Developmental Psychopathology Flashcards
(46 cards)
Studies have shown that psychopathology is usually ________________________________.
The results of accumulating risk factors & several characteristics (like social responsivity and availability of consistent caregiver) reduce likelihood of psychopathology among high-risk children
With respect to the origins of psychopathology and its pathways, investigators view deviant & normal behaviors as….
Having similar origins and having several alternative/different developmental pathways
Give example of similar origins and different developmental pathways of psychopathology
Depression in adolescence can be primarily d/t genetic factors, to heightened stressors, or to low self-esteem exacerbated by normal adolescent developmental phenomena (e.g., concerns about physical appearance)
Fears in childhood – content & stage of development
Fears change w/development
(1) Infancy = loud noises, strange objects, & strangers
(2) Fear of animals peaks at age 3
(3) Fear of dark at ages 4-5
(4) Fear of imaginary creatures after age 5
After age 5, number & intensity of fears decline
(5) Adolescence = Fears related to social & sexual situations
What percentage of children have fears that are excessive or unrealistic?
Only about 5% over age of 5
What is the most effective tx for excessive childhood fears?
Self-control procedure that involves making self-statements (i.e., I am brave and I can take care of myself in the dark) was MOST effective
What are some other effective txs for excessive childhood fears?
Modeling; contact desensitization; participant modeling
What is contact desensitization?
Variation on systematic desensitization where therapist models each step on anxiety hierarchy before exposing child to it (has been effective for snake phobia & fear of swimming pools)
What is participant modeling particularly useful for?
Tx children who fear animals and/or dental/medical procedures, who have test anxiety, & who display social withdrawal
Trajectory of aggression in childhood
Before age 1, boys & girls show similar levels but then boys become more aggressive & girls become less aggressive during next few years
What kind of aggression are boys more likely to engage in as compared to girls?
Boys = overt (verbal & physical) aggression Girls = relational aggression
What are reasons for gender differences in aggression?
Not well understood, but likely due to combination of biological & environmental factors
What is an example of biological & environmental combination for aggression?
Prenatal androgen exposure (greater in boys than girls) increases disposition to aggression & environmental factors determine whether potential for aggression is realized
What are some environmental variables that have been linked to aggression?
Parenting style, cognitive factors, & television viewing
What kinds of homes do highly aggressive children often come from?
Parents are rejecting & lacking in warmth, very permissive or indifferent toward child’s aggressiveness & rely on power assertive discipline as means of control
What kind of attachment pattern have studies shown aggressiveness to be associated with?
Insecure/resistant attachment pattern & lax monitoring of children’s activities & behaviors
What did Patterson & colleagues develop with respect to aggression in childhood?
Coercive family interaction model of aggression
Describe the coercive model of aggression
Reflects social learning perspective & proposes that children learn to act aggressively as result of both imitation & rewards they receive for acting in aggressive ways
How do parents of highly aggressive often reinforce aggressive behavior?
By responding with attention or approval; they also model aggression through their parenting practices which typically involve high rates of commands combined with inconsistent, harsh, physical punishment
2 cognitive factors that may underlie aggression in children include
Social cognitions including perceptions of self-efficacy (ability to perform aggressive acts) and expectations about response outcomes (rewards/punishments that follow bx)
With respect to cognitive factors that may underlie aggression, how did aggressive children & non-aggressive children differ in one study?
Aggressive children reported aggressive acts were easier to perform, inhibiting them was difficult, and they felt confident that aggression would have positive outcomes including reducing aversive tx by others
What are the 5 steps of Dodge & Crick’s cognitive model of aggression?
(1) Encoding of social cues
(2) Interpretation of social cues
(3) Response search
(4) Response evaluation
(5) Response enactment
Skillful processing at each step of cognitive model of aggression will lead to what?
Competent performance w/in situation whereas biased or deficient processing will lead to deviant & possibly aggressive, antisocial bx
Example of cognitive model of aggression
Aggressive children more likely than nonaggressive to interpret ambiguous acts of other as intentionally hostile