Chapter 19 + Moffitt: Risk and Resilience Flashcards
Which 5 systems are there in Bronfenbrenner’s model (small to large)?
- Microsystem
- Mesosystem
- Exosystem
- Macrosystem
- Chronosystem
What is resilience? Which 2 conditions must apply?
Children experience positive outcomes despite experiencing significant risk
- Exposure to threat
- Positive adaptations
What is the difference between protective and vulnerability factors?
Protective: increase chance of adaptive development
Vulnerability: decrease chance of adaptive development
What is parental bereavement? Name 3 additional stressors
Loss/death of a parent
- Family restructuring
- New expectations
- Parental grief
What is the intergenerational cycle of difficulties?
Implicit and explicit non-verbal and verbal ways an adult communicates their traumatic experiences
What is the main reason for children’s lower ability and achievement in divorcing parents?
Deterioration of economic conditions
What are societal mechanisms that can have a big influence on children’s development? Name 3 and also state a consequence
Discrimination - racism - prejudice
Consequence = underachievement ethnic minority children
What are examples of catastrophic events? Do these events elicit long-term effects?
War, flooding, natural disasters
No long term effects, especially not when placed in new safe environment
On what do the effects of parenting depend? Name 4 things
- Child characteristics
- How parents deal with separation
- Presence of others in exosystem
- Place and time
What is the cumulative risk theory?
Sum of risk factors rather than any single risk is what leads to dysfunction. More risk factors overwhelm adaptive capacities
What are the 10 environmental risks according to Sameroff?
1 Maternal mental illness
2 High maternal anxiety
3 Rigidity in parental perspectives
4 Few positive maternal interactions during infancy
5 Minimal maternal education
6 Head of household in an unskilled occupation
7 Disadvantaged minority
8 Single parenthood
9 Stressful life events
10 Large family size
What is the impact of cumulative risk on IQ?
Children with no environmental risks scored 30 IQ points higher on IQ test than children with 8/9 risk factors
What are 2 important drawbacks of the cumulative risk approach? What has to be done in follow-up research?
- Each risk factor doesn’t carry the same weight
- Risk factors are interchangeable
Follow up: test specificity of risk factors
What is the SDQ and which 5 things does it measure? (strenghts and difficulties questionnaire)
Test that measures:
1 prosocial behavior
2 hyperactivity
3 emotional symptoms
4 conduct problems (stealing)
5 peer problems
The total score is more important than type of risk
What is the Adverse Life Events Scale (ALES) and what does it measure?
Measures life stress and poses 25 possible stressful events over which children had little to no control
What is risk-specificity?
Specific characteristics of an individual risk factor
What is the difference between equifinality and multifinality?
Equifinality: Multiple risk factors can lead to the same problem >
Multifinality: one risk factor can lead to multiple problems <
What is a locus of control? How is this a protective factor?
Beliefs about sources about one’s success/failures
If internal locus of control, high protective factor
What are 2 factors for internalizing problems?
- Child characteristics (temperament, locus of control)
- Environmental characteristics (family, stressful events)
What are 2 factors for externalizing problems?
- Disinhibited temperament
- Weak self-control
What is transgenerational transmission? Name 3 causes of it
Increased chance of developing problems when parents have a problem
–> genetics, prenatal factors, social learning
What are 3 different models of vulnerability?
- Moderator interaction effect models
- Main effect models
- Mediator interaction effect models
What is the moderator interaction effect model?
Model tests if the prediction of a dependent variable can be explained by another third variable.
Whether a variable is considered a protective factor depends on its connection with the risk factor, not if it has positive or negative qualities
What is a main effects model? What are the downsides?
Models that identify single factors as determining whether a given child exposed to risk has a good or poor outcome
–> Downside: not good at determining general protective factors
What is a mediator effects model?
Models that explore underlying reasons for the relationship between independent and dependent variables
It explores the role of intervening variables on effects of risk
What are 3 types of risk/resilience interventions? Give an example for each
- Risk focused: reduce risk
-> more prenatal care if low income - Asset focused: provide higher quality/quantity of assets in children’s lives
-> increase after-school activities - Process focused: improve important adaptational systems for kids
-> increase parent-child attachment
Why is growing up in an urban environment a risk factor? Name 3 things
- SES zones
- Pollution
- Noise
How is heritability in externalizing and internalizing personalities?
Externalizing: high heritability, early onset problems
Internalizing: low heritability: late onset problems
What is allostasis? What is allostatic load?
Physiological regulatory systems change to accommodate to environmental demand
Load = physiological consequences of coping with stress –> cumulative burden of chronic stress
What is a moderator of the severity of alcohol addiction?
Age of onset:
-> if early, not fully matured cognitive control, more difficult to quit later
What are 5 types of preventions and interventions for alcohol addiction?
- Health promotion: posters/ads
- Universal prevention: schools
- Selective prevention risk-groups: personality-based, coaching risk parents
- Indicative prevention beginning issues: motivational interview
- Treatment
Why does one develop problems and another person in the same situation not? Name 5 aspects
1 Stability-instability
2 Gene x Environment
3 Developmental trajectories
4 Continuity normal/abnormal behavior
5 Attention developmental problems, resilience
What is the Dunedin study? What were its findings?
Longitudinal study on childhood self-control
Self-control predicts physical health, substance dependence, personal finances and criminal offences
What are two interventions for self-control?
- Opt-out strategy: good default options that require no effortful self-control (easy healthy food)
- Target-hardening: discouraging possible offenders by making breaking the law something that requires careful planning
What is the good behavior game?
Teacher sets clear rules and reinforces positive behavior and ignores negative behavior. It’s proven to reduce aggressive behavior
