Emotional Security of People

Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 9 (2015 8) 1816-1833 ~ ~ ~ УДК 159.923.2 Emotional Security of People Olga Yu. Zotova* Liberal Arts University – University for Humanities 24а Surikova Str., Of. 215, Ekaterinburg, 620144, Russia Received 24.02.2015, received in revised form 09.05.2015, accepted 11.08.2015 The article analyzes psychological concepts, unfolds the essence, conditions and structure of emotional security. It shows a role of emotional security in ontogeny. The author discusses a connection between emotional security and attachment. The article also presents results of the study, the purpose of which was to study the relation of emotional security/insecurity and dependence/independence and such psychological characteristics as pessimism/optimism, indifference/sympathy; dependence- autonomy; anxiety/calmness and aggression/tolerance. Depending on the state of security/insecurity and dependence/independence the four groups of subjects were identified with the following features: secure-independent – optimism and tolerance; secure-dependent – optimism and anxiety; insecure- dependent – tolerance and anxiety and insecure-independent – autonomy and calmness. It is proved that the presence of a sense of security indicates the person’s possession of internal resources to confront new threats and dangerous situations. The sense of security affects the interpretation of the future and the attitude to life. Keywords: emotional security, attachment, sense of security, dependency, personality. DOI: 10.17516/1997-1370-2015-8-9-1816-1833. Research area: philosophy. Introduction the form of immediate experiences of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with actual human needs. Security is mostly superstition. A basic human need is a need for security – Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run an anthropological constant of human existence. than outright exposure. It comes with the emergence of a person himself Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. and accompanies him throughout his life. That is (Helen Adams Keller) why a person needs to feel his connection with the outside world, other people, his belonging Any human activity is accompanied by to certain social groups and public institutions. emotions that are based on sensory reflection of A person starts to feel security only when it the need significance of external influences, their penetrates into the sphere of his emotional benefit or harm to the security of a personality. relationships, when it is refracted and fixed in it. Emotions generate different experiences that play Therefore, consideration of the problem of the the role of internal signals and are expressed in emotional side of the phenomenon of security © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] – 1816 – Olga Yu. Zotova. Emotional Security of People is an important original feature of the theory emotional security hypothesis” and published in that determines the requirements for it and Psychological Bulletin. The authors showed that expectations. the basis of feelings of uncertainty is a negative One of the first scientists, whose name was relationship between a parent and a baby. Also, mentioned in connection with emotional security, the reason for the uncertainty may make family was a Canadian psychologist Dr. William E. Blatz conflicts that contribute to the fact that children who believed that all behaviour of an individual think that their security is threatened. When in all areas of his life can be interpreted in people feel that security is lost, they mobilize terms of security. In his theory, a goal of every their resources to restore the state of emotional person, regardless of age, status and income security. Thus, the emotional security can be level, is to achieve a sense of security. People are interpreted as a person’s confidence in possession constantly striving to achieve a state of security of internal resources to confront the new threats by controlling a dynamic and constant flow of and dangerous situations (Davies & Cummings, choices throughout his life. 1994). W. Blatz defined security as a sense because The processes of internalization and a person who feels secure perceives himself as externalization affect the emotional security free from danger, and security is defined as a (Davies & Cummings, 1998; Davies et al., subjective feeling. According to Blatz, security 2002; Davies & Forman, 2002). John Phelps involves two components: and his colleagues found that adults who have • experience of adequacy in a particular not experienced a state of emotional security situation where a person feels that he is emotionally deprive their children (Phelps & able to cope with the situation, et al., 1998). Michelle Little and Roger Kobak • a sense of adequacy to meet the future studied the effects of emotional security on self- consequences, which finds itself in the esteem of children and found that children who ability to anticipate and predict (Blatz, experience emotional security conflict with 1966). teachers and peers at school