Ch. 14: Social Influences Flashcards
What are the four systems in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory?
Individual.
Mesosystem (immediate family, neighbourhood play area, etc.).
Exosystem (extended family, workplace, community health services, etc).
Macrosystem (values, laws, customs).
What are two primary dimensions in parenting styles? Which is considered ideal?
Warmth and responsiveness.
Control (setting age-appropriate standards, consistent communication of rules, good communication).
High levels of warmth and responsiveness, moderate levels of control.
What are the 4 parenting styles proposed by Baumrind? In general, which is associated with best outcomes for children?
Authoritarian: high control, little warmth.
Authoritative: fair control with warmth and responsiveness.
Permissive: warmth and caring but little control.
Uninvolved: neglectful.
Best outcomes: Authoritative.
Parental styles vary not only across cultures, but within cultures, depending on what?
Parents’ socioeconomic status, level of stress.
Regarding parental behaviour, describe direct instruction, observing, and feedback.
Direct instruction: telling children what to do, when, and why.
Observing: children learn from watching others and from counterimitation (learning what should not be done).
Feedback: reinforcement useful, but parents often unknowingly reinforce behaviours they want to prevent (negative reinforcement trap).
To be effective, research indicates that punishment needs to be what three things?
Administered by person with whom child has a warm affectionate relationship.
Accompanied by an explanation and suggestions for future ways of behaving.
Administered promptly and consistently.
List three serious disadvantages to punishment.
Behaviours are only stopped temporarily.
Child may be too angry or upset to learn alternative behaviour.
Child may imitate aggressive behaviours of parent with peers and younger siblings, leading to behaviour problems.
Regarding influences of the marital system, what three things among couples often cause problems?
Lack of teamwork.
Competition for child’s attention.
Gatekeeping.
Parents’ expressions of warmth and control change as children age. They behave differently depending on what?
Child’s specific behaviour and temperament (e.g., may become less affectionate and more controlling with “difficult” child).
Influence between parents and children is _____.
Reciprocal.
Describe the impact of divorce on children.
Affects academic life and relationship with parents. In second year, most adjust (quicker if parents cooperative).
Does divorce leave children at higher risk for emotional and behavioural problems? What are negative effects related to?
Overall risk is higher, but majority do not experience long-term negative effects.
Related to parental absence, economic hardship, conflict between parents.
Describe the impact of blended families on children.
Benefit from presence of warm and supportive step-parent.
Adolescents do not adjust as easily to remarriage as younger children.
In what form of punishment must a child who misbehaves sit alone in a quiet, unstimulating location? What is the alternative?
Time out.
Time in: adult talks with child immediately, to help understand situation and their own feelings.
Describe the five styles of grandparenting that have been identified.
Influential: close to grandchildren, involved in lives, frequently perform parental roles (including discipline).
Supportive: close and involved, but do not take on parental roles.
Authority-oriented: provide discipline, otherwise not particularly active in lives.
Passive: caught up in development but not with intensity of influential or supportive; do not assume parental roles.
Detached: uninvolved.
Children and adolescents benefit from _____ involvement of grandparents.
Active.
Grandparents are especially active in the lives of which children?
Immigrant and minority children; particularly First Nations grandmothers.
Children reared by gay and lesbian parents seem to develop how?
Much like children raised by heterosexual parents.
Multiple adults involved in child rearing is important, but research suggests what?
Who adults are matters less than what they do.
How do parents tend to treat laterborn children compared to firstborn?
Have more realistic expectations, more relaxed in their discipline.
Describe predicted outcomes for firstborn children and laterborn. What about only children?
Firstborn children generally have higher scores on intelligence tests, more likely to go to university, more willing to conform to adults’ request.
Laterborn tend to be more popular and innovative.
Only children more likely to succeed in school, have higher levels of intelligence, leadership, autonomy, maturity.
Compared to children who live with their biological parents, adopted children are what?
Similar in temperament, attachment, and cognitive development.
Adopted children tend to have more problems with what? How does quality of life play a role?
Adjusting to school, more likely to experience conduct disorders.
Quality of life before adoption places some children at risk; most adopted children experience positive outcomes.
Distress associated with the birth of a new sibling can be avoided if parents are what?
Responsive to older sibling.
