January 2020 Flashcards
Identify in the correct order the four life stages that follow early adulthood
- Adolescence
- Early adulthood
- Middle adulthood
- Later adulthood
Describe the concepts of growth and development
. Growth is variable across different parts of the body
(1) and is measured using height, weight and
dimensions (1).
* Development follows an orderly sequence (1) and is
the acquisition of skills and abilities (1).
Explain the difference between between gross and fine motor skills in early childhood
Gross motor skills manoeuvre large muscle groups (1)
e.g. coordinating functions for running/skipping/ riding a
bike (1).
Fine motor skills coordinate precise, small movements
involving the hands/wrists/toes/lips/tongue (1) writing
/using scissors/controlling a computer mouse (1).
Discuss how Piaget’s model may explain children’s development of schemas
- Piaget viewed schemas as the basic unit or building
block of intelligent behaviour (1) - A schema is a mental concept that informs a person
about what to expect from a variety of experiences
and situations (1) - A schema describes a pattern of thought or behavior
that organizes categories of information and the
relationships among them (1). E.g. Understanding
that all blue cars are not ‘daddy’s car’ just because
daddy’s car is blue, but belongs to the category
‘cars’ (1) - It can be described as a mental structure of
preconceived ideas, a framework representing some
aspect of the world (1) e.g. a horse is large, has
hair, four legs, and a tail (1) When encountering a
cow for the first time, they might initially call it a
horse (1) - If parents explain that the animal is actually a very
small type of horse, they must at this time modify
their existing schema for horses (1). They now
realise that while some horses are very large
animals, others can be very small (1). Through new
experiences, existing schemas are modified and new
information is learned (1).
The stages of schema formation may be referenced:
In assimilation, new information is incorporated into pre-existing schemas.
In accommodation, existing schemas might be altered or
new schemas might be formed as a person learns new
information
Discuss how early attachment may impact on emotional and social development
Early relationships: e.g.
* Early bonding with mother and/or father is vital for
secure attachment
* Examples of what this bonding may entail
* If mother or father absent or not able to bond, there
should be bonding with a key carer
* Reference to Bowlby/Ainsworth’s or other relevant
theories of attachment
Adult relationships: e.g. insecure attachment may
impact on:
* Ability to form close relationships e.g. with a
husband/wife/partner/friends
* Ability to understand another person’s point of
view or wishes
* Individuals may find it difficult to trust others
* Ability to form professional relationships
* Excessive use of illegal drugs/alcohol – criminal
behaviour
Adult behaviour: Secure attachment e.g.
* Should behave in a polite and civil way towards others
* Should respect other people’s differences
* Ability to be compassionate
* Ability to forgive
Critique of attachment theory
* Czech twins discovered at the age of 7, having
been cut off from the outside world, and abused
by their stepmother. At the age of 14 they had
formed meaningful attachments and showed
normal social functioning. This undermines (not
disproves) Bowlby’s theory.
* Not found genes, that control attachment, which
can suggest that attachment isn’t innate.
* Schaffer and Emmerson/Rutter’s studies showed
1/3 that formed multiple attachments with no preferred attachment figure
Identify two predictable life events that may occur in early adulthood
- Marriage/long term romantic partnership/civil
partnership (1) - Starting a family/Planned pregnancy (1)
- Promotion at work (1)
- Buy/rent first home independently (1).
Describe two ways the perimenopause may affect Sarah
- Oestrogen levels decrease (1) stop producing eggs
(1) - Progesterone levels decrease (1) menstruation
stops (1) - Vaginal dryness (1) loss of libido (1)
- Night sweats (1) disrupted sleep patterns (1)
- Fluctuation in hormone levels (1) leading to mood
swings (1)
Sarah has Huntington’s disease and is worried her children may also develop this disease
Describe the physical impact of two other conditions that may be inherited
- Muscular dystrophy (1) causes the muscles to
weaken over time/leads to an increasing level of
disability (1) - Down’s syndrome (1) affects a child’s normal
physical development/linked to learning difficulties
(1). - Cystic fibrosis (1) causes the lungs and digestive
system to become clogged with mucus (1) - Lynch syndrome (1) causes an increase in the risk
of certain cancers/bowel cancer/womb cancer (1)
. brittle bone disease,
phenylketonuria (PKU), Klinefelter’s syndrome etc
To what extent does later adulthood lead to a decrease in social and physical activity
Indicative content may include:
* Financial resources
* Friendship groups/family contact
* Physical/mental health and well being
Theories
* Social disengagement theory
* Activity theory
Activity theory - takes the view that the ageing process
is delayed and the quality of life is enhanced when old
people remain socially active, but overlooks inequalities
in health and economics that hinders the ability for older
people to engage in such activities.
