Social emotional functions of BHD & Mental health Flashcards
How do mood disorders differ from emotions?
Mood disorders, such as depression or anxiety disorders, differ from the emotion of feeling sad or anxious; the former are persistent conditions, while the latter are temporary emotional responses.
What are the key components of emotions?
Physiology: The bodily responses associated with emotions (e.g., heart rate, sweating).
Phenomenology (Experience): The subjective experience or feeling associated with the emotion (e.g., feeling happy, sad).
Expression/Signaling: How emotions are communicated to others (e.g., facial expressions, body language).
Cognitions: The thoughts and beliefs that accompany emotions (e.g., interpreting a situation).
Behavior: The actions taken as a result of emotional experiences (e.g., crying, laughing).
Why do we experience emotions?
Not Random: Emotions are not experienced randomly; they are responses to perceived changes in situations that matter to us.
Appraisal: Our perception or evaluation of events, known as appraisal, determines our emotional responses.
Individual Differences: Different individuals can have varying emotional responses to the same event due to unique appraisals.
Significance: Emotions arise from our observations and assessments of how events affect our lives.
What is the evaluation (appraisal) process in emotions?
Stimulus or Event: An event occurs (e.g., “The entry requirements for medicine are lowered,” or “Taylor Swift comes to NZ”).
Appraisal: The event is evaluated for its meaning and significance.
Emotional Response: Different individuals respond emotionally based on their appraisals:
What are the reasons behind the existence of emotions?
Evolved Biological Phenomena: Emotions are products of evolution, serving essential functions.
Evidence in Other Species: Emotions are not exclusive to humans; they can also be observed in other animals.
Influence of Evolutionary Theory: Darwin’s work, particularly The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872), supports the idea that emotions have evolutionary significance.
Human Emotion vs. Other Species: Humans have a broader range of emotions due to our advanced capacities and unique lifestyles.
Facilitated Adaptation: Emotions were shaped through evolution to help us adapt to various events, serving important purposes in survival and social interaction.
What does a biological view of emotions suggest about their expression and recognition across different cultures?
Cultural Similarity: Emotions are believed to be similar across cultures, supported by early evidence such as Ekman’s research in the 1960s, which indicated similarities in expression and recognition of emotions.
Variations in Emotion Systems: Despite similarities in expression, there are cultural variations in how emotions are valued and experienced.
Example: In many Asian cultures, ‘low arousal’ positive emotions (like contentment and calm) are more highly valued compared to ‘high arousal’ positive emotions (like excitement).
What evidence supports the evolutionary basis of emotions in infants?
Response Patterns: Infants exhibit response patterns that align with adult emotions, such as frustration, fear, and happiness.
Social Awareness: They are highly attuned to emotions in their social environment, using others’ expressions as informational cues.
Emotional Competence: Infants show surprising competence in recognizing and discriminating among different emotions, demonstrating this ability as early as 4 months of age.
How do emotions change throughout the lifespan?
Increased Emotional Repertoire: As we develop, we acquire more complex emotions, including social-moral emotions such as embarrassment, pride, guilt, and shame.
Better Decoupling: Older individuals are more skilled at experiencing emotions without allowing them to dictate their behavior.
Blended Emotional Experiences: Emotional experiences tend to become more blended and nuanced with age.
What is emotion regulation and why is it important?
Definition: Emotion regulation refers to the processes by which individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express them (Gross, 1998).
Importance:
It is crucial for healthy emotional functioning and is a sophisticated skill.
Adults typically express emotions in a regulated state, while infants and small children have limited ability to regulate emotions, often relying on parents for support.
Emotion regulation is complex, dependent on knowledge and capacity.
Examples: Techniques include situation reappraisal, situation selection, distraction, suppression, avoidance (e.g., substances), disclosure, mindfulness, and response modulation (e.g., deep breathing).
How do emotions influence symptom attention?
Emotions can affect the awareness and sensitivity to symptoms, leading to greater reporting and recognition of health issues.
What role do emotions play in medical contact and detection?
Emotions influence the likelihood of seeking medical help and participating in health screenings, affecting early detection of conditions.
How do emotions affect treatment decision-making?
Emotional states can impact individuals’ choices regarding treatment options, influencing their approach to managing health.
What is the relationship between emotions and treatment adherence?
Emotions and emotion regulation play a significant role in following prescribed treatment plans and maintaining adherence.
How do emotions influence the health journey?
