Controlled Crying Sleep Training Psychology Development Essay

Total Length: 329 words ( 1 double-spaced pages)

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Controlled Crying

Controlled crying is a sleep training method based on behaviourist principles like operant conditioning. It refers to the idea that if parents respond immediately to a baby’s cries, they reinforce crying as a learned behaviour. By gradually increasing the time before responding, babies can be encouraged to self-soothe, which can in turn lead them to develop more independent sleep habits. Classical conditioning also occurs as well with infants learning to associate sleep environments with settling down rather than immediate parental intervention. Proponents argue that controlled crying helps babies develop self-regulation skills, as per cognitive-behavioural theory.
However, not all psychological perspectives view controlled crying the same. Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby (1969), focuses on the importance of responsive caregiving in developing secure attachments. Bowlby believed that consistent and sensitive responses to distress signal to infants that caregivers are reliable and emotionally available. If a baby’s cries are frequently ignored or only intermittently addressed, it could lead to insecure attachment, where the child learns that his emotional needs may not always be met. Over time, this could affect the child’s ability to form trusting relationships (Khadka, 2022).

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Additionally, developmental psychology and neuroscience raise concerns about the potential stress caused by prolonged crying. It is possible that excessive distress can elevate stress hormone levels, which, if prolonged, can end up affecting brain development and emotional well-being. Evolutionary psychologists might argue that infants are biologically wired to seek parental proximity for survival, which makes controlled crying an unnatural approach to sleep training.
Controlled crying is a widely used method with reported benefits based on its alignment with behaviourist principles; however, it is good to remember that it is at odds with attachment theory and developmental psychology. Parents and caregivers should consider the fact that there might be more than one approach to understanding the affect of behaviour and our response to it..

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Controlled Crying Sleep Training Psychology Development Essay