L10 Emotional Development

• Romanian orphans: children who had been in institutions for over 6 months had long term consequences e.g. autism spectrum disorder, disinhibited social engagement, cognitive impairment, inattention and over activity, as well as emotional problems and conduct problems. They also have difficulty forming romantic relationships.
• Bowlby’s Theory of attachment

  • Primary drive
  • Stage 1 = pre-attachment
  • Stage 2 = attachment formation (stranger anxiety)
  • Stage 3 = clear-cut attachment (separation anxiety)
  • Stage 4 = decline in attachment
• Delayed gratification:

  • Marshmallow test: children told to wait to eat the marshmallow until the parents come back.
  • Children who could delay gratification at 4 years old had better academic performance, fewer behavioural problems and better social skills at 15 years old.
  • Criticism: may be due to social factors e.g. more trusting environment encourages delayed gratification.