Understanding Attachment Theories and Their Impact on Relationships

Here’s your revised text with relevant theories and key concepts bolded for emphasis:


Attachment Theories

Bowlby’s Monotropic Theory suggests that attachment is innate and pre-programmed for human survival. Humans are born with the need to attach to their offspring. This need to form one main attachment is known as monotropy.

Ainsworth’s Strange Situation is a laboratory observation designed to measure the quality of attachment and differences in attachment styles in infants. Devised in 1970,

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Key Psychological Concepts for Personal Well-Being

Dr. Kaufman’s Sailboat Model of Needs

  • The Hull (the base of the boat): Represents our security and stability needs—things like safety, connection, and self-esteem. If the hull has “holes” (like trauma, fear, or instability), we cannot really move forward because all our energy goes into surviving or patching it up. These are the foundations that keep the boat steady.

  • The Sail: Stands for our growth and exploration needs—curiosity, purpose, love, and creativity. When we feel safe and stable,

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Classification and Types of Mental Health Disorders

Understanding Major Categories of Mental Disorders

Like physical ailments, there are various types of mental disorders. The list of these disorders ranges from minor anxiety to severe conditions such as schizophrenia. The standard classification system used is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The branch of psychology that deals with these disorders is called abnormal psychology.

1. Disorders of Childhood

The DSM classifies various kinds of childhood disorders, usually

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Cultivating Self-Compassion: Balancing Emotion Systems

“It’s possible to train ourselves to experience greater compassion and love.” (Gilbert, 2009)

Why Self-Criticism Fails Us

  • We are often unkind to ourselves.
  • The core message we internalize is often: “We are not good enough” unless we excel in specific areas (achievements, appearance, social skills, etc.).
  • A critical attitude contributes to feelings of stress, insecurity, aggression, and sadness.
    • It does not contribute to happiness and well-being.
    • Unhappiness often stems from focusing on things we are
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Perceptual-Motor Behavior, Cognitive Theories, and Spatial Development

Perceptual-Motor Behavior and Cortical Function

Perceptual-Motor Behavior refers to actions that require the involvement of the cortex as a computer of sensory information, providing basic consistency to conduct. Through movement and perceptual-motor behaviors, children achieve the following developmental milestones:

  • Spatial organization of the body schema and orientation.
  • Graphical representation and expression.
  • Rhythm and motor activity.
  • Perception of the senses: color, shape, textures, sounds, etc.
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Cognitive Psychology: Foundations, Brain Systems, and Perception

Foundations of Psychological Research

Level and Scope of Psychological Explanations

Psychological phenomena can be explained at different levels:

  • Some psychological explanations are based on biology.
  • Some psychological explanations are based on mental states.
  • Some psychological explanations are based on social/cultural factors.

The scope of psychological research refers to whether it applies to:

  • All human beings.
  • Certain groups of people (e.g., people with schizophrenia).
  • Individual people (e.g., my mother)
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