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Psychology 1B > Human Development > Flashcards

Human Development Flashcards

0
Q

What are the 4 mains issues concerned with describing developmental change?

A

Stability vs change

Continuity vs discontinuity

Nature and nurture

Critical and sensitive periods

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1
Q

What are the 2 main goals of Developmental Psychology?

A

1) to examine & describe the biological, physical, psychological and behavioural changes that occur as we age
2) ask what causes or drives these changes

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2
Q

Stability vs Change

A

Do our characteristics remain consistent as we age?

  • how development occurs over the lifetime
  • lots of change going on in the first years of life
  • long periods of stability in adulthood (some change does happen here too)
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3
Q

Continuity vs discontinuity

A

What shape does development take?

Is it continuous - like how a plant grows?

Or is it discontinuous where we progress through qualitatively different stages - like a butterfly?

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4
Q

Nature and Nurture

A

To what extent is our development the product of:

Heredity (nature) and/or Environment (nurture)

How do the two interact? Eg the wild boy of Aveyron?

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5
Q

Critical and Sensitive Periods

A

Are some experiences especially important at particular ages?

Critical period - an age range during which certain experiences must occur for development to proceed normally or along a certain path

Sensitive period - an optimal age range for certain experiences BUT if those experiences occur at another time, normal development is possible.

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6
Q

Is the child active or passive in their development?

A

PASSIVE - Rousseau’s “noble savage” - the innocent infant who is helpless against the corruption of the insincere and evil society

ACTIVE - Transactional model argues that children will affect what happens to them just as much as they themselves are affected eg language

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7
Q

What are the ethics associated with studying children?

A

Freedom from harm
Informed consent
Vulnerable group?

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8
Q

Define naturalistic observation

A

When people are observed without interference

Conducted in natural rather than contrived situations

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9
Q

Case studies - advantages and disadvantages

A

-ve - results cannot be generalised to other situations or children

+ve - provide a large amount of rich detail
+ve - provide ideas about the developmental sequence of abilities to then generate hypotheses that can be examined with other methods

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10
Q

What is a cross-sectional design?

A

When subjects are studied at one point in time

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11
Q

What are the advantages of a cross-sectional design?

A
  • less time consuming - lots of data can be collected quickly
  • less expensive
  • answers some questions clearly
  • lessens the possibly of biased sampling
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12
Q

What are the disadvantages of a cross-sectional design?

A
  • does not detect change within the individual, only the group
  • cannot separate out the effects of age from the effects of the cohort
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13
Q

What is a longitudinal design?

A

When subjects are repeatedly tested at different ages over a period of time

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14
Q

What are the advantages of a longitudinal design?

A
  • sensitive to intra-individual changes so essential for studying change in the individual
  • everyone is exposed to the same historical time frame (all from the same cohort)
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15
Q

What are the disadvantages of a longitudinal design?

A
  • time consuming
  • expensive
  • measures may become invalid before the research is complete
  • participants may drop out - move away, drop out or die
  • focus on just one cohort so the results may not be highly generalisable
  • subject to biased sampling
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16
Q

What is a sequential design?

A

Combines both the cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches

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17
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a sequential design?

A

Advantages - most comprehensive

Disadvantages:

  • costliest
  • most time consuming
  • loses information about the individuals by examining the development of groups
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18
Q

Describe previous thinking on how much babies could do

A
  • focus on sensorimotor experiences
  • limited cognitive ability
  • impressions are fragmented and confused
  • very basic functions
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19
Q

Describe more recent thinking on how much babies can do

A
  • infant experience is rich and coherent
  • learning can occur even during the neonatal period
  • can respond to mothers voice and music whilst inside the womb which can be seen when the baby is born
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20
Q

Nature in early development

A

DNA - strings of biochemical material that provide the code for genes (sets down the blueprint for who we are)

Influences the way in which all body & brain cells grow as well as function

Timetable and direction of prenatal growth is controlled by activation of correct genes at correct times

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21
Q

Nurture in early development

A

Physical impact - nutritional stimulation
- is the mother eating a sufficient diet?

