Contemporary debate

• What is the contemporary debate of the psychodynamic approach?

  Mother as the primary caregiver of an infant
• What are the topics of the contemporary debate?


  Influence on future relationships.

  Feeding.

  Hormones / sex role stereotypes.
• Influence on future relationships - mother should be the primary caregiver

  Monotropy.

  The connection between infant & mother is vital in creating the internal model for the template of future relationships.

  Bailey et al (2007) - found mothers who reported poor attachment to their own parents were more likely to have children with poor attachment to them.

  Implications - stigma surrounding working mothers.
• Influence on future relationships - mothers should not be the primary caregiver

  Not all research supports the internal working model & influence of mother as primary caregiver is unclear.

  Zimmerman (2000) - found little correlation between attachment made in infancy & relationships made in adulthood.

  Implications - increase confidence if fathers in their ability to be caregiver.
• Feeding - mother should be the primary caregiver 


  Mothers biologically designed to care for their child.

  Breast milk is arguably the best food for the child’s first 6 months of life.

  It’s free, always available, tailor made for your baby.

  Feeding only breast milk up to 6 months of age protects baby against illness & infections.

  Implications - save money.
• Feeding - mother should not be the primary caregiver 


  Infants do not only form attachments to a female caregiver, one that produces milk or just one caregiver.

  Harlow’s monkey experiments - provided monkeys with a ‘fluffy surrogate’ in replacement of their mother. Surrogate offered food & comfort.

  Concluded that the role of primary caregiver is not limited to satisfying the infants primary drives.

  Implications- others such as grandparents or father can take on this role, giving mothers more freedom such as to return to work.
• Hormones / sex role stereotypes - mother should be primary caregiver 


  Lamb (1987) - found children preferred interacting with fathers in a positive emotional state & therefore seeking stimulation and play. Mothers are preferred when distressed & seeking comfort.

  Hardy (1999) - fathers are less able to detect low level distress in infants than mothers.

  Implications - cause fathers to lose confidence in their ability to care for their child.
• Hormones / sex role stereotypes - mothers should not be the primary caregiver


  Study found that fathers brains are highly malleable & adapt to the level of responsibility they carry for the care of infants.

  It was found that the more time they spent with their child, the stronger the synchrony between the different brain areas involved in parental care.

  Results also indicate by spending time taking care of their children, fathers can foster the bonds mothers traditionally have.

  Implications - shows that single fathers / same-sex couples can be the primary caregivers.