The Modern Zeitgeists

1
The Modern Zeitgeists

• What does it take for an infant to survive and
  Thrive?

2
1900

• Food
• Water
• Sleep
• Safety
• Anything missing here?

3
1940

• A firm handshake in the morning . . .
• J.B. Watson the father of American
  psychological thought
• 1945 Rene Spitz, M.D.

4
Hospital Treatment of Infants by Spitz and Staff
-- 1945

• Infants die at a 20 rate during the first 6
  months
• Infants die at a 40 rate during the first year
• Beyond the first year, infants survive

5
The Spitz Longitudinal Study 1945

• Development
• Physical Cognitive Social
• Time of Adoption
• Pre 1 Slow Slow Slow
• 5-6 Normal Normal Normal

6

• Physical Cognitive Social
• Time of Adoption
• 1 - 2 Slow Slow Slow
• 5 - 6 Normal Normal Slow

7

• Physical Cognitive Social
• Time of Adoption
• 2 - 3 Retarded Retarded Retarded
• 5 - 6 Slow Slow Retarded

8
1950 Harry Harlow

• Round 1 -- Preference for a Wire or Cloth
  Mother
• Round 2 Addition of the Monsters
• Round 3 Social Isolation
• What did Harlow discover?

9
1951 John Bowlby

• At an address to the American Psychology
  Association Bowlby reported
• Mothers enjoy mothering. . .
• Infants enjoy being mothered . . .
• Enjoyment Satisfaction
• Bowlby lost credibility with his peers

10
Mary Ainsworth 1960

• Attachment The most significant social event
  of your life.
• With attachment come separation and stranger
  anxiety.
• Occurs at about 6 months

11
T.G.R. Bower 1980

• Mary, why is it that abused infants form the same
  secure attachments to parents even though the
  relationship is not loving?
• What do you think Mary Ainsworths response was?
• What was Bowers contribution to the Zeitgeist?

12

• Its not love at all that infants need to
  survive and thrive. Its communicational rapport!
• Consistent communication leads to attachment and
  allows infants to thrive.
• Successful human relationships are based on what?

13
What does it all mean?

• What do infants need to survive and thrive?
• Food
• Water
• Sleep
• Safety
• Communicational Rapport

14
Why Understanding Theory is Critical to
Professional Educators

• How did theory enhance the likelihood that
  communicational rapport would ultimately be
  added to the modern zeitgeist of child rearing?
• Theories
• Tell us how to organize and interpret facts
• Represent public knowledge
• Are testable
• Are less complex than people
• Are generalizable