Perceptual and Cognitive impact - sensory stimulation
- baby hears the music the mother can hear, feel the emotions the mother is feeling

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22
Q

Define genotype and phenotype

A

Genotype = total genetic endowment inherited by the individual
(the basic genetic blueprint)

Phenotype

  • observable and measurable characteristics & traits of the individual
  • product of the interaction of the genotype with the environment
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23
Q

Explain the impact of the environment on genes

A

Can modify, add to or inhibit the action of genes

  • most cognitions & behaviours are a consequence of many genes (polygenic) and complex gene-environment interactions
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24
Q

Give an example of a gene/environment interaction

A

PKU (Phenylketonuria)

  • a rare genetic condition
  • baby is born without the ability to process protein
  • if untreated, severe mental retardation occurs
  • it is a treatable disease though
  • need to follow a strict diet which is extremely low in phenylalanine particularly when the child is growing
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25
Q

Why do we need to know about the structure of chromosomes?

A

Because if something goes wrong with development, this is where it happens and we can investigate it

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26
Q

Describe Mitosis

A
  • process by which new cells are made
  • cells start to swell & duplicate all it’s chromosome pairs until there is the equivalent to two cells in one
  • this cell then splits in half to make two new cells, each containing 23 pairs of chromosomes
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27
Q

What are operator genes?

A

Genes which activate growth and control builder structural genes

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28
Q

What are structural/builder genes?

A

Genes which code for a product/do the work

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29
Q

Describe how inactive genes can be activated by environmental events

Diamond (2009)

A

Diamond

  • maternal stress prior to the conception of offspring can alter genes in the maternal ova
  • this altered genome can be passed down to offspring
  • stress before pregnancy can affect the child’s development in later life
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30
Q

Describe how genes can alter the effects of the environment

Caspi & Moffat (2006)

A
  • people with a particular version of a gene involved in making serotonin are more likely to develop depression after a stressful life event than those with a different allele of this gene
  • abused children are more likely to develop antisocial personality traits is they have a particular version of a neurotransmitter gene
  • eg after a divorce someone can become more depressed if they have a gene that makes them susceptible for developing depression
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31
Q

Describe the Human Genome Project goals

A
  • identify all the genes in human DNA
  • determine the different sequences of the different chemical base pairs that make up human DNA
  • store this information in databases
  • improve tools for data analysis
  • transfer related technologies to the private sector
  • address the ethical, legal and social issues that may arise form the project
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32
Q

Describe the potential benefits for the Human Genome Project

A
  • improved diagnosis of diseases - stop them or treat them better
  • earlier detection of genetic dispositions to disease - eg pregnancy planning?
  • assess health damage and risks caused by radiation exposure, including low-does exposure
  • exonerate persons wrongly accused of crimes
  • estvalish parernity and other family relationships
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33
Q

Issues with the Human Genome Project

A

Who would get the personal information about your genes?

Who decides what is a disease or a disorder?

Who owns all this information of the different sequences etc?
Who can get access to this information?

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34
Q

Congenital abnormalities and examples

A
  • 7% of infants are born with one
  • evident at birth but may or may nor be observed until childhood or adulthood - can be presents and everything seems fine but something will become apparent later on in childhood
  • can be caused be a problem with the genes and/or chromosomes
  • Huntington’s disease & Cystic Fibrosis
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35
Q

Describe chromosomal abnormalities

A
  • sometimes the distribution of the 46 chromosomes is uneven
  • this means the gamete has too few or too many chromosomes
  • most of these abnormalities are lethal causing a miscarriage
  • but not all, Trisomy 21 (Down’s Syndrome)
  • caused by the inheritance of an extra 21st chromosome
  • have lowered IQ, congenital eye, ear & heart defects as well as a number of distinctive physical features
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36
Q

What are the causes of chromosomal abnormalities?

