DOCSLIB.ORG

Understanding Attachment Theory, Emotional Availability and Application in Early Childhood Settings

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Understanding Attachment Theory, Emotional Availability and Application in Early Childhood Settings Understanding Attachment Theory, Emotional Availability and Application in Early Childhood Settings A practical resource for staff working in early childhood education and development programs based on research and findings of 15 years of action research work undertaken at Gowrie SA Child Centre within the Children’s Programs and in the “Through the Looking Glass” project. Author: Yasmin Harman-Smith PhD, University of Adelaide Published by Lady Gowrie Child Centre (SA) Author: Yasmin Harman-Smith PhD, University of Adelaide These resources report on 15 years of action research work undertaken at the Lady Gowrie Child Centre (SA) within the children’s programs and as part of the “Through the Looking Glass” project. In writing these resources we have referred to formal evaluations of the Through the Looking Glass (TTLG) project, professional learning materials developed by Gowrie SA and from interviews conducted with staff from multi- disciplinary teams participating in the TTLG project across a number of sites and early childhood educators in child care centres across Adelaide. Facilitated professional learning sessions to support implementation of this material is available. For more information contact Gowrie SA Professional Learning Program: Email [email protected] Phone 08 8234 5219 Published by Gowrie SA. The writing of these resources has been made possible through funding from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). © Copyright Gowrie SA, 2011 Understanding Attachment Theory, Emotional Availability and Application in Early Childhood Settings 3 Attachment and what it means for early childhood educators This resource will discuss attachment, as described by Attachment Theory, and its importance in early childhood. The resource will focus on the formation of relationships between people; specifically, between children and the adults who care for and educate them. The resource also discusses the ways educators can integrate aspects of attachment theory and use self reflection to enhance their relationships with children in their care, in order to help children feel emotionally secure, provide optimal developmental opportunities for children, and cultivate a harmonious working environment. The Importance of Attachment Attachment: Relationships and Relating Attachment, first described by Bowlby (1977a, 1977b, Patterns of attachment can have positive or negative 1986, 1988b), is a term that describes the bond that is effects on our daily interactions with others. Reflecting formed between people as a result of their interactions. upon our relationships, we can all identify those we In a way, attachments might be thought of as the glue enjoy and others that we might find challenging or that holds people together in social units. Social units unpleasant. Fortunately, relationships can change. can range from the closest family units (e.g. bonds connecting parents and their children) to broader The method for changing relationships is through organisational units (e.g. bonds connecting co-workers). changing interactions. The link between social experiences and attachments is bi-directional. That is, Child-adult relationships differ from adult-adult attachments and interactions each affect the other. relationships in the reciprocity of adult relationships. Each interaction is effected by the bond that people These bonds influence the way people feel about already share and in turn the interaction has an effect others, the sorts of ways in which they behave around on the attachment. Thus, changing interactions is the others and the way in which they think about others. way in which relationships can be changed. Simply put, attachments shape the way in which people behave within relationships. For that reason, For that reason, attachments are fluid and constantly attachment might be argued to form the basis of the changing rather than fixed and inflexible. Good social world, a social world that begins in infancy. relationships can sour, just as poor relationships can improve. Educators who are positive, consistent, Although attachment was first described by Bowlby and responsive in their interactions with children in relation to child-mother interactions, later research provide a basis for the development of stable secure has found that it plays a key role in early childhood attachments. education settings. In fact, recent large-scale research has found that between educational staff and children Although each person experiences numerous the types of interactions that form healthy attachments attachments throughout life, arguably the first are also vital to children’s later educational outcomes attachments between an infant and his/her caregiver (Melhuish, Phan, et al., 2008; Melhuish, Sylva, et al., are the most influential in that they have the ability 2008; Shriver, 2006). to shape the child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. It is these early attachments that Bowlby For this reason according to Cooper, Hoffman and first discussed and on which much research focuses. Powell (2009) “all children want to feel safe and secure”, therefore it is important for early childhood Early attachments affect not only the way children educators to understand the basis of attachment and relate to their parents or caregiver, but it also affects be able to assess their own interactions with children in how children feel about themselves and how freely their care to provide the best possible environment for they are able to learn about the world. children. © Gowrie South Australia, 2011 Understanding Attachment Theory, Emotional Availability and Application in Early Childhood Settings 4 Following is a more detailed look at each of these anything they can think of, all the while feeling tense domains: and distressed. • Building relationships; The educator thinks that the problem is the baby’s • Developing a sense of self; and temperament because nothing else seems to be