IndexIntroductionNature vs. nurture in developmental traumaAttachment theory in relation to the mother-child bondIntegration of nature and nurture: a holistic perspectiveConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionIn this essay, I would like to address how the L he neurobiological approach to explaining developmental trauma refers to “nature” theory versus how the attachment approach attempts to explain developmental trauma with links to both “nature” and “nurture.” I will refer to readings that provide deeper insight into the thinking involved in each approach and consider, in detail, the advantages and disadvantages of each approach in reference to their explanations of developmental trauma and the nature/nurture debate. It is also in the interest of this essay to think, not only about what each approach offers and considers, but also what it does not offer, particularly regarding the bond between mother and child as a crucial aspect in developmental outcomes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Nature vs. nurture in developmental trauma The neurobiological approach considers several biological factors that could be responsible for some human behaviors and traumas developed from childhood to adulthood and therefore, supports the side of nature in relation to developmental trauma development. These factors include the nervous system and its components such as the vagus nerve (as discussed in Nurturing Children: From Trauma to Growth by G. Music using attachment theory, psychoanalysis, and neurobiology) along with the brain and the idea of neuroplasticity . responsible for the successful "delivery" of electrical signals sent from the brain and spinal cord to numerous areas of the body to enable movement or a reaction to a stimulus. In particular I would like to mention the central area of the Vagus nerve. This can be described as follows: “A sophisticated, myelinated (ventral) branch of our vagus nerve (the 'intelligent vagus') connects our brainstem, heart, stomach and other viscera, as well as our facial muscles. This is active in bonding, social communication, recognizing faces and expressing emotions. It lights up along with feelings like that warm glow in our chest when we are with someone we love, when we feel gratitude or deep well-being” (Music, 2019, page 107). To explain, this system can become imbalanced when fear or anxiety arises in the body during the “fight” or “flight” response. Because of this response, the body exhibits characteristics such as increased breathing rate or sweating. Regarding trauma, we can suggest that children who have experienced trauma during development may be more susceptible to falling into this state of imbalance. Music explains this in more detail by referring to the case study of Mick (Music, 2019), who had experienced a childhood of abandonment in an environment as dangerous and unpredictable as his parents. Later at school Mick had problems with hostility and sensitivity, which led to him being in an almost constant state of nervous system disorder, with his 'fight' or 'flight' response easily triggered by the slightest form of threat. Mick is a great example of a child who has lived a life of mistrust and desperation. He missed important aspects of childhood that were essential to the child's development. Without effective maternal care and the dangerous environment she had to endure, the neurobiological approach gives us an in-depth look at the idea that developmental trauma can result from biological changes within the body as a result of a response tofear-inducing stimuli that manifests through the nervous system and ultimately leads to severe anxiety. Beyond that, the body may have even more ways to respond to threat which may subsequently be increased by traumatic experiences, for example the brain and the notion of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity can be used to describe the theory that the brain is capable to change and adapt throughout an individual's life based on their experiences and needs. For example, a child who has been exposed to very loud sounds such as a scream may have a fear response to similar sounds in the future. It is possible to see areas of the brain associated with these responses through an MRI scan, which tells us that the brain activity around these areas has increased and has adapted to be more sensitive to fear and sounds, people or objects that the child associates with that fear. stimuli. This is something that can continually occur throughout a child's development, and as a result, the brain learns and becomes accustomed to different aspects of the child's experiences and then responds accordingly to similar situations that trigger anxieties associated with the stimuli. It is important to recognize this area of the nature argument because it pushes us to think more about neuroscience as a form of explanation of trauma. Further research in this area as technology advances can help us learn more about how the brain works and the idea of the unconscious from which manifestations, repressed memories and anxieties in adult life can arise. Overall, it provides an alternative way of thinking about developmental trauma and can be linked to other approaches such as attachment. Attachment theory in relation to the mother-child bond Attachment theory covers the basis of the mother-child relationship from birth onwards. It highlights the importance of the innate needs for closeness between mother and child and, above all, the effect of the mother (caregiver) on the child's development in terms of the type of attachment the child will develop and how this can influence future relationships and aspects social life of the child. the life of the child. Bowlby was a key theorist in the field of attachment theory with his work giving us detailed and thought-provoking insight into how important a primary caregiver is to a child's healthy development. However, it can be argued that attachment theory supports both nature and nurture. Bowlby mentions the idea that children are born with innate behaviors that improve their chances of survival, which he calls "care-eliciting behaviors", which are essentially any type of behavior that attracts the attention of their caregivers, for example kicking or crying. This links to his idea that child development is highly dependent on the mother, for example, a mother who responds inconsistently to a child's behavior may lead the child to have an anxious and ambivalent attachment or a mother who is critical of of the child's needs or expressions can lead the child to have an anxious and avoidant attachment. “The main source of psychological experience takes place in interactions between children and their caregivers. The psychological experience is particularly accentuated in moments of anxiety, fear and stress. In other words, the intensity of mental state experiences is greater whenever the attachment system is activated and the child displays care-seeking behavior” (Howe, 2005, p.4). In relation to development as a whole, attachment is crucial in enabling the child to be emotionally attuned to himself and others and to communicate effectively with others on an emotional level. On the other hand, when considering thedevelopmental trauma, it