A

Most common - the uneven segregation of chromosomes

Likelihood of this happening increases with the age of the mother

Ageing Ova Hypothesis - at 35 years, the ova begins to degenerate and produce abnormalities
- subject to more testing as you are more susceptible to abnormalities

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37
Q

Describe Genetic Abnormalities

A
  • when there is a mutation in the structure of one or more genes
  • can happen spontaneously or can be caused by environmental factors such as radiation, drug abuse, disease etc
  • parents can be carriers of hereditary gene defects as recessive traits
  • the problem only occurs if both parents have the harmful version of the gene and if the parents both pass on the harmful gene to the child

Example - Muscular Dystrophy and Haemophilia

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38
Q

What are the three stages of pre-natal development?

A

1) Germinal Period (weeks 1-2)
2) Embryonic Period (week 3-8)
3) Foetal Period (week 8 to birth)

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39
Q

Describe the Germinal Period

A
  • sperm fertilises the female egg (ovum)
  • forms a zygote which then repeatedly goes through cell division to become a mass of cells that attaches to the mother’s uterus about 10 to 14 days after conception
  • the blastocyst also begins to secrete hormones that inhibit menstruation (indicates that the woman is pregnant)
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40
Q

Describe the Embryonic Period

A
  • cell mass is now called an embryo which develops from the end of week 2 to week 8
  • the placenta and umbilical cord develop at the start of this stage so since the cells are provided with nutrients & O2, the cells rapidly divide and become specialised
  • all major biological organs & systems are formed
  • week 8 - heart is beating, brain is forming and facial features such as the eyes can be recognised
  • this is the most sensitive period to disruption (including miscarriage) due the vast amount of vast things happening
  • if anything does go wrong, it can easily affect development
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41
Q

Describe the Foetal Period

A
  • foetus develops from week 9 until birth
  • muscles strengthen and other bodily systems develop
  • many organs & structures are already formed so main focus is on growth and detailed development
  • by 12 weeks the foetus can also suck, breathe and swallow
  • at about 24 weeks, the eyes open
  • around 27 weeks, the foetus attains the age of viability
    (it is likely to survive outside the womb in case of a premature birth)
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42
Q

Describe the development of the brain and the nervous system

A
  • the most dramatic development of any organ in the body
  • the only organ in the body that develops throughout the prenatal period
  • at birth - weighs about 25% of its eventual adult weight
  • 6 months - weighs about 50% of its eventual adult weight
  • first brain areas that mature are deep within the brain & regulate basic survival functions such as heartbeat and breathing
  • rapid brain growth slows in later childhood - at 5 years, the brain has reached 90% of their adult size but brain maturation continues
  • neurons become more insulated, unnecessary synapses are pruned back and lost, association areas of the cortex mature and the cerebral hemispheres become more highly specialised.
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43
Q

Describe research into the development of the brain & nervous system

Pennington, Mo & Zecevic and Watts

A

Pennington (2002)
- findings indicate that 40% of genes are specialised for brain growth and function

Mo & Zecevic (2008)
- identified a gene called PAX-6 which is known to facet prenatal brain development

Watts (2008)
- disorders such as dyslexia and autism have been linked to the impairment of neuronal migration in the prenatal brain

44
Q

What two buffers are there to help prevent trauma on the brain?

A

1) a large numbers of excess of neurons
- if there is damage, there are neurons to spare
2) plasticity of the brain
- able to take on specialised requirements if damage should occur to one part of the brain

  • eg stroke patients - LH damaged so language is affected by can train the RH of the brain to learn language again
  • eg wild boy of Aveyron - never fully learnt language due to passing of critical periods, could learn some basic communication but never fully developed language
45
Q

What are teratogens?

A

External agents that cause abnormal pre-natal development

46
Q

Effect of Rubella on prenatal development

A
  • if contracted especially when the embryo’s eyes, ears, heart & central nervous system are developing, it can cause blindness, deafness, heart defects and mental retardation in the infant
    (Plotkin 2006)
47
Q

Effect of Thalidomide on prenatal development

A

1960’s - given to mothers to try & stop the negative effects of morning sickness

Given the wrong isomer of the chemical which resulted in limb deformities in babies

  • this shows that the placenta acts as a barrier rather than a filter
48
Q

Effect of STD’s on prenatal development

A
  • can be passed from mother to foetus

Untreated syphilis - about 25% of foetuses are born dead

HIV - if untreated during pregnancy or delivery by C-section can result in around 25% of children being infected with the disease too
(Meleski & Damato 2003)

49
Q

What is Foetal Alcohol Syndrome?