wrong. In other words, the educator thinks that the cause of • Cognitive development. the problem is something about the child. Resulting relationship: Interactions Build Relationships Over time, the educator might come to view the child as a ‘difficult’ baby. This can lead to the educator The fluid nature of attachments means that each blaming the child’s early temperament for a later poor person bears some responsibility for the quality of his/ relationship with the child. By viewing the problem as her relationships with others. Through people’s actions something about the child, it is difficult to affect any and reactions they are able to change the nature of change. The child will continue crying and the educator their relationships with others. When working in a will continue feeling out of control and distressed. relationship we find challenging it is important to remember that: Alternative way of interacting: • the relationship influences our behaviour Despite the fact that this is a difficult situation, it is neither the child nor the educator’s fault. Some babies • behaviour can affect the relationship cry more than others, despite there being no medical problem or other apparent reason. It may be that these • the relationship can improve babies are finding it harder to adjust to being in an • we are able to influence the relationship early childhood setting. As educators working with young children, who Another way of viewing the problem is as one of are less capable of managing their own behaviour relating. That is, thinking of the situation as a problem than an adult, the responsibility for the quality of in relating or as something about the situation. that relationship falls to the adult. While the child’s If, instead, the educator were to consider how the temperament, behaviour and style of relating can crying impacts them, what they think and how they certainly challenge our expectations, relationship, and feel, the educator can influence how they react to the the way the educator might feel toward the child, it is child and, in turn, build a more positive relationship the educator who shapes the relationships with the and view of the child. If each time the child cries, the children in his/her care. Educators of young children educator were to stop and think about how the child’s will have the best possible impact on children in their cry is making them feel, they would then be able to care if they are able to keep in mind that, although it begin to change the way in which they react to the is not easy, it is always possible for educators working situation. The educator might think to themself (or with children who exhibit difficult behaviours to even say out loud): improve a challenging relationship. The following example is intended to illustrate the way “I feel like I have no control over the situation and I in which relationships can form. The example presents am feeling increasingly agitated/angry/distressed. a situation along with possible resulting relationships There doesn’t seem to be any obvious reason that the that might develop as a result of differing approaches baby is upset (isn’t cold, wet, hungry, etc). The baby is to interaction. feeling something I cannot fix, but she still needs me The situation: to be there for her during this difficult time. The cry is A baby who is difficult to settle and cries much of the horrible to listen to but the baby has no other way of time. expressing how she is feeling. While my best efforts The interaction: (cuddling, rocking, singing, etc) may not make the The educator feels stress and agitation whenever the crying stop right away, it will teach her that I am here baby cries. Often, the educator tries, in vain, to soothe for her in her time of need (even when it is hard for the child by rocking, feeding, doing everything and me)”. © Gowrie South Australia, 2011 Understanding Attachment Theory, Emotional Availability and Application in Early Childhood Settings 5 Accepting that this is a difficult emotion for the educator to manage and taking time to calm themself before attempting to calm the child will help the educator get through those challenging interactions feeling much better about themself and about the child.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Attachment in the Classroom
    Educ Psychol Rev (2009) 21:141–170 DOI 10.1007/s10648-009-9104-0 REVIEW ARTICLE Attachment in the Classroom Christi Bergin & David Bergin Published online: 21 May 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Attachment influences students’ school success. This is true of students’ attachment to their parents, as well as to their teachers. Secure attachment is associated with higher grades and standardized test scores compared to insecure attachment. Secure attachment is also associated with greater emotional regulation, social competence, and willingness to take on challenges, and with lower levels of ADHD and delinquency, each of which in turn is associated with higher achievement. These effects tend to be stronger for high-risk students. In this era of accountability, enhancing teacher–student relationships is not merely an add-on, but rather is fundamental to raising achievement. Understanding the role of attachment in the classroom will help educators be more effective, particularly with challenging students. Twelve suggestions to improve teacher–student relationships and school bonding are provided. Keywords Attachment . Achievement . School bonding . Teacher–student relationship Children’s socioemotional well-being is critical to school success, and attachment is the foundation of socioemotional well-being. Because of this, educators—from preschool to high school—can be more effective if they understand how attachment influences their students. Attachment influences school success through two routes: indirectly through attachment to parents, and directly through attachment to teachers and schools. In this article, we briefly review basic attachment concepts for readers who are not familiar with attachment research. We then show how attachment to parents is linked to school success, and we summarize the limited research on attachment-like relationships with teachers.
