-
1. Ask the Experts: What Makes a Good Parent?
- NYU Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
[1] Ask the Experts What Makes a Good Parent? evelopmental psychology studies the processes involved in children’s development, encompassing many areas, including cognitive development, language acquisition, sensation and perception, social relations, self-concept, moral development , and childhood psychopathology. Developmental psychology also examines family dynamics and their associations with different child outcomes. There are different theoretical approaches within developmental psychology, which have varied assumptions about human nature and diverse areas of focus. We limit our focus to the question “What makes a good parent?,” concentrating on the areas of social development and family dynamics. Attachment Theory Attachment theory concerns itself with the effect of early parent -child relationships on later personality and social relations. 11 D There is a large body of research that supports the notion that the quality of children’s early attachment to their parents is related to their subsequent emotional and social development (Bowlby, 1969, 1973; Main, Kaplan, & Cassidy, 1985). All infants become attached to their caregivers; what differs is the quality of that attachment. Securely attached babies are those whose caregivers have been responsive in a positive, warm fashion. Within infancy, which includes the first two years of life, being responsive has been defined as being sensitive to the infant’s needs, being available for interaction, accepting the infant’s attempts to interact, and being part of the infant’s activities and routines. Parents who are consistently sensitive, available, accepting, and cooperative throughout their child’s first year of life tend to produce a child who has a feeling of security about the parent . This secure attachment means that the child has a sense of confidence that the parent will be there to share exciting things or will be available in times of unhappiness or distress. This confidence is formed through the many months of predictable and consistent interactions the infant has with the person or people who have consistently cared for him. It allows the child to go out and explore the world around him, to try new things, and to take risks, always knowing that, if he finds something new or needs help, his parent will be there. Babies who are insecurely attached have caregivers who are less in tune with their signals, and respond awkwardly, insensitively , or intrusively (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Belsky, Rovine, & Taylor, 1984). These babies are not as adept at independently exploring their environment because they are less sure that they can count on their parents to Ask the Experts / 12 [44.200.74.73] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 03:22 GMT) provide help if they need it. Insecurely attached infants are less likely to go to their parents for comfort and less likely to be soothed if they do go to them. According to attachment theory, children and adults form internal working models based on their attachment experiences . These models represent themselves, caregivers, and relationships , and are used to predict and interpret other people ’s behavior (Bretherton, 1990). In other words, people with a history of secure attachment think of themselves as lovable and expect that their relationships with others will be fulfilling . Those with a history of insecure attachments think they are not worthy of love, expect inconsistent or insensitive treatment from others, and do not expect relationships to be fulfilling. A number of research findings have been consistent with this view. In a follow-up study of children at age four who had first been studied as infants, those children who had been securely attached were more socially competent and more popular and had higher self-esteem than were children who had been classified as insecurely attached (Elicker, Englund , & Sroufe, 1992). At age eleven, children who had been securely attached as infants had better peer relationships and were seen by adults as being more socially adept (Shulman, Elicker, & Sroufe, 1994). To a psychologist who works with attachment issues, a good parent is one who is sensitive, warm, and responsive to his or her child. This type of parental behavior allows the child to grow up with a feeling of security about himself and his place in the world. On the basis of the first relationship the child has—with his parents—he develops an idea that other close relationships in his life will be just as rewarding. Ask the Experts / 13 Parenting Styles Developmental psychologists have examined different types of parenting styles to see which is most effective. When psychologists refer to parenting styles, they are talking about the ways in which parents socialize their...