A

A severe group of abnormalities that is a result of pre-natal exposure to alcohol

(Streissguth 1977;2001)

  • facial abnormalities and small, malformed brains
  • mental retardation, attentional & perceptual deficits, irritability and impulsivity
50
Q

How can alcohol affect the foetus?

A
  • readily crosses the placenta so the baby is effectively drinking too
  • the does affects the baby too
  • diminishes the available oxygen to the baby
  • link between prenatal alcohol exposure and a range of developmental disabilities characterised by physical, cognitive and behavioural impairments
  • eg foetal alcohol spectrum disorders
  • if you have FASDs - significantly increased risk for mental health problems and poor social adjustment
  • Molina et al (1995) - foetus increases swallowing if alcohol is present in the amniotic fluid
  • prenatal exposure to alcohol has also been linked to offending / violent behaviour
51
Q

How does nicotine affect prenatal development of the foetus?

A
  • no major congenital deficits

Maternal smoking increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight
(Kirchengast & Hartmann, 2003)

Regular tobacco use by fathers has also been linked to low infant birth weight and increased risk of respiratory infections
(Wakefield et al, 1998)

  • decreases O2 by displacing it with CO
  • link between maternal smoking and later offending behaviour?
52
Q

How do drugs affect the foetus?

A

Aspirin - associated with lower IQ

Heroin / Cocaine - babies of using mothers are often born addicted and experience withdrawal symptoms after birth
(cognitive functioning & ability to regulate arousal and attention may also be impaired)

60-80% of mothers take prescription drugs at some time during pregnancy - think they are safe but you need to consider the babies health?

Antidepressants - easily cross the placenta

Amphetamines - cross the placenta & stimulate the nervous system
- baby gets in on the trip too - isn’t ready for the hyper-stimulation

53
Q

How does stress affect the foetus?

A

Causes blood flow to be diverted from the womb

Hormones which can interfere with growth are released

Austin & Leader (2000) found that prolonged maternal stress is associated with a risk of premature birth

54
Q

What did Piaget believe that children could do?

A

Learn & think in a qualitatively different way from adults

Children are natural-born scientists seeking to understand the world

Saw the child as developing in isolation in the sense that they are constructing their own understanding of the world

The child’s own actions on the world are crucial to development - we construct our knowledge by interacting with the world

55
Q

What are the assumptions underlying Piaget’s theory?

A

Nature / Nurture

Sociocultural Influences

Child’s active role

Continuity / Discontinuity

Individual Differences

56
Q

What are schemas & how do they relate to development?

A
  • basic mental structures
  • organised pattern of thought and action

Mental framework that guides our interactions with the world

Cognitive development occurs as we acquire new schemas and as our existing schemas become more complex

57
Q

What is Assimilation?

A

The process by which new experiences are incorporated into existing schema

  • interpret an experience in terms of current ways of thinking

Eg when an infant comes across a new kind of toy/object it will try to fit it into an existing schema such as things are suckable

58
Q

What is Accomodation?

A

The process pay which new experiences cause existing schemas to change

Eg public transport in different counties

Eg as the infant tries to suck most of the objects around it, it will come across some which taste bad so the schema will develop into some things are suckable and some things are not

Eg thinking all animals are the same but they exhibit different behaviours and so on

59
Q

What is Equilibriation?

A

An innate self regulatory process that (through assimilation & accommodation) results in a more organised, powerful and complex schema for adapting to the environment.