    [Show full text]
  • The Benefits of Child-Centered Play Therapy and Filial Therapy for Pre-School-Aged Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder and Their Famiies
    Smith ScholarWorks Theses, Dissertations, and Projects 2014 The benefits of child-centered play therapy and filial therapy for pre-school-aged children with reactive attachment disorder and their famiies Andrea S. White Smith College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation White, Andrea S., "The benefits of child-centered play therapy and filial therapy for pre-school-aged children with reactive attachment disorder and their famiies" (2014). Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/846 This Masters Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Projects by an authorized administrator of Smith ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Andrea White The Benefits of Child-Centered Play Therapy and Filial Therapy for Preschool-Aged Children with Reactive Attachment Disorder and Their Families ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate, from a theoretical perspective, the best treatment approach for preschool-aged children with Reactive Attachment Disorder. The challenges and needs of these children can be extensive, and the search for effective treatment is ongoing. Two specific questions of focus were: How are the theories behind Non-Directive Play Therapy/Child-Centered Play Therapy and Filial Therapy useful in conceptualizing the experience of therapy for a child with attachment disorder? And, how could these treatments be used to benefit children with attachment disorders and their families? The research for this paper involved a literature review of peer-reviewed articles on Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and treatment, original sources describing Attachment Theory, Non-Directive Play Therapy and Filial Therapy, and the DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10.
    [Show full text]
  • Major Principles of Attachment Theory Overview, Hypotheses, and Research Ideas
    CHAPTER 12 Major Principles of Attachment Theory Overview, Hypotheses, and Research Ideas Jeffry A. Simpson W. Steven Rholes Jami Eller Ramona L. Paetzold uring the past five decades, few theories in plains modal (species-typical) attachment pro- Dpsychology have generated as much inter- cesses and patterns of behavior in humans, and est, research, and debate as attachment theory (2) an individual-difference component, which (Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1973, 1980, 1988) and its explains individual deviations from modal recent extensions (see Cassidy & Shaver, 2016). processes and behavioral patterns. Most of the Attachment theory is an extensive, inclusive major principles and hypotheses we discuss in theory of personality and social development this chapter are normative ones, but we also “from the cradle to the grave” (Bowlby, 1979, highlight principles associated with well-estab- p. 129). Being a lifespan theory, it is relevant to lished individual differences in attachment pat- several areas in psychology, including develop- terns (in children) and attachment orientations mental, personality, social, cognitive, neurosci- (in adults), including how they are related to a ence, and clinical. host of personal and relational processes and Because attachment theory covers the entire outcomes. life course, it has several fundamental prin- We began our work on this chapter by sur- ciples and core hypotheses, most of which ad- veying the theoretical and empirical literature dress how and why people think, feel, and be- on attachment processes across the lifespan and have in particular ways within relationships at generated an initial list of potential principles different points of their lives. Given the focus and hypotheses.
