week 2- theories and models Flashcards
what does Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model state?
-states childhood is impacted by multiple systems such as home, neighbourhood, and school
what are some risk factors listed by Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model?
-risk factors such as low ses, ethnic minority status, marital discord, family legal problems, and lack of social support are associated with increased child mental health concerns
what thing do parents do that effects child behaviours (according to Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model)?
parents/caregivers responsiveness
Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model states: children require a basic quality of life that includes ______________________________
a safe community, good schools, proper health and nutrition, access to friends their own age, and opportunities to develop close relationships with extended family and members of their community
what does a theory allow us to do?
allows us to make educated guesses and predictions about behaviour based on samples of knowledge, moving us forward to explore possible explanations
what does etiology mean?
the study of the causes of disorders, which considers how biological, psychological, and environmental processes interact
what is developmental psychopathology as an approach?
An approach to describing and studying disorders of childhood and adolescence in a manner that emphasizes the importance of developmental processes and tasks. This approach uses abnormal development to inform normal development and vice versa
according to developmental psychopathology, to understand atypical behaviour adequately, one must view it in relation to _____________________
what is typical for a given period of development
what are the 2 underlying assumptions of child psychopathology?
- Child psychopathology is multiply determined
- The child and environment are interdependent
what does it mean that “child psychopathology is multiply determined?”
we have to look beyond the child’s current symptoms and consider developmental pathways and interacting events that, over time, contribute to the expression of a particular disorder.
BASICALLY
we have to take a multidimensional perspective
what does it mean that the child and environment are interdependent?
abnormal child behavior is determined by both the child and his or her environment, and that these two factors are interconnected (they influence eachother)
what is the dynamic interaction of child and environment also referred to as?
a transaction
why are the child and environment viewed as a transaction?
The child and the environment both contribute to the expression of a disorder, and one cannot be separated from the other.
A transactional view regards both children and the environment as ______________ to typical and atypical behavior
active contributors
what does it mean for child psychopathology to be CONTINUOUS
implies that developmental changes are gradual and quantitative (i.e., expressed as amounts that can be measured numerically, such as weight and height changes) and that future behavior patterns can be predicted from earlier patterns.
what does it mean for child psychopathology to be DISCONTINUOUS
implies that developmental changes are abrupt and qualitative (i.e., expressed as qualities that cannot be measured numerically, such as changes in mood or expression) and that future behavior may be poorly predicted by earlier patterns of behavior.
give an example of a continuous child psychopathology scenario
consider an elementary school child who uses physical aggression with peers, What would you expect that child to be like 10 years later? According to the notion of continuity, they would be more likely to engage in disruptive or antisocial behaviors as an adolescent and adult. That is, the pattern of concerning behavior (in this case, physical aggression) is continuous across developmental periods, although it gradually changes in form and intensity. Biting a peer may turn into repeatedly striking someone with a fist or object
what type of disorders is continuity supported for?
early-onset and persistent conduct disorders (which have a significant likelihood of later evolving into serious antisocial acts)
what is an example of a discontinuous disorder? why?
eating disorders
-because they occur more suddenly and without much prior early childhood warning. In these cases, there are few good behavioral predictors from early childhood as to why a particular child begins to restrict eating or to purge food during early adolescence
what are developmental cascades?
The process by which a child’s previous experiences and interactions may spread across other systems and alter his or her course of development.
what is epigenetics?
the study of how behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way an individual’s genes work.
what does adaptational failure mean?
the failure to master or progress in accomplishing developmental milestones.
what causes adaptational failure?
rarely due to a single cause, but typically results from an ongoing interaction between individual development and environmental conditions.
what is an indication of adaptational failure
child psychological disorders
what does the organization of development perspective posit? give an example
that early patterns of adaptation evolve over time and transform into higher-order functions in a structured manner. For instance, infant eye contact and speech sounds evolve and transform into speech and language.
if a child becomes selectively mute following a traumatic experience of witnessing violence, how would the organization of development perspective explain it?
As the child’s biological abilities unfold during each new stage of development, they interact with environmental factors to direct and redirect the course of development.
what are sensitive periods?
Windows of time during which environmental influences on development (both good and bad) are heightened, thus providing enhanced opportunities to learn.
what is neural plasticity?
The malleable nature of the brain, evidenced throughout the course of development (use-dependent).
what happens during neuron differentiation?
certain synapses of the brain are strengthened and stabilized, while others regress and disappear.
what 2 things are important for forming proper brain connections?
early caregiving experiences, prenatal experiences
Brain maturation is an organized, hierarchical process that builds on earlier function, with brain structures _____________ throughout the life span
restructuring and growing
primitive areas of the brain develop first. what do they govern?
basic sensory and motor skills
what does the prefrontal cortex do?
governs planning and decision-making
what does the cerebellum do?
center for motor skills
when is the cerebellum rewired?
5 to 7 years old
when does major restructuring of the brain occur? why?
ages 9-11, for pubertal development
what life stage does the brain start pruning unnecessary synaptic connections?
adolescence
where are genes distributed? how many are they distributed to?
chromosomes – 22 matched pairs and 1 pair of sex chromosomes (23 pairs in total)
which genetic influences are expressed early in development
behavioural inhibition and shyness
which genetic influences are expressed later in development
depressive cognitive style
the expression of genetic influences is __________ and _______________
malleable and responsive to the social environment.
how do genes produce a behaviour? (sequence of events)
a gene is a stretch of dna, which produces a protein, which produces tendencies to respond to the environment in a certain way
do your genes mean the outcome of a behaviour is sure to happen/inevitable
no
rewrite this false notion: “genes determine behavior”
Genes influence how we respond to the environment, and the environment influences our genes
what is GxE?
gene environment interaction – the complex interplay of nature and nurture to account for genetic and environmental influences and their timing.