60
Q

Describe the details behind Piaget’s stages of development

A
  • they occur in an invariable sequence
  • when a child begins a new stage, schemas are somewhat unstable and disorganised
  • speed of progression is determined by the environment
  • each stage is defined by the appearance of qualitatively different levels of thinking
61
Q

Sensorimotor Stage

Birth to 2 years

A

Understand world through sensory experiences and physical/motor interactions with the world

Significant achievement - development of means end behaviour
- learning has its consequences eg kicking leg makes mobile move

Child’s gradual separation of self from the external environment
- eg they are my feet

Development of Object Permanence

End of this stage is signalled by the onset if deferred imitation

  • imitate something after it has occurred
  • it has stayed in their head
62
Q

What is object permenance?

A

The understanding that an object continues to exist in a particular place even when it is no longer visible

63
Q

Differences in object permanence

A

About 6 months:
- hide a toy from the baby’s view
- to them it no longer exists as it is no longer in view
Eg peek-a-boo

About 1 year:
- will search for the toy and retrieve it

64
Q

Pre operational Stage

2 to 7 years

A

Key feature - semiotic functions
- the ability to use a symbol, an object or a word to stand for something

Don’t quite yet understand basic mental operations or rules

Child can think about past and future events as well as being able to better anticipate the consequences of their actions

Are egocentric - unable to separate their own perspective from that of others

Failure to conserve

65
Q

What is conservation?

A

The principle that basic properties of objects (such as their volume, mass or quantity) stay the same

66
Q

Concrete Operational Stage

7 to 12 years

A

Can perform basic mental operations concerning problems that involve concrete objects and situations

Can easily solve conservation problems
Grasp the concepts of reversibility and display less centration

67
Q

Formal Operational Stage

12+ years

A

Able to think logically and systematically about both concrete and abstract problems

Can form hypotheses and test them in a thoughtful way

Can think about the nature of and their role in society

Internal cognitive structures are now highly organised

68
Q

Describe Samuel & Bryant’s (1984) research

A

Standard Piagetian conservation tasks

3 different conditions - child asked twice, only post-transformation and no question asked

Asked twice can lead to the child believing that their first answer is incorrect

69
Q

Describe McGarrigle & Donaldson’s (1975) research

A

Introduced the naughty teddy into the conservation tasks

Naughty teddy was responsible for the transformation not the experimenter - this was to investigate whether there was a power imbalance between the experimenter and child?

When the naughty teddy was responsible, children as young as 4 were able to provide correct answers

70
Q

Describe Light, Buckingham & Roberts’ (1979) research

A

Modified the liquid conservation task

Pointed out there was a broken edge on one of the identical beakers before transferring the liquid to a third beaker

Children were more successful when given context - broken edge gave the child a reason for behaviour

71
Q

What is attachment?

A

The first relationship is fundamental to shape a child’s social & emotional development

72
Q

What could happen if a child’s attachment is distorted / disturbed?

A

The child may develop psychological difficulties

73
Q

Troisi et al (2006)

A

Investigated the claim that insecure attachment may be a risk factor for eating disorders

Clinical sample of 96 women with anorexia or bulimia

Measured body dissatisfaction, separation anxiety & adult attachment styles

Both groups body dissatisfaction scores correlated highly with the other two measures

Therefore insecure attachment appears to be a consistent correlate of negative body images evaluations of the women with both disorders

74
Q

Describe Freud’s view of the mother/child bond

A

The child’s main drive is to feed and the mother is seen as the source of food

75
Q

Describe Bowlby’s 1940’s research

A

Found that children who spent long periods of time in hospitals and orphanages during early years often showed serious developmental problems

Eg profound withdrawal from social interaction, intellectual impairments and in some cases physical delays

Argued that the cause of these problems could be due to a lack of a close emotional bond between the child and the primary caregiver

76
Q

What did Bowlby believe was essential for mental health?