    [Show full text]
  • Attachment Theory and Research: Overview with Suggested Applications to Child Custody
    INVITED MONOGRAPH ATTACHMENT THEORY AND RESEARCH: OVERVIEW WITH SUGGESTED APPLICATIONS TO CHILD CUSTODY Mary Main, Erik Hesse, and Siegfried Hesse* The term “attachment” is now in common usage and, as the readers of this Special Issue are aware, is referenced in a rapidly increasing variety of contexts involving child custody (McIntosh & Chisholm, 2008). The aim of this article is to provide judges, lawyers, mediators and mental health professionals involved in custody assessment with an overview of the history of the field of attachment and its principal measures, together with a clear description of what the term “attachment” does—and does not—mean to attachment researchers and theoreticians. Implications for normative separations that do not involve custody- related assessment or the intervention of courts or mediators are also considered. With respect to contested custody cases, we consider the use of standardized attachment measures, and note that sufficient validation for most such measures in clinical contexts is still developing. We describe three measures taken from the research literature (the Strange Situation procedure, the Attachment Q-sort and theAdultAttachment Interview), each subjected to meta-analyses and widely regarded as “gold standard” methods in research.These three methods come closest at this point in time to meeting criteria for providing “scientific evidence” regarding an individual’s current attachment status. Limitations on widespread use include the need for substantiating meta-analyses on father-child relationships, and further validation across a wider spread of children’s ages. We are confident that these restrictions can be solved by new research. In the interim, we argue that increased familiarity with the above measures will assist custody evaluators both in standardizing their assessment procedures and their capacity to gain more from the observational data available to them.
    [Show full text]
  • Toward a Deeper Understanding of Adoption Family Structure: Concepts Borrowed from Social Justice, Attachment Theory, and Relational Dialectics Thomas C
    Article 77 Toward a Deeper Understanding of Adoption Family Structure: Concepts Borrowed From Social Justice, Attachment Theory, and Relational Dialectics Thomas C. Harrison and Terianne F. Harrison Harrison, Thomas C., is a professor of Counseling and Educational Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is the former Associate Dean of the College of Education and Director of the Downing Counseling Clinic. Dr. Harrison’s current research efforts are focused on social justice and dialectical thought. Harrison, Terianne F., is a doctoral student in Counseling and Educational Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. She has a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Nevada, Reno and is in private practice. Her dissertation and clinical practice focus on adoption and adoptee identity development. Abstract Adoption and adoption family issues are not a regular part of most counselor preparation programs and, as such, mental health professionals do not have adequate training in adoption and adoption issues. The studies on adoption often reflect a lack of birth family participants and are focused instead on the adoptee and the adopted family. This paper provides a conceptualization of the adoption family system that integrates four perspectives: social justice, attachment theory—specifically object relations, the adoption triad (i.e., adoptee, all members of the adopted family, and all members of the birth family), and relational dialectics. These four dimensions comprise a fundamental conceptualization that mental health practitioners can use to help design treatments for adoptees and their families. Keywords: adoption, adoption triad, attachment theory and adoption, relational dialectics According to the United States Census Bureau (2010), between 2–4% of the American population is adopted, and this is an underestimation because only the adopted children in the home were counted.
    [Show full text]
  • Supporting Healthy Relationships Between Young Children
    Supporting Healthy Relationships Between Young Children and Their Parents Bridging the gap between research and public policy to improve the lives of children and families Lessons from Attachment Theory and Research Spring 2007 Karen Appleyard, Ph.D., MSW Lisa J. Berlin, Ph.D. ABOUT THE AUTHORS t a child care center, 18-month-old Karen Appleyard, Ph.D., MSW, is a research scientist at the Center for Child Hannah is clinging to her mother and Family Policy at Duke University and and crying as they enter. Her mother postdoctoral fellow at the University of A pulls Hannah’s hands from her arm, saying, North Carolina’s Center for Developmental “Don’t be such a crybaby and go play.” In Science. Her research and clinical interests are in the correlates and consequences of a pediatrician’s waiting room, two-year- parenting, developmental processes under- old Carlos climbs dangerously high on the lying adaptation to adversity, and furniture. He throws a toy at his mother empirically-based interventions relating to trauma and attachment. when she calls his name. His mother laughs nervously and says quietly, “I don’t know Contact: [email protected] what to do with him.” In a family’s kitchen, Lisa Berlin, Ph.D., is a research scientist at one-year-old Keisha yanks on a locked kitchen the Center for Child and Family Policy at cabinet while her father is cooking. Her father kneels next to Keisha and Duke University. Her work focuses on early says, “Oh - I see you are trying to get into this cabinet, but these glass child development, child poverty, child pans are for me.