The disengagement theory of ageing states that
“ageing is an inevitable, mutual withdrawal or
disengagement, resulting in decreased interaction
between the ageing person and others in the social
system he belongs to”. The theory claims that it is
natural and acceptable for older adults to withdraw from
society.
Accept any other appropriate theories
Methods of support in sheltered housing
* Inclusion
* Provision of activities in sheltered housing
* Involvement of external support, e.g. related to
religious practice/hobbies/education.
To what extent can stress be positive for health and wellbeing
Theories:
Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe decided to study
whether or not stress contributes to illness. They
surveyed more than 5,000 medical patients and asked
them to say whether they had experience any of a series
of 43 life events in the previous two years.
Each event, called a Life Change Unit (LCU), had a
different “weight” for stress. The more events the patient
added up, the higher the score. The higher the score,
and the larger the weight of each event, the more likely
the patient was to become ill.
Accept any appropriate alternative theories.
Negative effects
* Depression and anxiety
* Pain of any kind
* Sleep problems
* Autoimmune diseases
* Digestive problems
* Skin conditions, such as eczema
* Heart disease
* Weight problems
* Reproductive issues
* Thinking and memory problems
Positive effects
* Some stress can be positive if short lived
* A moderate level of stress makes us perform better
in situations such as job interviews or public speaking
– can motivate us to work at our highest level and
achieve our potential.
* Stressful situations can also be exhilarating and some
people actually thrive on the excitement that comes
with dangerous sports or other high-risk activities
Describe the effects of two physical changes that may occur in later adulthood
- Skin loses elasticity (1) leads to an wrinkles
(1) - Muscles lose flexibility/strength (1) mobility
diminishes (1) - Hearing or vision declines (1) leading to
difficulties reading/communicating (1) - Immune system weakens (1) increased risk
of contracting infections (1)
Discuss how moving into sheltered accommodation may affect Anita’s self-concept
- Self-image may decline (1) due to being seen/see
self as unable to look after themselves/lack
independence (1) old and frail (1). - Self-esteem will decrease (1) may feel that they are
no longer a valued member of society (1) may feel
that they are not wanted by her family (1). - Self-image may increase (1) see self as
confident/strong by rising to the challenge of new
circumstances (1). - May make new friends and participate in new
activities in sheltered housing (1) may feel
included/loved by new friends/boost self-esteem (1).
Evaluate how the stress-diathesis model may be used to explain the importance of inherited characteristics for health and wellbeing
Stress-diathesis model:
The theory contends that mental and physical disorders
develop from a genetic or biological predisposition for
that illness (diathesis) combined with stressful conditions
that play a precipitating or facilitating role.
The diathesis–stress model is a psychological theory that
attempts to explain a disorder as the result of an
interaction between a pre-disposition/vulnerability and a
stress caused by life experiences
The diathesis-stress model assumes that mental illnesses
occur due to stressful conditions in the environment
interacting with the biological and psychological
characteristics of the individual. The model assumes that
mental disorders can require a predisposition towards
the disease, and it provides a general explanation for
why individuals with a predisposition for a disorder, but
who live in a healthy environment, may not develop the
disorder, and why people who live in a stressful
environment without a predisposition may not develop
certain disorders.
Responses may focus on genetic factors/nature/genotype
or environmental/social factors/phenotype –
primacy/interaction of these factors
The following may be a combination of pre-existing
predisposition and life events/life style:
* Some evidence that heart disease can be caused
by genetic pre-disposition
* Insomnia
* Depression
* Mental illness
* Cancer - Diathesis-stress is an example of nature
AND nurture, as it can be interpreted as a gene or
genes switched on by environmental factors.
Research has shown being lonely and stressed
could affect the expression of cancer-linked
genes, triggering their action.
To what extent can family dysfunction influence individual health and wellbeing
Theories of attachment (these may be inferred rather
than explicit).
* Mary Ainsworth - types of attachment.
* Bowlby/Rutter - effects of separation on emotional
bonds.
* Robertson - study of distress syndrome.
Dys/Functional family life
* Participating in joint activities leading to a sense of
acceptance developing confidence.
* Receiving affection and encouragement develops a
sense of self-worth can lead to an individual
achieving their potential.
* Parental response to behaviour leading to
positive/negative view of own value this could
become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
* Lack of respect from family members leading to lack
of respect for self could lead to self-destructive
behaviour e.g. Diet/lifestyle impacted.
* Joshua’s behaviour may deteriorate at school due to
a perceived lack of attention from parents leading to
not achieving full academic potential.
* Joshua may become unhappy due to having less
contact with an attachment figure.
* May become more independent leading to boosted
self-esteem/emotional resilience.