A

A warm, intimate and continuous relationship with the mother (or permanent mother substitute) in which both find satisfaction and enjoyment

77
Q

Describe the theory of Monotropy (Bowlby)

A

Based on secure attachment with the primary caregiver

Attachment to father or second primary caregiver can support and reinforce the infant’s attachment to the mother

Argued there is an inherent drive in the infant to seek attachment
- this need not be biological parents, can just as easily occur with adoptive parents

78
Q

Bowlby’s sequence of attachment development

A

First 2 months - infants looking for someone to care for them by emitting signalling behaviour indiscriminately

By 6 months - the signals (smiles & cries) become increasingly restricted to the primary caregiver

6 to 12 months - clear signs of the infant’s strong attachment to their caregiver emerge (separation protest & stranger anxiety)

3 years - the relationship between the mother & the child is a partnership and the child appreciates the mothers feelings

  • you will see this fixed behaviour occurring in all children
  • this shows there is a biological basis, it’s an innate quality
79
Q

Bowlby (1944)

A

Retrospective study of childhood experience of delinquent adolescent boys

Had a history of being taken into care, growing up in institutions or moving from one temporary mother-figure to another

Results showed that deprivation of maternal care was a recurring theme in the delinquent boys

80
Q

Goldfarb (1947)

A

Followed the development of 30 kids - half foster, half institution until 3 years then foster care

Assessed children at ages 10 to 14

Institution kids:

  • delayed in terms of intelligence, speech, reading & maths skills
  • frequently found to be restless, lacking in concentration, being fearful, unpopular with other kids and craved adult attention
81
Q

What does Goldfarb’s research show?

A

That there is a critical period for development

Attachment needs to take place in this critical period otherwise development will permanently be stunted and never be able to resolved

82
Q

Describe Lorenz’s critical period

A

Imprinting - irreversible after the critical period

Animal imprints on the first thing it sees moving

83
Q

Describe the human’s critical period

A

Bowlby argued that a human’s critical period was between 6 months and 3 years

During this time, the child needs continuous love and care from one person

Significant separations between the child & the primary caregiver in this period would have serious detrimental effects on development

84
Q

Winnicott (1964/65)

A

Argued for:

  • the importance of the mother’s sensitive response to infant
  • also the importance of the mother allowing the infant to experience tolerable frustrations (let them cry for a while etc)
  • against the perfect mother whose aim was to alleviate all distress immediately
  • for the “good enough” mother whose aim was to be appropriately responsive as well as encouraging independence
  • loving you enough whilst not smothering
85
Q

What are the different types of attachment?

A

Secure, Avoidant, Ambivalent and Disorganised

86
Q

Describe secure attachment

A

Child cries during separation from the mother
Easily soothed upon reunion
Actively sought and maintained proximity with the mother
Distress during separation period - related to mothers absence
Child preferred mother to stranger

87
Q

Describe avoidant attachment

A

Infant shunned contact with mother upon reunion

Mother and stranger treated in very similar ways throughout the situation

88
Q

Describe ambivalent attachment

A 
Infant very upset at mothers departure 
Not easily comforted on mothers return 
Resists contact but combines this with proximity seeking behaviour
Shows anger towards mother at reunion 
Resists comfort from stranger
89
Q

Describe disorganised attachment

A

Child appears to be dazed, confused or apprehensive

Shows no coherent way of coping with the separation and reunion

90
Q

Describe the link between post-natal depression & attachment

A
  • PND affects around 10% of all mothers
  • can impair the early mother-infant interaction
  • depressed mothers:
    speak less, are less responsive, present with a ‘flat’ affect and express more negative emotions
    remember babies respond to our facial expressions
  • this may interfere with information processing abilities as well as social/emotional development
91
Q

PND & Attachment research

Cicchetti, Rogosch & Toth (2000)

A
  • reported the efficacy of a preventative psychotherapeutic intervention
  • aimed at specifically improving early mother-infant relationships in terms of positive interaction and maternal affect
  • the negative impact of PND was abolished
92
Q

Describe cross-cultural research on attachment

A

Bowlby & Ainsworth claimed that attachment between the infant and the primary caregiver was universal and had a biological basis

Ainsworth replicated the original Uganda study in the US and found many similarities - shows there is a biological basis???