can be seen that children who have experienced abandonment, for example, are often passive and their development is usually affected emotionally, physically and mentally. “Children whose guardians are unresponsive eventually give up; psychologically they shut down and stop interacting with those around them” (Howe, 2005, p.113). Here we can see that attachment has an educational aspect to discuss. Although there are innate behaviors that the child uses to attract the caregiver's attention in order to survive, there still needs to be an aspect of education on the part of the caregiver to establish a secure attachment for the child. When this does not happen, the child's development is disrupted, as stated earlier. It is important to consider the topic of both nature and nurture in this approach because both can have positive impacts if done well by a parent or caregiver, but can easily have consequences if the child experiences abuse or neglect. Ultimately, a child who experiences one or the other will be socially disadvantaged in adult life and will have difficulty sustaining or forming relationships with other people. The child may have difficulty relating to other people because he or she has failed to understand emotional connections from a young age. In addition to this, anxieties produced as a result of anxious or avoidant attachment can cause the child to feel unprotected and helpless in what others would consider normal situations because the child has not had a parental figure to help him or her overcome or dealing with a traumatic experience or anxiety. It is clear that both the neurobiological approach and the attachment approach both show us new and different perspectives on the importance of both nature and nurture and how developmental trauma can be influenced by both. However, each has its own disadvantages that should be considered when thinking about children's development and what we can do in the future to resolve the internal conflicts, anxieties, and repressed feelings a child may experience after developmental trauma. Rather than simply asking why or how developmental trauma occurs, we can begin to further investigate how to address it effectively and to the benefit of each individual child. Integration of nature and nurture: a holistic perspective The neurobiological approach has many practical applications more effective in finding a cure for trauma caused during development. The advancement of technology goes hand in hand with the neurobiological approach as we carry out ever more in-depth research into bodily functions through technologies such as MRI scans that show us distinct areas of the brain and how each segment has an individual role within the body. It is important to keep up with technological changes as they can really tell us a lot about where exactly processes are taking place within the body, making it easier to spot direct physical changes that can be seen over time, showing patterns of behavior or psychological and physiological change . Compared to other approaches, it is important to consider that the neurobiological approach is something that can be more easily measured in a scientific way since we have more evidence of biological processes occurring rather than psychodynamic approaches that revolve around the idea of unconscious drives. The unconscious is something that is still constantly being investigated, the idea that development can rely so much on it could be considered unreliable. We haven't even gotten to the point of knowing the answer to the question: Does the unconscious really exist? And if he does, where is he? Therediscussion of where consciousness comes from is something that is still up for debate as much as the debate over its existence as a whole. Does consciousness exist in the brain? Or is it another part of the self entirely? Does it even have a physical form? When it comes to the neurobiological approach, we should not question the existence of something like the brain or the nervous system because its existence is a fact. Hard evidence is reliable, nature is reliable, and we can use it to improve our developmental research. However, this is not to say that the neurobiological approach does not have its limitations compared to other approaches when it comes to explaining developmental trauma. One of the most important criticisms to consider is that the neurobiological approach is rather reductionist. Like all types of biological approaches, the neurobiological approach relies heavily on the known. The research relies on genes, the brain, body components, heredity and the nervous system. This type of approach does not attempt to delve into the deeper meanings of developmental trauma and does not consider other aspects of life that a child may encounter during development that will have an effect on the process. While the known is reliable, as previously suggested, the unknown can still have its advantages. Take the attachment approach for example. The attachment approach considers the complex meanings of emotions and anxieties and the unconscious bonds that a child may experience during childhood. We can clearly see a difference in behavior between children with different types of attachments formed in youth and can use this to explain why a child may display anxious or antisocial behaviour. Understanding a child's full background offers greater insight into the issues at hand and can help us attempt to resolve the child's internal conflicts and prevent future emotional and psychological harm. In addition to understanding the importance of the unconscious and its deeper levels of meaning, as well as surrounding factors such as the mother, the attachment approach indeed attempts to incorporate the perspective of nature. Bowlby's research, in particular, attempts to recognize the importance of the innate bonds between mother and child, as well as natural behaviors that enable survival. Relating this view of the nature approach to the nurture approach instead proposes that the two are co-dependent or can co-exist. Rather than thinking of the two as separate or rivals, perhaps it is important to consider that the two can complement each other in relation to development and how we view and understand trauma. To delve deeper into this point, it can be considered that the debate on the nature and different approaches to explaining trauma are neither right nor wrong. Each approach offers a different perspective to explain certain behaviors and may actually simply depend on the child in question and their experiences. For example, one child's experiences might be better explained using only the neurobiological approach or the nature debate than another individual whose experiences might be explained using a combination of the psychoanalytic and attachment approaches or the nurture debate . Why should there be a limit to how we interpret or use one or more approaches to explain a child's behavior or trauma? Conclusion Overall, it is essential to consider that all approaches can be analyzed in a way that sees them all as separate and having their own advantages and disadvantages, which obviously need to be considered if you intend to use it as a scientific or psychological explanation of.
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