    [Show full text]
  • Bowlby & Attachment Theory
    Chapter 9 The Legacy of John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory Jools Page Introduction This chapter discusses the contribution of John Bowlby’s more than 50 years of thinking about attachments, separation, relationships and emotional stability. After a brief biography, the chapter considers his well-known, and sometimes controversial, ‘Attachment theory’ alongside the work of his collaborators at the time, including James Robertson and Mary Ainsworth. A key focus is attachment theory in relation to children in their home and early years environments, and how understanding this theory is important for early years practitioners to appreciate the lived experiences of children in out of home contexts. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the place of love and loving relationships in contemporary professional practice and the implications of ‘Modern Attachment Theory’ for early years and childcare practitioners working globally. John Bowlby [1907-1990]: A brief biography Bowlby (1907–1990) was the son of Sir Anthony Bowlby, a London surgeon. After serving briefly as a naval cadet, he read natural sciences and psychology at the University of Cambridge. Bowlby worked for a time in a school for boys with psychiatric problems, then trained as a doctor and child psychiatrist, working during the Second World War World as a psychiatrist for the War Office Selection Board. After the war, Bowlby was Deputy Director of the Tavistock Clinic in London, a world-renowned centre for child psychiatry and psychotherapy (For further detail see King & Rayner 1993). It was soon after he graduated from Cambridge in 1928 that Bowlby began to study separation and anxiety, building on observations of two young boys in a remedial home where he was working (Bretherton 1992; and Cassidy, 2008).
    [Show full text]
  • Parenting, Attachment Theory, and God
    Digital Collections @ Dordt Faculty Work Comprehensive List 5-24-2018 Parenting, Attachment Theory, and God Erin Olson Dordt College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/faculty_work Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons Recommended Citation Olson, E. (2018). Parenting, Attachment Theory, and God. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/faculty_work/916 This Blog Post is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Collections @ Dordt. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Work Comprehensive List by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Dordt. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Parenting, Attachment Theory, and God Abstract "Have you ever stopped to consider how experiences in your childhood may have impacted your perceptions of God?" Posting about the importance of the parent-child relationship from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation. https://inallthings.org/parenting-attachment-theory-and-god/ Keywords In All Things, parenting, attachment behavior, avoidant personality, God Disciplines Christianity | Family, Life Course, and Society Comments In All Things is a publication of the Andreas Center for Reformed Scholarship and Service at Dordt College. This blog post is available at Digital Collections @ Dordt: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/faculty_work/916
    [Show full text]
  • B. F. Skinner: a Fresh Appraisal Discussion Topics with Murray Sidman, Ph.D
    Davidson Films B. F. Skinner: A Fresh Appraisal Discussion Topics with Murray Sidman, Ph.D. 1. Skinner’s first statement in this video, “Nature to be commanded must be obeyed,” was a favorite quote from Francis Bacon. Skinner first explored Bacon’s work as the result of a favorite high school English teacher suggesting that perhaps Bacon wrote the Shakespeare plays. Throughout his life, one of Skinner’s most appealing personality characteristics was his great curiosity. He explored nature, literature, music, and art. Reading through Verbal Behavior gives one a sense of the range of his interests. 2. Skinner’s work raised much controversy. It would be useful for current students to hear of your experience as a student in learning about Skinner and whether you were introduced to his work by his supporters or his opponents. What in his work attracted or repelled you? 3. Compare the reactions of the public to his work and to Freud’s. Both reached out to the general public in ways that other psychologists did not. Freud tended to answer critics directly, whereas Skinner did not, some say at his own expense. (Noam Chomsky’s scathing review of Verbal Behavior was never answered.) Why do you think his work was so revered and reviled? 4. Piaget wrote a book published in 1976 entitled Behavior and Evolution. He too believed that his work extended that of Darwin. Skinner and Piaget rather studiously avoided each other’s work, though they do have many parallels. Discuss the basic similarities and differences. 5. Skinner has been often been criticized for jumping from his animal lab work (his graduate school research was with rats; subsequently, he ran pigeon labs) to human concerns.
