Module 2 Flashcards
1
Q
What are the key concepts of evolutionary psychology?
A
- Argues the human mind is shaped by evolutionary forces
- Natural Selection: Limited resources and pressures promote adaptive traits to be carried forward
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Sexual Selection: Traits which help us find mates are promoted.
- Intrasexual competition: competing with same sex eg men developing aggression
- Intersexual selection: impressing other sex eg signs of fertility, intelligence
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Dr David Buss examples
- Sex differences in jealousy based on paternal uncertainty
- Sexual over-perception bias: men overrate femal sexual interest, leads to stalking, harrassment
- Darwinian paradox (difficulty explaining LGBTQ)
- Murder as a way to reduce competition/obtain resources
- Combine traditional investigation with molecular biology and archeological evidence
2
Q
What are some criticisms and challenges of evolutionary psychology?
A
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Deterministic: Some critics argue it advocates behaviour is predetermined by genetics alone
- Counter; genetics explains predispositions only, decisions to act are based on environmental factors
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Insensitive/politically incorrect; Can be very insensitive when dealing with darker side of humanity
- Examining rape and stalking as adaptive behaviour; potentially apologist
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Outdated; Modern society may be moving past pre-disposed evolutionary tendencies
- eg people choosing to remain childless
- Testibility; almost all hypotheses are ad-hoc. Without testable hypotheses empirical data is impossible.
3
Q
What characteristics attract men, women and both?
A
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Both men and women are attracted to:
- Intelligence, kindness, health
- Similar attitudes, beliefs, personalities
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Men are attracted to: maximising reproductive output
- Youth
- Indications of health in hair and skin
- Fertility; waist/hip ratio, large lips eyes (indicating estrogen), curvature of the spine.
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Women are attracted to: long term investment
- Higher financial and social status
- Dominant/masculine features and traits
- Interest in children
- Different immune system smells (reversed on pill)
- Children of couples who met when women was on pill have lower immune systems
4
Q
What did Aspara (2018) find regarding the effects of intelligence on male marriage rates?
A
- Study Design: Followed men in Finland over 5 year period (initially married and unmarried). Measures used military intelligence tests and government records.
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Findings: Intelligence had a direct effect of liklihood to get married and stay married.
- Verbal most predictive of getting married
- All verbal, numerical, logical affected staying married
- IQ effects present controlling for income/car possession
- Effect of IQ stronger for younger men
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Limitations: Only tested men
- Unclear if extends to women, if women’s preferences play a role.
5
Q
What are is the difference between blended families and stepfamilies?
A
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Blended Family: includes a child or children from a partner’s previous relationship and at least one biological or adopted child of both parents
- Not mutually exclusive with same-sex families, which may be blended or not
- Stepfamily: includes parents who do not have biological children together.
6
Q
What are some of the benefits of blended families?
A
- A decline in the depressive symptoms of children of divorced parents;
- Availability of further support and exposure to new experiences within the blended family structure;
- Development of more adaptable and tolerant relational patterns for children and adults;
- Refinement of emotional resilience; and
- An increase in independent coping skills.
7
Q
What are some of the common challenges of blended families?
A
- Creating new family relationships;
- Adjusting to new living arrangements and potential relocation;
- Not starting from a blank slate, starting from lack of trust
- Creating and adjusting to new family and house rules;
- Reviewing co-parenting and contact arrangements with the children’s other parent;
- New spouse may disagree with ex
- Dealing with the loss of previous family structure and lifestyle;
- Undercurrants of grief, loss, loyalty to old parent/partner can affect child adjustment (easier the younger the child generally)
- Potential parental conflict regarding parenting and family values
- Working with inheritance; unevenly shared between kids, new spouse?
8
Q
What differences in mental health prevalence are observed in children of non-nuclear families?
A
- Perales et al (2017) found higher prevelance of mental illness in australian non-nuclear children:
- Major Depressive Disorders: significantly higher in stepfamilies and single parent, no difference between nuclear and blended though
- ADHD; significantly higher in blended and single parent, no diff for stepfamilies
- Conduct and anxiety disorders; higher in all non-nuclear families
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No indications of causality
- Effects are generally a small size, many disappear accounting for parent mental health and finance
- Possibility of reverse causality; increased stress parenting child with disorder could lead to relationship breakdown.
9
Q
What differences in parenting expectations are found in same-sex families?
A
- Same sex couples place little importance generally on genetic ties to children
- Even seen as a potential source of inequity between parents
- Many adoptive same sex parents have never attempted biological reproduction
- Suggests desire for genetic tie in heterosexual couples may be culturally constructed and perceived difficulty of adoption process
- Australian attitudes to Assisted Reproductive Techniques; generally increased, generally more support for IVF than donors or surrogacy.
