Chapter 19 + Moffitt: Risk and Resilience

Question 1

Which 5 systems are there in Bronfenbrenner’s model (small to large)?

Answer 1

1. Microsystem
2. Mesosystem
3. Exosystem
4. Macrosystem
5. Chronosystem

Question 2

What is resilience? Which 2 conditions must apply?

Answer 2

Children experience positive outcomes despite experiencing significant risk

1. Exposure to threat
2. Positive adaptations

Question 3

What is the difference between protective and vulnerability factors?

Answer 3

Protective: increase chance of adaptive development
Vulnerability: decrease chance of adaptive development

Question 4

What is parental bereavement? Name 3 additional stressors

Answer 4

Loss/death of a parent

• Family restructuring
• New expectations
• Parental grief

Question 5

What is the intergenerational cycle of difficulties?

Answer 5

Implicit and explicit non-verbal and verbal ways an adult communicates their traumatic experiences

Question 6

What is the main reason for children’s lower ability and achievement in divorcing parents?

Answer 6

Deterioration of economic conditions

Question 7

What are societal mechanisms that can have a big influence on children’s development? Name 3 and also state a consequence

Answer 7

Discrimination - racism - prejudice

Consequence = underachievement ethnic minority children

Question 8

What are examples of catastrophic events? Do these events elicit long-term effects?

Answer 8

War, flooding, natural disasters

No long term effects, especially not when placed in new safe environment

Question 9

On what do the effects of parenting depend? Name 4 things

Answer 9

1. Child characteristics
2. How parents deal with separation
3. Presence of others in exosystem
4. Place and time

Question 10

What is the cumulative risk theory?

Answer 10

Sum of risk factors rather than any single risk is what leads to dysfunction. More risk factors overwhelm adaptive capacities

Question 11

What are the 10 environmental risks according to Sameroff?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What is the impact of cumulative risk on IQ?

Answer 12

Children with no environmental risks scored 30 IQ points higher on IQ test than children with 8/9 risk factors

Question 13

What are 2 important drawbacks of the cumulative risk approach? What has to be done in follow-up research?

Answer 13

• Each risk factor doesn’t carry the same weight
• Risk factors are interchangeable

Follow up: test specificity of risk factors

Question 14

What is the SDQ and which 5 things does it measure? (strenghts and difficulties questionnaire)

Answer 14

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

Question 15

What is the Adverse Life Events Scale (ALES) and what does it measure?

Answer 15

Measures life stress and poses 25 possible stressful events over which children had little to no control

Question 16

What is risk-specificity?

Answer 16

Specific characteristics of an individual risk factor

Question 17

What is the difference between equifinality and multifinality?

Answer 17

Equifinality: Multiple risk factors can lead to the same problem >

Multifinality: one risk factor can lead to multiple problems <

Question 18

What is a locus of control? How is this a protective factor?

Answer 18

Beliefs about sources about one’s success/failures

If internal locus of control, high protective factor

Question 19

What are 2 factors for internalizing problems?

Answer 19

1. Child characteristics (temperament, locus of control)
2. Environmental characteristics (family, stressful events)

Question 20

What are 2 factors for externalizing problems?

Answer 20

• Disinhibited temperament
• Weak self-control

Question 21

What is transgenerational transmission? Name 3 causes of it

Answer 21

Increased chance of developing problems when parents have a problem
–> genetics, prenatal factors, social learning

Question 22

What are 3 different models of vulnerability?

Answer 22

1. Moderator interaction effect models
2. Main effect models
3. Mediator interaction effect models

Question 23

What is the moderator interaction effect model?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

What is a main effects model? What are the downsides?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

What is a mediator effects model?

Answer 25

Models that explore underlying reasons for the relationship between independent and dependent variables

It explores the role of intervening variables on effects of risk

Question 26

What are 3 types of risk/resilience interventions? Give an example for each

Answer 26

1. Risk focused: reduce risk
   -> more prenatal care if low income
2. Asset focused: provide higher quality/quantity of assets in children’s lives
   -> increase after-school activities
3. Process focused: improve important adaptational systems for kids
   -> increase parent-child attachment

Question 27

Why is growing up in an urban environment a risk factor? Name 3 things

Answer 27

• SES zones
• Pollution
• Noise

Question 28

How is heritability in externalizing and internalizing personalities?

Answer 28

Externalizing: high heritability, early onset problems

Internalizing: low heritability: late onset problems

Question 29

What is allostasis? What is allostatic load?

Answer 29

Physiological regulatory systems change to accommodate to environmental demand

Load = physiological consequences of coping with stress –> cumulative burden of chronic stress

Question 30

What is a moderator of the severity of alcohol addiction?

Answer 30

Age of onset:
-> if early, not fully matured cognitive control, more difficult to quit later

Question 31

What are 5 types of preventions and interventions for alcohol addiction?

Answer 31

1. Health promotion: posters/ads
2. Universal prevention: schools
3. Selective prevention risk-groups: personality-based, coaching risk parents
4. Indicative prevention beginning issues: motivational interview
5. Treatment

Question 32

Why does one develop problems and another person in the same situation not? Name 5 aspects

Answer 32

1 Stability-instability
2 Gene x Environment
3 Developmental trajectories
4 Continuity normal/abnormal behavior
5 Attention developmental problems, resilience

Question 33

What is the Dunedin study? What were its findings?

Answer 33

Longitudinal study on childhood self-control

Self-control predicts physical health, substance dependence, personal finances and criminal offences

Question 34

What are two interventions for self-control?

Answer 34

1. Opt-out strategy: good default options that require no effortful self-control (easy healthy food)
2. Target-hardening: discouraging possible offenders by making breaking the law something that requires careful planning

Question 35

What is the good behavior game?

Answer 35

Teacher sets clear rules and reinforces positive behavior and ignores negative behavior. It’s proven to reduce aggressive behavior