Exam 1, question #2
Social interaction with other people is shaped by our society and culture. According to Feldman (2014), psychoanalyst Erik Erikson developed an encompassing theory, termed psychosocial development. Feldman (2014) continues to explain the eight stages of this theory. For the purpose of this paper, strategies for enhancing Erikson’s first stage of human development known as Trust vs. mistrust will be discussed. In order to pursue this topic, a brief background and summary of Erikson’s theory will need to be reflected. Erikson’s theory emerged from a quest to find an alternative psychodynamic view. This theory put emphasis on social interaction with other people. According to Feldman (2014), these interactions will lead …show more content…
mistrust seem to be natural instinct. Typically the primary caregiver to an infant is the mother. The first bond that forms is immediately after an infant is born. In most cases the child is placed in the mothers arms and the mother is encouraged to begin nursing the infant. This skin to skin contact and the immediate response to comfort and soothe the infant is the first step to forming a bond, thus a form of trust is developing. Another seemingly innate response from a mother is responding to the infant’s verbal and nonverbal cues. Other strategies would be nurturing and nourishing on demand, speaking softly to an infant, face to face interactions, taking into account the infant’s mood, thus forming heartfelt and loving methods of communication in a consistent manner. This type of communication is building trust and teaching the infant communication skills, thus producing secure attachment.
Feldman (2014) discusses developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth’s work on infant attachment, expanding Bowlby’s theory. Ainsworth’s work focused on classifications of infant attachment. When a mother hears her infant cry, the usual response is to respond to the infants’ needs quickly. Within the scope of attachment, Ainsworth realized that there needed to be a proper level of reaction to feelings to meet the criteria of a secure attachment pattern. A mother’s over reaction or under reaction to an infant’s need would bring about other forms of attachment patterns that Ainsworth illustrates in her
Social interaction with other people is shaped by our society and culture. According to Feldman (2014), psychoanalyst Erik Erikson developed an encompassing theory, termed psychosocial development. Feldman (2014) continues to explain the eight stages of this theory. For the purpose of this paper, strategies for enhancing Erikson’s first stage of human development known as Trust vs. mistrust will be discussed. In order to pursue this topic, a brief background and summary of Erikson’s theory will need to be reflected. Erikson’s theory emerged from a quest to find an alternative psychodynamic view. This theory put emphasis on social interaction with other people. According to Feldman (2014), these interactions will lead …show more content…
mistrust seem to be natural instinct. Typically the primary caregiver to an infant is the mother. The first bond that forms is immediately after an infant is born. In most cases the child is placed in the mothers arms and the mother is encouraged to begin nursing the infant. This skin to skin contact and the immediate response to comfort and soothe the infant is the first step to forming a bond, thus a form of trust is developing. Another seemingly innate response from a mother is responding to the infant’s verbal and nonverbal cues. Other strategies would be nurturing and nourishing on demand, speaking softly to an infant, face to face interactions, taking into account the infant’s mood, thus forming heartfelt and loving methods of communication in a consistent manner. This type of communication is building trust and teaching the infant communication skills, thus producing secure attachment.
Feldman (2014) discusses developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth’s work on infant attachment, expanding Bowlby’s theory. Ainsworth’s work focused on classifications of infant attachment. When a mother hears her infant cry, the usual response is to respond to the infants’ needs quickly. Within the scope of attachment, Ainsworth realized that there needed to be a proper level of reaction to feelings to meet the criteria of a secure attachment pattern. A mother’s over reaction or under reaction to an infant’s need would bring about other forms of attachment patterns that Ainsworth illustrates in her