- Majority in favour of ART by same sex couples (mostly women, uni-educated, left wing, non church goers)
- Small minority ok with ART for straight but not gay couples (mostly retired, consevative men)
- Sizable minority not ok with ART for anyone (mostly church goers)
10
Q
What did Jennings et al (2014) find regarding motivation for adoption among heterosexual, lesbian and gay couples?
A
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Expectations of Parenthood: Heter-couples viewed having children as a given, same sex couples generally felt the opposite, especially gay men.
- Minority of same sex couples had internalised homophobia, expression deliberation over best interest of child.
- Changing societal views and laws prompted adoption interest
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Sociolegal context: legal recognition as parents was important for gay and lesbian couples.
- Heterosexual couples and some lesbians persued “easier” options first.
- All couples except gays reported concerns over troubled children.
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Second chance/second choice; Majority hetero couples, some lesbians, experienced fertility problems.
- Nearly all hetero couples tried other options first
- Moral Reasoning; All family types reported moral reasoning for adoption
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Biological Relatedness/Family relationships; Biological parenthood not very important to same sex couples, even viewed as a potential problem
- For gay couples, exclusion of surrogates seemed wrong.
11
Q
What are some common challenges when parenting children with disability?
A
- Demands on parents: Increased requirements for mobility, routine, time constraints.
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Demands on relationships; Costs, time, etc can place extreme strain on couples, causing a lack of intimacy, leisure, alone time
- Children respond better when parents present a united front
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Siblings of disabled children face challenges such as:
- Reactions from the public;
- Feeling the need to be the ‘perfect’ child
- Taking on more roles and responsibilities at home
- Feeling isolated from their sibling with special needs; may be unable to play with or receive reciprocal affection.
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Many children of them also experience positive growth, such as:
- Increased maturity, Greater self-control, Empathy for others and acceptance and compassion towards others with differences.
12
Q
What did Tellegen and Sanders find regarding the efficacy of short term interventions for ASD families?
A
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Study/Design: Examines short form of stepping stones program (SSTP). 4 short sessions focusing on one or two specific problem behaviours.
- Assessment pre intervention, post and 6 months
- Assessed child behaviour, parent outcomes, observation of parent/child interaction.
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Findings: Supported SSPT as an intervention:
- Significant effect for child behaviour, dysfunctional parenting styles, parent stress
- No effect for parent depression/anxiety, observed interaction
- Most short term effects were maintained long term
- Satisfaction, parent conflict and happiness effected
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Limitations:
- Floor effects on observational data (all very low ratings)
- Most participants white, high SES, two parent families
13
Q
What are the Signpost, Incredible Years, PCIT and Triple P programs for children with disability?
A
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Signposts: Aims to equip parents with skills to manage/prevent difficult behaviour, encourage good behaviour, teach new skills.
- Available in groups, face-to-face, online, phone
- For kids 3-16, intellectually disabled or developmental delay
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Incredible Years Training for Parents: Promote children social skills, parent interpresonal skills, academic skills
- For parents of kids 0-12 at risk of behavioral issues
- extension available for ASD
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Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT): skill building and promotion of positive interaction styles. Includes one-way mirrors and bug in ears to instruct during interactions
- Kids of parents 3-6 with behaviour/relationship problems.
- Adapted for physically abusive parents of older kids
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Triple P Positive Parenting Program: five levels of increasing intensity intervention to increase parent skills, confidence, knowledge.
- Versions for abuse, disability, chronic illness ages 0-16
14
Q
What are the Tuning In, Cool Kids, MF-PEP, and Parenting Wisely programs for parenting children with disability?
A
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Tuning In (For Kids/For Teens): Focus on parents emotional competence, ability to prevent and best respond to behavioural issues
- Emotional/behavioural issues kids 1.5-18
- Variant for dads
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Cool Kids: Reduce symptoms and life fallout from anxiety symptoms in children. Targets confidence, social support, family avoidance behaviours.
- Children with anxiety 7-17 (options for comorbid depression/ younger kids)
- Developing online format
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Multi-Family Psychoeducational Psychotherapy (MF-PEP): Understadning and management of mood disorders. Focus on communciation, problem solving, emotional regulation
- 8-12yrs with depression/bipolar
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Parenting Wisely: Reduce conflict, increase communication. Delivered via computer simulation with interactive scenarios, demonstrations, feedback, quizzes.
- Parents and kids aged 9-18 at risk of delinquincy
15
Q
How do anxiety disorders manifest in children?
A
- Onset: Phobias, GAD and separation anxiety generally begin age 8-10, with social, panic, OCD in adolescence
- Anxiety disorders have various symptoms:
- Cognitive: attention, sensitivity, worry
- Behavioural: Perfectionism, figiting, avoidance, speech
- Physiological: Sleep disturbance, nausea, headaches
- Hard to define normal behaviour in children, need to rely on distress and impairment. Focus especially on physical symptoms, like sleep problems and excessive need for reassurance
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Management strategies: Educating children about anxiety and its symptoms
- Managing thoughts, breathing, muscle relaxation, facing fears
