, support and security. Behaviours that

promote attachment and provide the opportunity for meaningful interaction include:

Smiling Looking at each other Vocalising to each other Following Clinging Physical touch and hugging Exploring the surroundings

Feeding interactions Crying Playing

6.9 SUPPORTING EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN

Keep the emotional climate of the home calm, warm and predictable. Accept and acknowledge your childs emotions. Read stories to children and talk about the different feelings characters in the

book may be feeling. Talking about emotions helps children to better

understand their feelings.

Help your child to put feelings into words it seems like you are feelingdisappointed at the moment.

Encourage children to talk about situations that make them feel excited,happy, angry or worried.

Praise children for not losing control and staying calm. Help children to separate feelings from behaviour I know you are feeling

angry but it is not OK to hit.

Help children to understand the difference between their own and otherpeoples feelings - I know you are feeling frustrated right now but what you

are doing is making your sister feel sad.

Childrens emotional development is greatly influenced by the quality of therelationship that is developed between themselves and their parents. The way

parents interact with their child has a lot to do with the way the child will

develop emotionally.

Children learn to manage their emotions by watching how other familymember express and manage their emotions. Parents play a critical role in

modeling how to respond to strong feelings. Children need help and practice

in managing their emotions.


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SUMMARY

Emotion is a consciousness feeling such as joy, sorrow, fear, hate or the likethat is experienced by a person.

Complex Emotions are feelings of success (because ones expectations aremet) and feelings of failure (when ones expectations are not met).

School phobia results in children refusing to go school and is equally commonamong boys and girls and is most likely to occur between age 5 to 11

Some children refuse to go to school because they are overly anxious. School refusal is defined as the behaviour of resisting or refusing to attend a

specific class or to stay in school for an entire day

Facial expression is one component of an emotion. Regardless of region or culture, all children the same facial expression of

anger, sadness and happiness.

Newborns experience two general emotions: pleasure and distress.

KEY TERMS

Emotion Joy Rothbarts theory

Basic emotions Recognition of emotion Attachment

Complex emotions Emotional development Bowlbys theoryExpressions of emotions Fear of school Quality of

Pleasure Temperament attachment


a) How would you define attachment?

b) Explain the FOUR phases of attachment growth

development?c) Discuss some of your personal experiences on attachment.


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Studies have shown that babies as early as 4 months and definitely by 6months are able to distinguish facial expressions associated with different

emotions.

Parents should talk to their child several times about going to school inadvance and it should be done even after school starts.

Temperament is defined as the abilities that children born with that enablesthem to interact with and react to people, places and things.

Attachment is the foundation on which all other close, long-term relationshipswill be built.

REFERENCES:

Ainsworth, M.. (1973). The development of infant-mother attachment. In B.Caldwell and H. Ricciuti (Eds.), Review of Child Development Research (Vol.

3). Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press.

Blagg, N. R. (1990), The Behavioural Treatment of School Phobia,Intervention with Children. Gupta R.M. & Coxhead P. (eds). Routledge,

London.

Bowlby, J. (1973).Attachment and loss. Vol 2: Separation: Anxiety and anger.New York: Basic Books.

Bowlby, J. (1973).Attachment and loss. Vol 3: Loss: Sadness and depression.New York: Basic Books.

Brotherson, S. (2005). Understanding attachment in young children. FamilyScience Specialist. NDSU Extension Service.

Fox, N., Kimmerly, N. & Shafer, W. (1991). Attachment to mother/attachmentto father: A meta-analysis. Child Development. 62. 210-225.

Kail, R. (2008). Child growth and development. Singapore: PearsonInternational.

Keogh, B. (2011). Temperament in the classroom: Helping each child find agood fit. GreatSchool Inc. San Francisco.

Lewis, M. (2000). The emergence of human emotions. In M. Lewis & J.Haviland-Jones (Eds), Handbook of emotions. 265-280. New York: Guilford.


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Montague, D. & Walker-Andrews, A. (2001). Peekaboo: A new look atinfants perception of emotion expressions. Developmental Psychology. 37.

826-838.

Oliver, K. (2002). Understanding your childs temperament. Family andConsumer Services. Columbus. Ohio.

Perry, B. (2011). Bonding and attachment in maltreated children:Consequences of emotional neglect in childhood. Teacher.Scholastic.com.

Reimer, M. (1996). The development and consequences of shame inadolescence. Development Review. 16. 321-363.

Sharma, V. (1996). Why Some Children Refuse to Go to School. MindPublications.http://www.mindpub.com
http://www.mindpub.com/http://www.mindpub.com/http://www.mindpub.com/http://www.mindpub.com/

chapter 6.emotional

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