Psychology Chapter 15 Flashcards
Family System
the family is a whole consisting of interrelated parts, each of which affects and is affected by every other part, and each of which contributes to the functioning of the whole.
Family subsystems
are larger social systems that a nuclear family or extended family household interact with such as neighborhood, community, subculture, and a broader culture.
Mutually Supportive Coparenting looks like:
1) Talk to each other about the children. 2) Consistent in rules they set. 3) Back one another up.
• Social Changes Documented By U.S. Census since the 50’s:
- More single adults
- More postponed marriages
- More unmarried parents
- Fewer children
- More working mothers
- More divorce
- More single-parent families
- More children living in poverty
- More remarriages
- More years without children
From 1965 - 2011 Women have
increased their involvement in paid work, decreased their involvement in housework, and spend more time in child care.
From 1965 - 2011 Men have
increased their involvement in paid work, housework, AND child care!
Father vs. Mother Parenting
Fathers play (rowdy things like tickling, poking, surprising, and bouncing). Mothers caregive, offer food, change diapers, wipe nose, and play quietly with them.
Indirect Effects
Instances when the relationship between 2 individuals in the family is modified by the behavior or attitudes of a 3rd family member.
Four Types of Parenting Styles
1) Authoritarian
2) Authoritative
3) Permissive
4) Neglectful
Authoritarian
Restrictive parenting style combining high demandingness-control and low acceptance-responsiveness. Many rules, expect strict obedience, rarely explain why child should comply with rules, and use forceful measures. (Their kids tend to perform moderately well in school, be less involved in problem behaviors, be moody and easily annoyed, have poorer social skills, have lower self esteem, and have more depressive symptoms.)
Authoritative
Set and enforce clear standards, high on control and maturity demands, provide structure and clearly stated rules, emphasize communication and supportive discipline, and value child’s opinion and expressions. (Their kids tend to perform well in school, be cooperative with adults, be well adjusted, socially competent, curious, self-confident, independent, and achievement-oriented.)
Permissive
High in acceptance-responsiveness but low on maturity demandingness and control. See themselves as resources rather than active agents. (Their kids tend to be impulsive and lacking in self-control, aggressive, bossy, self-centered, low in independence and achievement.)
Neglectful
Low in demand and control, set few limits, low on attention, interest, and emotional support. (Their kids tend to be demanding, disobedient, not effective in social interaction, hostile, anti-social, and more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and get in trouble with the law.)
Social Class and Parenting Style
Lower social class parents are more likely to use and authoritarian style. They also focus on obedience to authority.
Poverty Affecting Parenting Style
Financial stress may lead to family conflict and fewer child-directed resources. Child can then have low self-esteem, poor school performance, poor peer relations, and adjustment problems like aggression and depression.
How do child age and competence influence parenting
parents become less restrictive as their children mature and gradually , with parental guidance, become capable of making their own decisions.
Keller and Bell’s 1979 Experiment
Found that college students confronted with an attentive child used induction to explain why they should sew a pillow for another kid and those with inattentive children used power-assertion techniques like promising rewards and threatening penalties for selfishness.
How do first-borns respond to being “dethroned”?
First-borns respond to being dethroned by becoming more difficult and demanding, or more dependent or clingy, and develop problems with their sleeping, eating, and toileting routines.
Sibling relationships involve both closeness and conflict because
they are more motivated to help one another than genetically unrelated individuals, they compete with each other for parents time and resources, and they are at odds because they live in close proximity.
What can parents do to help siblings have friendlier and less conflicted relationships?
• Parents can get along well as a couple and respond warmly and sensitively to all their children rather than unfairly favoring one over another to help siblings have friendlier and less conflicted relationships.
Positive Functions of Siblings:
1) Emotional Support
2) Caregiving
3) Teaching
4) Social Experience
Conflict with parents
increases from pre-adolescence to later adolescence.
according to McGue (2005)
Parent-child conflict increases around the onset of puberty
Autonomy is important because
it is the capacity to make decisions independently and manage life tasks without being overly dependent on other people.
Detachment is bad because
teens are then more likely to become psychologically distressed, socialize with the wrong crowds, and get into trouble.
Authoritative parenting best helps adolescents achieve
autonomy!
What percentage of adults in the U. S. get married?
90%
American marriages are typically established on
the idea of love
After the honeymoon couples become
less lovey-dovey.
Houston et al. (2001) found that
Parenthood makes marital satisfaction typically decline in the first year after the baby is born and continues to decline thereafter.
What parent characteristics are associated with better adjustment to parenthood?
• Parents who have good problem solving and communication skills, are in good mental health, have real expectations about parenthood, and find adaptive ways to restructure and organize their lives to accommodate a new baby adjust well to parenthood.
What concerns did parents express to O’Brien (1996)?
had parents express concerns about not only having to devote time to the new baby but also deal with the firstborn child’s normal anxieties about the intruder.
Parents are generally not upset about the empty nest because
they have fewer roles and responsibilities and therefore experience less strain and stress. They have more time to focus on marital relationship. They are likely to view emptying of the nest as evidence that they have done their job raising children well. Finally, most parents still contact children so it’s not as if they are really losing the relationship.
____ is more predictive of marital satisfaction than stage of life.
Personality
The gender difference in marriage at age 65 and older is that
72% of men are married and live with their wives but only 42% of women are married and live with their husbands.
Parent-child role reversal is
not the norm.
What percentage of women ages 55-59 report middle generation squeeze.
1/3
Caregiver Burden
psychological disorder associated with the demands of providing care for someone with physical or cognitive impairments
what percent of children will live with a cohabitating couple during their adulthood.
4 out of 10
Who tend to be least happy with their singlehood in old age.
Divorced or widowed (not never-married single adults)
Marital satisfaction of childless couples
tends to be higher than that of couple with children.
Characteristics of good divorce
- adequate financial support - good parenting by the custodial parent and noncustodial parent - minimal conflict between parents - additional social support - minimal other changes
what percent of remarriages end in divorce
60%
Who have more struggle readjusting to remarriage.
Girls
How do the parenting styles changes of custodial mothers differ from those of non-custodial fathers?
• Custodial mothers become impatient and insensitive. Noncustodial fathers become overly permissive.