Emotions affect the overall experience and management of health, shaping individuals’ perceptions and responses throughout their health journey.
In what ways do emotions contribute to disease dynamics?
Emotions can influence the initiation, progression, and diagnosis of diseases, affecting both physical and mental health outcomes.
What health outcomes are linked to negative emotions?
Negative emotions have been associated with various conditions, including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and the common cold.
Which negative emotions are particularly linked to heart disease?
Emotions such as anger, anxiety (fear), and sadness have been specifically linked to heart disease. Negative emotions can lead to heart muscle damage, alterations in clotting processes, and increased physiological arousal.
What beneficial health outcomes are linked to positive emotions?
Positive emotions, particularly happiness and pride, are associated with quicker physiological recovery, lower mortality, reduced readmission rates, and greater survival time in cancer.
How does emotion regulation skill affect heart health?
Poor self-regulation is a predictor of cardiovascular disease outcomes, as shown in the Normative Aging Study. The ability to express emotions is linked to heart rate variability, indicating a connection between emotion regulatory skills and cardiovascular health
How do emotions influence health behaviors?
Emotions affect health indirectly through behavior, with negative emotions predicting poorer health behaviors and positive emotions predicting better health behaviors.
What health behaviors are associated with greater negative emotions?
Greater negative emotions are linked to damaging health behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, poor diet, overeating, less exercise, and smoking (initiation, cessation, relapse)
What types of health behaviors are associated with positive emotions?
Positive emotions generally predict better health behaviors, contributing to healthier lifestyle choices.
What is the impact of routine negative emotions on health behaviors?
Experiencing greater negative emotions on a regular basis is associated with a higher likelihood of engaging in harmful health behaviors.
How do negative emotions affect our perception of health symptoms?
Negative emotions can increase awareness of symptoms, change how we interpret them, and alter our responses, often leading to elevated symptom reports.
What is the relationship between negative affect and symptom reporting?
Negative affect is associated with elevated reports of non-specific symptoms due to a tendency to focus more inwardly.
Is the relationship between emotions and symptom reporting one-directional?
No, the relationship is likely bidirectional; negative emotions can increase symptom awareness, while experiencing symptoms can also affect emotional state.
How do positive emotions influence our experience of symptoms?
Positive emotions are associated with fewer aches and pains and increased attention to self-relevant health information.
How do emotional responses affect help-seeking behavior?
Negative emotions can drive help-seeking behavior, but the outcome depends on the source of the emotional response; for example, fear may lead to avoidance.
When can positive emotions play a role in health screening?
Positive emotions can occur after receiving a negative diagnosis and may help sustain health-seeking behavior or motivate individuals to repeat screenings over time.
How do emotions influence medical decision-making?
Emotions significantly influence decision-making, especially under stress or in situations that are complex or uncertain.
What role do negative emotions play in treatment decision-making?
Negative emotions, such as embarrassment, can predict avoidance of treatment, particularly in sensitive areas like sexual health.
How do positive emotions impact health decision-making?
Positive emotions can facilitate health decision-making, as described by the Broaden and Build Model (Fredrickson, 1998).
How does fear of taking treatment affect adherence?
Fear of taking the treatment makes individuals less likely to adhere to their prescribed regimen.
How does fear about health influence treatment adherence?
Fear about one’s health can increase the likelihood of adhering to treatment.
What effect does feeling disgusted by treatment have on adherence?
Feeling disgusted by the treatment makes individuals less likely to adhere.
How does feeling disgusted by symptoms impact treatment adherence?
Feeling disgusted by experienced symptoms can increase the likelihood of adhering to treatment.
What is
attachment?
Strong, enduring, affectionate connection that humans share with the special people in their lives
What is the cupboard view of attachment?
The cupboard view suggests that attachment is primarily based on the provision of food and physical needs for survival, as proposed by Freud and others.
What is the comfort view of attachment?
The comfort view, advocated by Harlow and others, posits that attachment goes beyond physical needs; babies also require contact comfort and emotional love for healthy development.
What concept did Harlow’s study highlight regarding attachment?
Harlow’s study highlighted the concept of “contact comfort,” indicating that emotional support and physical contact are crucial for developing attachment, beyond just meeting basic needs like hunger.
What are the key principles of Bowlby’s attachment theory?
