Mental health articles

The significance of early experience
Debate about the significance of the infant experience has been going on for
some time and is referred to as the ‘continuity debate’. Some theorists see infant
experience as crucial in setting lifelong, relatively unchanging patterns.
Discontinuity theorists argue that later life experience can change early patterns
and that infancy does not necessarily determine later outcomes. The basis of the argument is the extent of ‘hard-wiring’ that occurs as a result of infant
experience, and the extent of adaptation and flexibility that is possible in later
development.
Current developmental models argue that experiences in the foundational
period of infancy set up models or templates for neurological and social
functioning, and these are then shaped and influenced by changing
environmental factors and life events. Infancy sets up core vulnerabilities and
strengths, which are modified by experience. Early experiences appear to have
both direct and indirect long-term effects on development. Adverse early
experiences, for example, may cause damage to some infant capacities if severe,
but will also produce a greater vulnerability to stress as the infant matures. For
example, severe stress in infancy will affect the developing stress-regulation
mechanisms of the brain and hormonal systems, influencing the capacity to deal with and respond to stressful events throughout life.