Word limit: 1000 words.
Weighting: 70% of the mark for this assignment.
Your task is to write an academic essay of 1000 words in response to the scenario and question below.
Scenario
Imagine a situation where a student studying childcare at college is on placement with a registered childminder. Each day, the parents and carers come to pick up the children, who are aged between 6 months and 3 years old. The student notices that there is quite a range in how parents and carers relate to their children when they pick them up. Most greet their children and respond if they are upset or want something, but also talk to the childminder and other adults. Some seem so absorbed in their child that they do not really acknowledge anyone else. The occasional parent or carer does not really acknowledge their child much at all.
The student notices that the children whose parents are in the first group seem a bit more confident. This reminds the student of the work of Donald Winnicott, which they have been covering in class, as he writes about the importance of how parents interact with their children at these early ages. They wonder if there are any other ways of thinking about this issue in psychological theory. They ask you – as a psychology and counselling student – to help them understand this by writing an essay which compares Winnicott’s theory with other work in psychology on early relationships.
Question
Compare and contrast Winnicott’s ideas about infant development with one other psychological theory of early relationships. In your discussion, draw on evidence from the research literature (which can be found in the module materials).
Your TMA needs to be written in a formal academic style in the structure of an essay. This means you will need to include an introduction, main body, conclusion and reference list, as well as in-text citations where appropriate. The word limit for Part A is 1000 words. The reference list is not included in the word count, but in-text citations are included. Remember to also read the student notes for more detailed guidance on how to do well on this part of the TMA.