Bowlby (1969) emphasized the significance of relationships throughout life, viewing the mother-infant bond as an evolved response essential for survival. He proposed that babies possess built-in behaviors, such as crying, that promote proximity to caregivers, facilitating emotional and social development through responsive interactions, which form the basis for early relationships
Proximity seeking
Actively seeking to be near the primary caregiver, especially when distressed.
Comfort Seeking
Seeking comfort when upset and being easily soothed by the caregiver.
Separation/Stranger Anxiety
Feeling upset at the departure of a familiar caregiver and exhibiting fear of strangers.
Secure Base
Caregivers provide a secure base from which the child feels confident to explore their environment.
What is the secure attachment pattern?
Characteristics: Children use caregiver as a secure base; show distress when caregiver leaves; seek comfort upon return.
Parental Responsiveness: High (≈60%).
What is the insecure avoidant attachment pattern?
Characteristics: Children are indifferent to caregiver’s departure and return; do not seek much contact or comfort.
Parental Responsiveness: Low (≈15%).
What is the insecure-anxious/ambivalent attachment pattern?
Characteristics: Children show significant distress when caregiver leaves; ambivalent upon return (seek and then resist comfort).
Parental Responsiveness: Inconsistent (≈15%).
What is the disorganized attachment pattern?
Characteristics: Children appear depressed/unresponsive/fearful; lack an organized strategy for achieving closeness when distressed.
Parental Responsiveness: Erratic, frightening, intrusive, or withdrawal (≈10%; up to 80% in maltreated populations).
Parenting Styles
Authoritative: High responsiveness, reasonable demands.
Permissive: High responsiveness, low demands.
Authoritarian: Low responsiveness, high demands.
Uninvolved: Low responsiveness, low demands.
Quality of Caregiving - Parenting
The best predictor of secure attachment is sensitive, responsive parenting, which fosters a healthy emotional bond between parent and child.
Key Concepts:
Sensitive, Responsive Parenting:
Ability to perceive and interpret child’s signals and intentions.
Responding appropriately and promptly to meet child’s needs.
Goodness of Fit:
Understanding the child’s temperament and matching interaction style.
Ensuring the parenting approach aligns with the child’s environmental demands.
How do infants engage adults in the ‘Serve and Return’ relationship?
Infants are “prewired” to engage adults through behaviors like cooing, crying, and smiling that prompt a response.
Why is the ‘Serve and Return’ relationship important?
It is fundamental for early brain development and social-emotional development, significantly influencing the child’s attachment security.
What does the ‘Serve and Return’ relationship illustrate about development?
It highlights the importance of both genetic/biological factors and environmental influences in a child’s development.
What is child temperament?
Early appearing and stable dispositions that are largely biologically/genetically based and persist into adulthood, influencing behavior in areas like activity, emotion, attention, self-regulation, and sociability.
Stability of Temperament
Temperament persists through adulthood but is likely to become less extreme, e.g., a child may grow from being shy to being more socially engaged.
What are the three categories of child temperament?
Easy (40%): Generally adaptable and positive.
Difficult (10%): More intense and reactive.
Slow-to-warm-up (15%): Initially hesitant but eventually adapts.
What are the two types of temperament in Kagan’s model?
Bold/uninhibited and inhibited, which relates to sensitivity to physical and social stimulation.
What behaviors are associated with a shy/inhibited temperament in infants?
Lower levels of crying and excitability, with increased fearfulness in unfamiliar contexts.
What are the characteristics of toddlers with a shy/inhibited temperament?
They tend to be consistently shy, quiet, and timid, displaying more fear in unfamiliar situations.
What is the concept of “goodness of fit”?
The idea that sensitive parenting can encourage adaptive functioning and positive development by matching parenting styles to a child’s temperament.
How does temperament relate to health risk behaviors?
A ‘bold/uninhibited’ temperament can lead to impulsivity and unsafe behaviors, such as dangerous driving and alcohol dependence.
What factors affect parent-child interaction?
Factors include low socioeconomic status, family stress, family violence, parental mental health/substance abuse, parent attachment history, and major life changes (e.g., divorce, job loss, migration).
How do family circumstances affect parenting?
Family circumstances can make it harder to deal with parenting challenges, such as caring for a sick baby or managing a child’s difficult behavior.
How do parent circumstances influence sensitivity and responsiveness?
Factors like stress and mental health can affect a parent’s ability to be sensitive and responsive, impacting their interaction with the child.
What is the flow-on effect of family context on attachment?
The challenges faced by parents can lead to lower sensitivity and responsiveness, which negatively impacts the quality of attachment between parent and child.
