Lecture 1 Flashcards
Dynamic System
-how a system (children and their environment) behaved in the past, impacts the present ant that impacts the future (butterfly effect)
- so everyone in the system changes!
- all the components have a past and a future and these are related and the interactions between the child and the environment are mutual
Genotype -> Environment Theory
- genes drive experience
- genotype of the parent impacts the child’s genotype
- genotype of the parent also influences the rearing environment of the child
- genotype of the child impacts the phenotype and the rearing environment
- the rearing environment of the child impacts the phenotype and vice versa
- genotype impacts the environment and phenotype basically
Three times of genotype environment interactions
- passive: parents provide both genes and environment (decreases with age)
- evocative: child characteristics elicit reactions from others (constant with age)
- active: a child seeks an environment appropriate to its genotype, niche picking (increases with age)
Niche Picking
individuals actively select or create environments that align with their genetic predispositions, interests, and abilities
Genotype
Phenotype
Breast feeding gene environment interaction
- hypothesis: breast feeding increases IQ
- because: breast milk contains fatty acids that cow’s milk doesn’t, these acids benefit the brain development
- BUT: fatty acid processing is under the influence of a certain gene
- interaction between genes and environment, genes restrict influence of environment
How can the environment restrict expression of genes
- for children of low SES increase in heritability of IQ is not as high as those with high SES since they have less options to choose
- niche picking is limited in low SES
Early interactions
Age 0: Biological regulation, regularize basic biological processes in synchrony with parental requirements
Age 2: Face to face interaction, regulate mutual attention and responsiveness in interactions
Age 5: Topic sharing: incorporate objects into social interactions
Age 8: Reciprocity, initiate intentional actions, more symmetrical relationships
Age 18: Symbolic representation, develop verbal and nonverbal symbolic means of relating to others
Rythms in social interaction
- early synchronization on turn taking
- attention: on off periods
- example: feeding
- early patterns of as if communication
Face to face exchanges
- visual control (2 months)
- increasing degree of face recognition
- 7 months: smile only at familiar faces
Topic sharing
up to 3 months: only regulation of attention
5 months: manipulative skills (objects)
Topic sharing = including external objects in the interaction
- no simultaneous attention
- direction of gaze is signal for the mother
- joint involvement episode (common attentional focus)
- verbal: mother mentions object when attention is focused on the object
Reciprocity
- around 8-9 months
- joint attention and coordination
- child becomes more equal social partner through reciprocal and intentional actions
- parent-child game
- resembles linguistic conversation
- intentionality (planned behaviour, anticipation of consequences
Symbolic representation
- from 1.5 years of age
- use of gestures for symbolic representation
- language development, verbal and non verbal
The family as a system
- it has a function to maintain a whole, once something changes it has an impact on the whole system
- small changes can create distance to other family members but also bring people closer in the family
- circularity of influence
- there are subsystems (relationships, individuals)
- system influenced by external factors
Effects of a new born on a family
- there are physical demands: 24 hour care
- emotional challenges
- limitations of possibilities, loss of freedom
- tensions in marriage
- since so much attention is needed, this can impact other relationships in the system
Role of parenting in child development
- parenting: principle about what is right and wrong (norms and values)
- do we want people to be polite?
- do we want people to eat veggies and such
- they also influence socialization and school achievement -> homework, school functioning, parental monitoring
Parenting Styles
- responsiveness/ warmth (can respond to needs of the child)
-demand (control)
- Authoritative: high demand, low warmth/responsiveness
- Permissive: high responsiveness, low demand
- Neglectful: low responsiveness, low demand (most problematic)
- Authoritative: high demand high responsiveness
Parenting Styles and Development
- Authoritative: most competent, independent, self controlled, cooperative and achievement oriented (the emotional security and safety and unconditional love, plus the providing of explanation and reasons when boundaries make this effective)
- Permissive: often without goals, not assertive, not as performance oriented
-Authoritarian: more challenging, dependent, socially incompetent (often in boys) - Neglectful: most damaging consequences for cognitive and social development
Oversimplification of parenting?
- from the 70s, US white middle class families (cultural bias)
- limited applicability to diverse modern contexts
- makes the assumption that parenting styles are stable but actually they are complex and dynamic, they can vary with age, external stressors and cultural norms, children’s personality also shapes how they respond to parenting
- may overlook economic structures and gender roles
- authoritative parenting as the ‘ideal’
Causality?
does behaviour (parenting style) provide positive outcomes or do children with certain temperaments encourage certain parenting styles
Cultural Bias in Research
- parenting style research is mostly based on western culture
- non western culture: less authoritative parenting
- collectivist cultures emphasize obedience and respect to elders making authoritarian styles more effective in those countries, parents are not expected to provide reasons to obey
- BUT they are not low in responsiveness (often high closeness)
- responsiveness is universal but not uniform
Parental Control
- how can parents ensure that children listen
- the aim should be for children to internalize the norms rather than do the norms only when afraid of punishment
- you want the child to do the behaviour in all contexts
Compliance vs Noncompliance
- noncompliance predicts behavioural problems, poor relationships and delinquency later in life but higher prevalence of noncompliance with requests is normal
- certain level of noncompliance with requests help with developmental task of developing autonomy
- compliance is important for family wellbeing and functioning
Behavioural control
- regulating a child by using strict but reasonable discipline and control -> generally positive behavioral outcomes
Psychological control
- regulating a child by not giving affection, inducing shame and guilt
- more depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and loneliness
- more antisocial behaviour and delinquency
Belsky’s parenting model
- parenting is influenced by -> parenting characteristics, child characteristics and social context (marital relationships, social networks and work influence general psychological well-being)
- factors influencing parenting behaviour -> influence on parenting -> social emotional development
- role of fathers has changed: they take on a larger caregiver role than previously
- child characteristics: negative emotionality, stress response, genetics, emotional regulation
- family social environment: social support, culture, marital quality, family structure
- parent characteristics: depression, personality, gender, cognitions and affect, developmental history
