Lecture 11: Risk and Resiliency

Question 1

What is the Reach In.. Reach Out.. motto?

Answer 1

Reach in to face life’s challenges

Reach out to others and opportunities that encourage healthy development

Question 2

What are some risk factors identified in the school readiness literature?

Answer 2

Low birth weight, difficult temperament, divorce, parental substance abuse, minority status…

Question 3

What are some protective factors identified in the school readiness literature?

Answer 3

Self-confidence, emotional support from caregiver, secure attachments, higher level of maternal education…

Question 4

What is resiliency?

Answer 4

Ability to use those protective factors to reduce risk; successfully navigating through significant threat and the ability to avoid negative outcomes despite being at risk

Question 5

What is competence?

Answer 5

The ability to adapt in the environment and achieve normal developmental milestones)

Question 6

What can we say about the correlation between parent’s education levels and expectancies of their children and their children’s IQ?

Answer 6

Children who have parents with a lower level of education tend to also have a lower IQ. Children who have parents who do not expect much out of them also have a lower IQ. But demographics is not destiny and what parents do at home is more important than what they are. Parental expectations alone explain more variance in children’s cognitive ability scores than parent education and income combined.

Question 7

What is reciprocal determinism set forth by Albert Bandura?

Answer 7

A person’s behavior both influences and is influenced by personal factors and the social environment.

Question 8

What are direct effects vs indirect effects of media influence on risk?

Answer 8

• Direct effects – impact of content

- Indirect effects – what does it displace? sedentary behaviour; social behaviour?

Question 9

What are some negative direct effects of media influence on risk?

Answer 9

• they view violence as an effective way of resolving conflicts
• can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life
• they believe the world is a violent and mean place

Question 10

What are some negative indirect effects of media influence on risk?

Answer 10

• An adult who spends on average six hours a day watching television is expected to live 4.8 years less
• People who sit too often have a 112% increase in developing diabetes, a 147% increase in risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 49% risk of dying prematurely, even if they diet regularly!

Question 11

What is a cascade effect?

Answer 11

Risk factors snowball; likewise competence causes competence

Question 12

What are some neurobiological factors with resiliency?

Answer 12

Intelligence, attachment + relationships, emotional regulation, motivation…

Question 13

Explain gene x environment interactions

Answer 13

Your gene sequence (DNA code book) is set, but the expression of those genes (which pages of your book get read) is altered by experience

Question 14

What are the three sources of resilience and give some examples

Answer 14

1. I have… people I can trust, people who set limits, people who module for me
2. I am… a likeable person, respectful, confident
3. I can… talk to others, solve problems, ask for help

Question 15

What are two programs taught in class?

Answer 15

The Perry Preschool Study, and The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (SEL)

Question 16

What does the SEL promote?

Answer 16

Self awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision making
Kelso’s choice is an example

Question 17

What are some of Kelso’s choice

Answer 17

Take a break, walk away, play with something else, make a deal
If the problem is big go get an adult