Psychology 2042A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Developmental Psychopathology, Inflectional Phrase, The Young Professionals
30 Apr 2018
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Chapter 2- Theories and Causes:
• Nearly all child and fam disturbances result from multiple, interacting risk factors and
processes- probs may be considered in relation multiple levels infl= individ, fam, comm
and cult- rather attributed one factor
• Some influences (bio factors and effects env) cont within child, whereas many others
(fam patterns and cult norms) lie various distances from child’s immediate surroundings
What is causing Jorge’s problems?
• Poss interrel causes behav
o Bio influences
o Emotional influences (view inner world)- emotional reactivity and expression
ways infants and young children first comm w world around them and ability
regulate emotions as they adapt critical aspect early relationships w caregivers
o Behavioural and cognitive influences- self-expressions and other cogs offer
window inner world, may provide clues miss when observing their actions
o Family, cultural and ethnic influences- need adults respond sensitively (worsen),
children minority groups face challenges adapting receiving cult= acculturation
(may be caught b/w two cults)
▪ Biculturalism- child/ adolescent strives adapt both their heritages and
receiving cult, most adaptive approach acculturation
• Clinicians and researchers often attempt visualize multiple causes allow assessment and
intervention to address them properly
Theoretical foundations:
• Def what abnorm within context ongoing adaption and dev and sorting out most probable
causes ident probs= complicated- v few simple/ direct cause-and-effect relationships exist
• Need to appreciate dev processes as well as individ and sit events can have major bearing
course and direction part child’s life
• Theory- lang sci allows us assemble and comm existing knowledge more
comprehensively= permits make edu guesses and predictions about behav based samples
knowledge, moving forward explore poss explans- offers guidance pursuit causal explans
• Etiology- study of causes childhood disorders= considers how bio, psych and env
processes interact produce outcomes observed over time
• Factors often described poss “causes” in fact, primarily risk factors and correlates ass w
certain disorders- causal role not always clear
• Focus single explans failed consider other influences and interactions- one-dimensional
models don’t capture complexities abnorm child behav increasingly evident research=
multiple, interactive causes
Developmental psychopathology perspective:
• Developmental psychopathology- approach describing and studying disorders childhood,
adolescence and beyond in manner emph importance dev processes and tasks
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• Useful framework org study abnorm child psych around milestones and sequences in
physical, cog, social-emotional and edu dev
• Emph role dev processes, importance context and influence multiple and interacting
events in shaping adaptive and maladaptive dev
• Understand maladaptive behav adequately, must view in relation what is norm for given
period dev-main focus highlighting dev processes and how funct, by looking at extremes
and variations dev outcomes
• Emph importance and complexity bio, familial and sociocult factors in predicating and
understanding dev changes- draws knowledge several disciplines and integrates
knowledge within dev framework
• Provide answers but also raising new qs and looking fam probs in dif ways
Abnormal development is multiply determined:
• Need to look beyond current symptoms and consider dev pathways and interacting events
that, over time, cont expression part disorder
• Sci method emph need simplify variables one most importance, but focusing primary
explan rather than ident and allowing several poss explans fails consider concept dev
pathways- part prob/ disorder may stem form variety causes and sim risk factors may lead
v dif outcomes
• Need to consider multiple influences cont to probs
Child and environment are interdependent:
• Interdependent= influence each other- appreciates how nature and nurture work together
and in fact are interconnected- children elicit dif reactions same env; dif envs, home/
school, elicit dif reactions from same child
• Dynamic interaction child and env= transaction- child and env both contribute expression
disorder and cannot be separated from each other= both active contributors adaptive and
maladaptive behav
• Children act on their env and their env acts on them- disorders emerge combination
factor, interact ways follow gen laws org dev
• Transactional view considers gen principles dev apply all children also sensitive individ
circs- fam/ bio makeup- infl/ alter typical outcomes
Abnormal development involves continuities and discontinuities:
• Few psych disorders/ impairments suddenly emerge w/o at least some warning signs/
connections earlier dev issues
• Continuity- dev changes gradual and quantitative (expressed amounts can be measured
numerically, like weight and height changes) and future behav patterns can be predicted
from earlier patterns
• Discontinuity- dev changes abrupt and qualitative (expressed qualities cannt be measured
numerically, like changes mood/ expression) and future behav poorly predicted earlier
patterns
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• Continuity refers patterns behav, rather than specific symptoms remain over time= well
supp early onset and persistent conduct disorders, have sig likelihood later evolving into
serious antisocial acts
• Other prob behavs, such as eating disorders, seem follow more discont pattern= occur
more suddenly and w/o prior warning- few good behav predictors why start occur
• Some cases connection b/w early and later patterns eem abrupt and discont= baffling
parents ex: kids dev norm 18 month and then loss lang and reduced social engagement
(autism)= unexpected/ atypical outcome
• Positive (individ competence/ social intervention) and neg factos (pov/ discrim) can infl
continuity/ discont dev over time
• Jorge=troubles, school and homework avoidance, seem qual dif (discont) from reading
disorder and other behavs, slow reading and comp, seem follow (continuity) from earlier
academic probs
• Wide fluctuations way probs expressed over time, how some degree consistency prg exp
and interacting w env, whether consistency adaptive/ maladaptive- degree cont/ disont
vary funct changing env circs and transactions b/w child and env= affect dev course and
direction
• Study abnorm child psych must consider abnorm in relation multiple, interdep causes and
major dev changes typ occur across life cycle
Changes, typical and atypical:
• Guidelines typ
sequence dev
across several
important
dimensions
helpful, but must
keep in mind
age in years
arbitrary way
segment cont
sequences of dev
• Childrens behav
interconnected
w env and infl
bio makeup
• Developmental cascade- process child’s previous interactions and experiences may
spread across other systems and alter course dev, somewhat like a chain reaction= helps
explain how processes funct one level/ domain behv (curiosity) can affect how child
adapts other challenges later on (academic perf)
An integrative approach:
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Document Summary
The nature of genes: gene- stretch dna and by itself produces protein not behav, emotion/ thought= rarely cause behav happen btu produce tendencies respond env certain ways, have genetic vulnerabilities, tendencies and predispositions, but rarely outcomes inev. Psychological perspectives: some seemingly maladaptive behavs may be understandable when considered in context child"s env if involves parental abuse/ school violence. Infant-caregiver attachment: attachment- process est and maint emotional bond w parents/ other sig individs- process ongoing, typ beginning 6-12 months and provides ecure, consistent base explore and learn about world. Infant motivated maint balance b/w desire preserve fam and seek and explore new info: self-reliance dev when attachment figure provides secure base exploration. Internal working model- what expects from others and how relates others- emerges first crucial relationship and carried forward into later relationships: attachment feats constitute one aspect human relationships- insecure attachment been implicated number childhood disorders, but not causal.