less. Insecurity also Thus, security determines the experience affects the degree of self-respect of a person of the present and the future in many ways. W. (Little & Kobak, 2003) and social competence Blatz equated security to a sense of confidence (Helson & Wink, 1987). and effectiveness, despite the fact that a sense of Daniel Goleman, in his book “Emotional effectiveness largely depends on circumstances Intelligence”, states that one of the important and people around us. factors contributing to the high level of IQ In 1939, Professor Edward A. Bott wrote is emotional security (Goleman, 1995). M. that the word “secure” comes from the Latin Patterson and his colleagues also observed a word securum, that is “without care”, “without connection of emotional security and emotional anxiety”, “without fear”, “free from uncertainty” intelligence. When a threat is real, “insecure (Salter-Ainsworth, 2010). people” tend to choose negative, inappropriate Over the next fifty years, emotional security responses (avoiding danger or taking things has been excluded from the focus of attention of to heart), and “secure people” tend to choose scientists up until 1994 when this concept appeared a positive, adaptive way of solving problems in the article by P. Davies and E.M. Cummings (Paterson & et al., 2002). If people feel secure, titled “Marital conflicts and child adjustment: an they can see the same situation as an opportunity – 1817 – Olga Yu. Zotova. Emotional Security of People for a positive experience. They are able to be Immediately after birth, the child falls into motivated not only by a short-term goal, but a state of “quiet readiness” that lasts about forty also by a desire to transform a situation or an minutes, when the baby is looking straight into the event into a long-term positive experience. In eyes and face of his/her mother and can respond this case, they will be able to resolve the current to voices (Emde & et al., 1975). This particular problems, rather than avoid them. Security period is the most favourable period for the conditions involve a willingness to accept the emotional bonding of mother and child: physical consequences of your own behaviour and the activity is suppressed, and all the energy of a child ability to rely on someone else. seems to be focused on the vision, hearing and Emotional security is represented by three emotional responses (Klaus & et al., 1995). This components: period is a sensitive period for the establishment 1. emotional reactivity, which means that of emotional security between mother and child. in the presence of potentially dangerous This very short period determines the child’s situations a person experiences fear attachment to his/her mother for the first 6 months or stress and responds with increased of life. alertness or latent hostility. Shortening of the sensitive period 2. behavioral regulation, which is a person’s immediately after birth, early separation of ability to regulate his/her interaction with mother and child seriously reduces the state of the environment, which manifests itself emotional security and attachment. in minimizing threats and potentially In 1982, J. Trowell compared mothers who dangerous situations. gave birth by Caesarean section with women 3. internal representations that depend on who gave birth by themselves, naturally. the conscious or unconscious schemes Mothers who gave birth by Caesarean section existing in humans towards the potential took drugs before, during and after delivery, danger. they were unconscious during delivery, and The formation of the state of security occurs they needed time to recover from the surgery. In from the moment of birth. After the dramatic the first month of the child’s life, mothers who separation, leaving the body of a mother, a child gave birth by Caesarean section, had the “eye- requires a reunion with his/her mother through to-eye” contact with the child much less, were touching, sucking her breasts. L. Richard and his more depressed, more resentful at the father colleagues noted that each (mammalian) newborn and more concerned about somatic symptoms. baby has an instinctive and an innate ability to A year after the birth of the child, in response find the mother’s breast, attach to it and suck it. to questions: “When do you think your child A newborn, if placed on a mother’s bare stomach has become an individual?” and “When do immediately after birth, begins to move on his/ you think your child has recognized you as a her own initiative to breasts for about twenty mother?” women who gave birth by themselves minutes after the birth and ends this way within answered that they saw their children as an fifty minutes. The realized need for emotional individual at birth or soon after. Mothers who security at birth will have a lasting positive gave birth by Caesarean section said that their effect on neurological, somatic and psychological children became individuals and were able development of the child (Righard & Alade, 1990; to recognize them after several hours or days Righard & Franz, 1995).

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