25 Jul what physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes take place.
TOPIC: THE FIRST TWO YEARS
During this session, you will be learning about the first two years of life and what physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes take place. You will learn how, from birth, we are already beginning to develop ideas about whether or not the world is a safe place and if others can be trusted. We will examine how relationships formed early in life impact how we relate to one another as adults and what bearing this has on our relationship with God.
TOPIC OUTCOMES:
By the end of this session, students will be able to:
- Analyze a case using concepts of attachment theory.
- Identify the impact of attachment style on interpersonal relationships and one’s relationship with God.
- Differentiate between secure and insecure attachment based on behavioral observation.
- Assess personal attachment tendencies based on the results of assessment and self-reflection.
ATTACHMENT
Developmental psychologist Kathleen Stassen Berger (2017) states that “attachment is…lifelong, beginning before birth and influencing relationships throughout life” (p. 184). In addition, “insecure attachment and especially disorganized attachment predict emotional problems – both externalizing (such as aggression) and internalizing (such as depression)” (p. 186).Pages 158 through 159 define secure attachment and the various forms of insecure attachment that exist between babies and their caregivers. Answer the following questions after reading Section 5.1 in your textbook:
- Based on your observations (in marriage, parenting, and/or friendship), describe an adult who is securely or insecurely attached. Please do not use any names if you are thinking of a real-life example. What might this person’s relationships with their own children and with their romantic partners look like? Please connect the traits you observe to specific ideas cited in Chapter 5 of Kail & Cavanaugh (2019).
- What implications might attachment styles have on one’s faith or on one’s relationship with God?
- As you respond to these questions, also reflect upon our biblical perspective for the session. How might a strong relationship with the Lord influence healthy attachment?
ReferencesBerger, K. S. (2017). The developing person: Through the life span (10th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.