What is the original model of attachment theory based on?
The original model is based on Western middle-class families and individualist culture and values. There is a need to be aware of biases and differences that may not reflect dysfunction in non-Western contexts.
What is toxic stress?
Toxic stress refers to the harmful effects on the body and brain from prolonged or severe stress, particularly due to maltreatment. It disrupts the developing brain architecture and can also affect other organ and immune systems. Increased lifelong risk for physical and psychological disorders.
How does neglect affect neural connections?
The principle of “use it or lose it” applies, meaning that neglect can lead to the loss of neural connections that are not utilized.
Consequences of maltreatment. Behavioural development:
– Physical abuse, exposure violence promotes use of aggressive behaviour by child
– Conduct problems, antisocial behaviour
– Self destructive behavior
– Sexualised/risky behavior assoc. with childhood sexual abuse
– Negative effect on schooling though non-compliance, poor motivation
– Substance abuse
Consequences of maltreatment. Social-emotional development:
- Negative effect on social adjustment/skills & self esteem
- Problems with emotional regulation
- Insecure attachment
- Impaired parenting – some studies show more like to go on to abuse own children
- Increased risk for wide range of mental health problems
- E.g. Depression, anxiety, PTSD
- Abusive mothers more likely to have experienced abuse
- Boys more likely to go on to abuse partners
What is one key way to support parents and caregivers in raising children non-violently?
Provide support and education to teach positive parenting strategies and child development.
How can children’s knowledge of abuse and protection be improved?
Through education and life skills training to help them recognize abuse and interact in positive ways.
What societal norms should be promoted to reduce violence against children?
Norms and values that support pro-social, non-violent behavior.
What kind of economic interventions are recommended to support children?
Income and economic strengthening interventions that increase investments in children.
What services should be provided to children exposed to violence?
Response and support services to assist children who have been exposed to violence.
What legal measures can help protect children from violent punishment?
Implementation and enforcement of laws banning violent punishment by parents, teachers, or caregivers.
Brain Plasticity and Positive Change
Definition: The ability of the nervous system to change its connections.
Development: Early years are crucial, but the brain continues to develop and adapt beyond childhood.
Opportunities: Continuous opportunities exist to promote positive outcomes.
Possibility of Change: Healthy functioning and well-being are always possible, regardless of early experiences.
Social interaction
Definition: Processes by
which people act and react in
relation to others
* Dynamic – Individuals
influence each other’s
behaviour and responses
* e.g., prejudice; aggression,
attraction (ours and other
peoples)
Social influence
Definition: Processes through which we are influenced by others,
such as aligning with others group norms and expectations
Occurs via:
* Interactions between people
* Situational factors
* Social norms/rules/roles
Studies to illustrate key concepts:
* Conformity
* Social roles
* Bystander effect
* Obedience
Conformity
Tendency of people to alter
their behaviour or attitude as a result of group pressure
* Going along with the crowd – accommodate standards/values of peers or group
Normative Influence
Definition: The desire to be liked, accepted, and approved by others drives conformity.
Example: Individuals conform to group norms to avoid rejection.
Informational Influence
Definition: The desire to be correct and understand how to act leads individuals to follow group behavior.
Example: People look to others for guidance in ambiguous situations.
Personality Factors
Key Point: Individuals with lower self-esteem are more prone to conform.
Implication: Self-esteem influences susceptibility to social pressure.
Uniformity of Agreement
Key Point: Higher conformity occurs when all group members give the same incorrect answer.
Example: In group tasks, consensus leads to individual conformity.
Flashcard 5: Social Roles
Definition: Patterns of behavior expected in specific settings influence conformity.
Example: Different behaviors are expected at home versus work.
Flashcard 6: Social Rules
Definition: Provide implicit or explicit behavioral guidelines for specific settings.
Types: Social rules can be formal or informal.
Deindividuation
Definition: Anonymity or lack of personal identity makes individuals more susceptible to social influence.
Effect: May lead to uncharacteristic behavior in groups.
Dissension
Key Point: If even one group member provides a different answer, conformity decreases.
Example: A lone dissenter can encourage independent thinking.
Cultural Factors
Key Point: Conformity tends to be higher in collectivist cultures compared to individualist cultures.
Implication: Cultural values shape conformity behavior.
Group Size
Key Point: Groups of five or more elicit higher conformity than smaller groups.
Example: Larger groups increase pressure to conform.
