Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 10 Social-Emotional Development in the First Year 281 other caregivers (turnover of staff in child care). Poor attachment can cause social and emotional problems throughout life. Some infants have attachment problems. The main causes of attachment problems are: loss of the primary caregiver, inconsistent or angry care by the primary caregiver, abuse, and changes in Most, but not all, of the child development theorists primarily focused their research on the child’s development with little emphasis on family life. For about the last 75 years, other researchers have directly focused on the effects of early significant social interactions of infants and children under three years of age. Attachment studies, as they are known, began with a focus on the mother-child relationship, but now encompass bonding, infant care, stranger fear, separation anxiety, and the effects of the relationship between the baby and all caregivers. Four major theorists have shaped current knowledge of attachment. John Bowlby, the father of attachment theory, found WWII in Great Britain had ruptured many family bonds. Specifically, Bowlby found the lack of maternal care, distortions of maternal care (neglect and abuse), and discontinuity in maternal care (maternal separations and multiple mothering figures) all resulted in lifelong mental health problems. Bowlby advocated early intervention for the country’s youngest citizens and worked to change government policies for families. Mary Ainsworth, born in the U.S., served as Bowlby’s research assistant for three years. Her life- long, cross-cultural studies led her to develop listings of baby indicators of attachment, such as an infant crying when the mother leaves the room, showing excitement when the mother returns, and staying close to the mother if a stranger is nearby. As a fastidious researcher, she came up with the well- known method of testing infant attachment called the Strange Situation. From these experiments, she developed lists of variables for secure and insecure attachments, which will be explained later in the text. Attachment Theorists Research Activity John Kennell and Marshall Klaus had a 40-year research collaboration. Their studies led to understandings about parent-newborn bonding. From their studies, they called for changes in the inflexible hospital practices that isolated babies from their parents. Their works led to the hospital birthing room, use of the doula during childbirth, parental holding in the NICU, and hospital classes on baby care. They also researched family problems (grief, depression, marital problems) that prevented optimal bonding. T. Berry Brazelton focused on assuring parents about attachment. He promoted the idea of attachment as a gradual process. His Touchpoints helped prepare parents for the infant’s developmental changes. He believed in a close partnership between parents and child care providers and researched the infant’s ability to form multiple attachments. Through his writings and mass media appearances, he provided know-how and encouragement to all families—single parents, working families, adoptive parents, and parents with ill newborns—to bond with their babies as a foundation for children’s mental health. In small groups, choose one of the theorists described above. Then, using online or print resources, find a reliable article describing the theorist’s life and work. Read the article individually and then discuss as a group what facts were especially interesting to you. Present the highlights of your dis- cussion to the class.