Exam 1 theories and causes Flashcards
psychology
study of behavior and the mind
pschopathology
study of the nature,
development, and treatment of psychological
disorders
person-first terminology
person with autism vs autistic
theory
a language of science that allows us to
assemble and communicate existing knowledge
effectively
etiology
the study of the causes of childhood disorders
epigenetics
study of how behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way an individual’s genes work
sensitive periods
windows of time during which environmental influences on development, both good and bad, are enhanced
play a meaningful role in any discussion of child psychopathology
neural plasticity
the brain’s anatomical
differentiation is use-dependent.
he ability of the brain to change its structure and function in response to stimuli
gene enviornment interaction (GxE)
Complex interplay of nature and nurture to account for genetic and environmental influences and their timing.
caveats to consider when reviewing models
1)No single theoretical orientation/model fully explains various behaviors or disorders.
2)Models considering more than one primary cause are still limited by the boundaries of their discipline or orientation.
3) Atypical child behavior is best studied from a multi-theoretical perspective.
4)Knowledge increases through research.
neruobiological perspective
-brain is seen as the underlying cause of psych disorders
-Events experienced during sensitive
periods can both help and harm typical
development
- Specifically, events may influence a child differently depending on the maturation level of their brain
-involves genetically inherited traits/predispositions from their parents
biopsychosocial model
Biological, psychological,
and sociocultural factors
are seen as influencing
the development of the individual
Provides fairly equal weight to biology,
psychology, and sociocultural aspects
more culturally sensitive
BSP model: biological
Genetic inheritance.
Physiological changes.
Exposure to toxic
substances
BPS model: psychological
Past learning experiences.
Maladaptive thought
patterns.
Difficulties coping with
stress.
BPS model: sociocultural
Social policies.
Discrimination.
Stigma.
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model
The child’s environment is a series of nested and interconnected structures with the child at the center.
cognitive behavioral perspective
Thoughts, emotions, and actions all
influence one another (have a thought, experience an emotion, take action, repeat)
Behaviors are learned and shaped by the
environment and an individual behavior’s
influence and shape their environment
Cog beh: emotions and affective expression
Are core elements of human psychological
experience
* Are a central feature of infant activity and
regulation
* Tell us what to pay attention to/what to ignore
* Affect quality of social interactions and
relationships
* Are important for internal monitoring and
guidance
emotion reactivity
individual
differences in the threshold and intensity
of emotional experience
emotion regulation
involves
maintaining or inhibiting emotional
arousal.
o Regulation versus dysregulation
o Important signals of typical and atypical
development
classical conditioning
Involves paired
associations between
previously neutral stimuli
and unconditioned
stimuli
operant conditioning
Learning process in
which the likelihood of a
behavior is increased or
decreased through
reinforcement or
punishment
Why is knowledge of development important to consider when discussing child psychopathology?
as children age, typical behaviors change. for example, things that are typical for young children, such as impulsiveness and not understanding certain social norms, are not typical for older children and could be something that is diagnosable.
