Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

reasoning, moral reasoning and the
spatial
of IQ (Henrich 2010). Have uncritical
heritability
about human sameness enabled
assumptions
universalization of results based on WEIRD
the
theory is an influential theory
Attachment
the study of infant behaviour and
in
with its most important tenet
development,
that an infant needs a secure relationship
being
at least one primary caregiver to properly
with
social and emotional competence.
develop
simply, it is a theory on how to raise
Stated
When ideas about what is and is
children.
good parenting acquire universality, they
not
become the basis of moral judgment. A
can
about developmental psychology
question
becomes an ethical question: being a
therefore
parent becomes equivalent to being a bad
bad
and entire groups of people have been
person;
attachment theory applies in
Whether
cultures has been debated for
different
its proponents argue that the
decades;
differences are relatively minor, and
cultural
research shows the three fundamental
that
of attachment theory are universal
assertions
on Mesman et al 2008). These assertions
(based
as follows.
are
Healthy attachment is influenced most by
•
(specifically maternal) sensitivity.
parental
Infants and children with secure
•
are more socially and
attachment
case study presents two opposing expert
This
Consider the following questions
perspectives.
(a) When experts disagree, which criteria
1.
we use to decide who is right, what
do
implications of this? We explore some
the
selected to provoke critical reflection
examples,
assumptions of sameness and difference
about
theimplications of the WEIRD bias in
and
Keeping in mind that we do not make
(b)
decisions entirely independently
the
a social vacuum, which factors
orin
them?
affect
2. Consider attachment theory.
To what extent are you able to form
(a)
judgment about the universality of
a
What enables or hinders your
(b)
and why?
judgment,
first expert is Heidi Keller, professor of
Our
at Osnabrück University, who has
psychology
strongly critical of the universalization of
been
theory.
attachment
terms: Keller
Search
claim of
Universality
main argument is that because infant
Keller’s
and development is adaptive to
behaviour
environment, and because environments
the
tremendously across cultures, a standard
vary
of infant emotional expression,
model
and development cannot and
regulation
contrasts the interactional style and
Keller
of WEIRD families with other
environment
around the world. For example,
families
states that WEIRD infant interaction is
she
one to one, between mother and
primarily
and father and child, with conversations
child,
primarily the senses of sight and
(using
that focus “on the cognitions,
hearing)
wishes, and preferences of the
emotions,
baby” (Keller 2018). She adds that
individual
III. Methods and tools
III. Methods and tools
population groups? What may have been
behavioural research.
Case study
Is good parenting universal?
attachment theory?
stereotyped as “bad parents”.
attachment theory
• Secure attachment is the most healthy.
should not be assumed to apply worldwide.
emotionally competent in later life.
as you read on.
to believe and whom to trust?
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