Also found a very similar distribution of the 3 attachment patterns:
70% were securely attached, 20% were avoidant and 10% were ambivalent

93
Q

Sibling attachment - Bank & Kahn (1976)

A
  • kids learn about behaviour by observing and interacting with their siblings
  • through comparison and contrast, children use their families to help in identity construction
  • you aim to be different enough to not to have to engage in direct competition - different paths and achievements
94
Q

Sibling attachment - Sulloway (1996)

A

Importance of birth order in these relationships and attachments

Role of age and gender - similarity breeds contempt (eg sisters hating each other)

Contribution of siblings to development can be direct or indirect

95
Q

Describe the active role of the sibling in attachment

A

Direct role as a teacher

Eg reading, language, modelling, how things work, takes care etc

Zukow-Goldring (1995)
- teacher role helps older sibling with their own reading and language achievement, competence and confidence

BUT need to be careful as the older child needs to be carefree too

Marshall et al (1997) - if the role of teacher is too demanding then it impedes on other aspects of life

96
Q

Describe the indirect role of the sibling in attachment

A

Expectations from older children influence their views on the younger child

Whiteman & Buchanan (2002)
- parents experience with the first born child influences their expectations for the younger child

Bronfenbrenner (1977)
- teachers expectations of younger siblings is influenced by their experiences with the older siblings

Transactional nature of development & attachment

  • all things interact with each other
  • you are an active agents as well as others
97
Q

Describe the Gatehouse Project (Patton et al 2003)

A
  • current educational application to attachment
  • school context as a form of attachment?

Secure emotional connections provide a base for psychological and social development

Sound attachments underpin well-being throughout life

3 facets of the school social context underpin an individual’s sense of attachment - security, communication and positive regard

98
Q

Describe the link between brain development and children’s mental health

A

Early experience determines which parts of the brain grow & which parts don’t

Early exposure to negative experiences (eg abuse & neglect) limits long-term capacity to regulate feelings

Good early attachment to primary caregiver serves to promote resilience to later traumatic experiences

99
Q

The use-dependent brain

A

Under conditions of stress & threat, the cortex is bypasses and we rely on the quicker response of the mid and limbic brain

Insecure attachment = hyperarousal

  • if stress & threat is chronic in early life, the connections to the cortex are not reinforced
  • this leads to constant states of hyperarousal or frozen dissociative responses which are hard to change
100
Q

Describe the link between Attachment & Internal Working Models

A

Early emotional & social experiences that we have help us to construct an internal working model of relationships that effects the way that we relate to the external world

Not all children will construct positive internal models and as a result, may view the world as a hostile and threatening place

101
Q

What can disrupt secure attachment?

A
  • Child / adult illness
  • Disruption in the relationship
  • Factors which inhibit the adults’ ability to think/feel what the child needs
  • Factors which inhibit adults’ ability to provide what the child needs
102
Q

What are the 4 styles of parenting?

Baumrind (1967)

A

Warm - communicate love & care for the child

Hostile - express rejection & behave as if they do not care about the child

Restrictive - enforce rules

Permissive - have few rules

103
Q

Describe permissive parenting

A

Low on control

  • lax on rules
  • inconsistent on discipline

High on warmth

  • highly accepting
  • frequent expressions of love
104
Q

Describe authoritarian parenting

A

High on control

  • tough on discipline & obedience
  • highly structured environment

Low on warmth

  • little in the way of warmth
  • emotionally distant
105
Q

Describe authoritative-reciprocal parenting

A

High on control

  • structured environment
  • strong consistent discipline

High on warmth

  • show feelings and affection towards the child
  • accepting towards the child
106
Q

Describe what each type of parenting produces in terms of their children

Authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent and neglectful parents

A

Authoritative:
- children have high self-esteem and are high school achievers

Authoritarian:
- children have low self-esteem and are poor school performers

Indulgent parents:
- children are immature & self-centred

Neglectful children:
- children are poorly motivated, impulsive and aggressive

107
Q

Define stranger anxiety

A

Distress over contact with unfamiliar people

108
Q

Define separation anxiety

A

Distress over being separated from a primary caregiver

Psychology 1B (5 decks)

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