Chapter 14 - Family Relationships

Question 1

Ecological Theory of the Family

Answer 1

• microsystem; consists of the people and objects in an individual’s immediate environment, strongly influence development
• mesosystem; represents the fact that what happens in one microsystem is likely to influence what happens in others
• exosystem; social settings that a person may not experience firsthand but that still influence development, ex. a mother’s work environment is part of her child’s exosystem
• macrosystem; the subcultures and cultures in which the microsystem, mesosystem, and exosystem are embedded
• chronosystem; dimension that reminds us that microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem are not static but are constantly in flux, the systems all change over time

Question 2

authoritarian parenting

Answer 2

combines high control with little warmth, little give-and-take between parent and child because authoritarian parents do not consider children’s needs or wishes
-children with authoritarian parents are often unhappy, have low self-esteem, and frequently are overly aggressive

Question 3

uninvolved parenting

Answer 3

provides neither warmth nor control, parents provide for their children’s basic physical and emotional needs but little else, parents try to minimize the amount of time spent with their children and avoid becoming emotionally involved with them
-children with uninvolved parents often do poorly in school and are aggressive

Question 4

permissive parenting

Answer 4

offers warmth and caring but little parental control, parents generally accept their children’s behaviour and punish them infrequently
-children with permissive parents are often impulsive and have little self-control

Question 5

authoritative parenting

Answer 5

combines a fair degree of parental control with warmth and responsivity to children, parents explain rules and encourage discussion
-children with authoritative parents tend to be responsible, self-reliant, and friendly, and have higher grades

Question 6

Effect of Socioeconic Status on Parenting

Answer 6

• parents with lower socioeconomic status tend to be more controlling and more punitive, than are parents with higher socioeconomic status
  
  • this difference may reflect educational differences that help to define socioeconomic status
  • due to their limited financial resources, parents with lower socioeconomic status often lead more stressful lives, and are far more likely to live in neighbourhoods where violence, drug abuse, and crime are commonplace
• parents with lower socioeconomic status may be too stressed to invest the energy needed for authoritative parenting, and the authoritarian approach—with its emphasis on the child’s immediate compliance—may actually protect children who are growing up in dangerous neighbourhoods

Question 7

direct instruction

Answer 7

telling a child what to do, when, and why, ex. instead of just shouting “Share your candy with your brother!” a parent should explain when and why it’s important to share with a sibling, parents can explain links between emotions and behavior

Question 8

behaviors can parents use to influence their children

Answer 8

1. direct instruction
2. observation
3. feedback

Question 9

time-out

Answer 9

a child who misbehaves must briefly sit alone in a quiet, unstimulating location, is punishing because it interrupts the child’s ongoing activity and isolates the child all forms of rewarding stimulation

Question 10

Parental conflict affects children’s development through three distinct mechanisms.

Answer 10

1. seeing parents fight jeopardizes a child’s feeling that the family is stable and secure, making a child feel anxious, frightened, and sad
2. chronic conflict between parents often spills over into the parent–child relationship
3. when parents invest time and energy fighting with each other, they’re oft en too tired or too preoccupied to invest themselves in high-quality parenting

Question 11

2 characteristics of children that influence how parents treat them

Answer 11

1. Age, parenting changes as children grow

2. Temperament

Question 12

Explain age-related changes in parenting.

Answer 12

are evident in the two basic dimensions of parental behavior warmth and control, warmth is beneficial throughout development, but the manifestation of parental affection changes, becoming more reserved as children develop, parental control also changes as children develop, parents gradually relinquish control, increases in decision-making autonomy are associated with greater adolescent well-being

Question 13

Explain how divorce affects children.

Answer 13

divorce affects children through the loss of a role model, economic hardship, and exposure to conflict

Question 14

What periods in development are more susceptible to harm due to a parents divorce?

Answer 14

divorce is more harmful when it occurs during childhood and adolescence than during the preschool or college years