Family as a Developmental Context: Parenting

Question 1

Why do developmental psychologists care about the family?

Answer 1

Interested in families because they provide both the rearing environment and heritable influences, which can interact in complex ways to shape child development

Question 2

Contextualising development

Answer 2

Research suggests that the origin of disorder lies in problematic relationships found in conflicted or disorganised family relationships

Question 3

Functions of parenting

Answer 3

• Nurture children’s development
• Promote children’s health and wellbeing
• Protect children from violence and harm
• Instil a sense of personal responsibility for future

Question 4

Parenting tradition differences

Answer 4

Children experience differences in the rules parents apply and the way rules are enforced

Question 5

Maccoby and Martin (1983) two dimensions of parenting convergence

Answer 5

• Emotional responsiveness
• Control

Question 6

Authoritative parents

Answer 6

• Demanding but war
• Set clear standards
• Allow children to develop autonomy
• Attentive
• Consistent in discipline

Question 7

Authoritative children

Answer 7

• Competent
• Independent
• Self assured
• Popular
• Low drug use

Question 8

Permissive parents

Answer 8

• Responsive to children’s needs and wishes
• Lenient with children
• Don’t require children to regulate themselves

Question 9

Permissive children

Answer 9

• Impulsive
• Lacking in self control
• Low in school achievement

Question 10

Authoritarian parents

Answer 10

• Cold and unresponsive
• Controlling and demanding
• Expect their children to comply without question

Question 11

Authoritarian children

Answer 11

• Low in social and academic competence
• Unhappy
• Unfriendly
• Low in self confidence

Question 12

Uninvolved parents

Answer 12

• Disengaged
• Undemanding
• Don’t monitor behaviour
• Unsupportive

Question 13

Uninvolved children

Answer 13

• Disturbed attachment style
• Problems with peer relationships
• Anti social behaviour
• Depression

Question 14

Parenting style as context

Answer 14

Parents overall style of interacting with their children can govern relationships and influence outcomes

Question 15

Unidirectional effects (Bell, 1968)

Answer 15

Bidirectionality of parent-child interactions take place over a long period of time but child is an active agent on exerting effects on parents

Question 16

Parenting in perspective

Answer 16

Interplay between inner psychological stressors and external social circumstances

Question 17

Ecology of developmental processes

Answer 17

Lasting relationships come from parenting dynamic but can change how child views the world

Question 18

Economic stress and developmental problems of adolescents

Answer 18

Economic pressure leads to parental hostility which can affect child’s adjustment