    [Show full text]
  • Therapy Methods
    Therapy Methods My approach when working with children and families is dependent on assessment data, presenting issues, best practice standards (i.e., modalities informed by research), and the training I have received. Below are the methods of treatment you can expect from me. Parent Education, Support & Training When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out. ~Erma Bombeck Few, if any, experiences in life are more important to most of us than raising healthy, well-adjusted children. Parenting brings joy and meaning to our lives but can also be challenging and exhausting. This is especially true when par- enting children with special needs or children who are experiencing difficult life circumstances. I generally spend ample time educating parents about their child’s disorder or the circumstances causing their child’s distress. When parents have a thorough understanding of how these factors impact the psychological functioning of their child, they are better able to understand why their child is displaying emotional or behavioral problems. This knowledge empowers parents and better equips them to successfully help their child. I also find value in helping parents reflect on their parenting style, attachment style, and their own families of origin. Forty years of research has linked specific aspects of parenting style to several key outcome areas in child development. For example, traits of high parental warmth, responsiveness and sensitivity balanced with maintaining reasonable expectations of children is linked with children who understand and regulate their emotions well, display healthy self-esteem, and show greater social-emotional competence (e.g., the ability to get along well with others, negotiate social conflicts, manage their emotions).
    [Show full text]
  • How Play Therapists Integrate Knowledge of Attachment Theory Into Clinical Practice: a Grounded Theory
    University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Spring 5-15-2015 How Play Therapists Integrate Knowledge of Attachment Theory Into Clinical Practice: A Grounded Theory Karen Marie Swanson Taheri University of New Orleans, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Part of the Counselor Education Commons Recommended Citation Taheri, Karen Marie Swanson, "How Play Therapists Integrate Knowledge of Attachment Theory Into Clinical Practice: A Grounded Theory" (2015). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2001. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2001 This Dissertation-Restricted is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation-Restricted in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation-Restricted has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. How Play Therapists Integrate Knowledge of Attachment Theory Into Clinical Practice: A Grounded Theory A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education By Karen Swanson Taheri B.J., University of Texas at Austin, 2006 M.A., University of Texas at San Antonio, 2009 March 2015 Copyright, 2015 Karen Taheri ii Acknowledgements To Kevin, thank you for your consistent love, friendship, and support.
    [Show full text]
  • Nature Versus Nurture 1
    Running head: NATURE VERSUS NURTURE 1 Nature versus Nurture: A Study of Adopted and Biological Children and their Behavioral Patterns Courtney Janaye Grenke A Senior Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation in the Honors Program Liberty University Spring 2012 NATURE VERSUS NURTURE 2 Acceptance of Senior Honors Thesis This Senior Honors Thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation from the Honors Program of Liberty University. ______________________________ Cynthia Goodrich, Ed.D, MSN, RN Thesis Chair ______________________________ Mrs. Emilee Harker, RN, MSN Committee Member ______________________________ Daniel Howell, Ph.D. Committee Member ______________________________ Marilyn Gadomski, Ph.D. Assistant Honors Director ______________________________ Date NATURE VERSUS NURTURE 3 Abstract Nurses encounter many different populations of people every day and they must know how to treat them. Adopted children are a population that nurses encounter and there are disagreements concerning whether they are at an increased risk for developing behavioral problems as compared to biological children. It is also debated whether genetics or environment plays a more prominent role in childhood development. Most studies conclude that adopted children are at an increased risk for more behavioral problems due to the unique struggles and challenges they must overcome with genetics playing a bigger role than environment. Nurses can use this information to treat adopted children and their families more efficiently. NATURE VERSUS NURTURE 4 Nature versus Nurture: A Study of Adopted and Biological Children and their Behavioral Patterns Individuals are constantly trying to figure out what factors influence a person and their behavior. They wonder whether genes influence people, or whether it is more the environment and the way people are raised.
    [Show full text]