FMST 210 - S1 2025

Psychoanalytic theories

Development and behavior are the result of interplay of inner drives, memories, and conflicts we are unaware of and cannot control

Behaviourist and Social Learning theories

Development and behaviour are influenced by the physical and social environment

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

People actively process observable information, and their thoughts and feelings then influence their future behavior; watch what happens to others and choose how to behave using that information

Skinner’s Operant conditioning

Behavior becomes more or less probable depending on its consequences (punishment/reward)

Freud’s Psychosexual Theory

Behavior is driven by unconscious impulses outside our awareness

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

behaviour is internally motivated (crisis/conflict that needs to be resolved at every stage)

Cognitive Theory

Development and behavior are the result of thought or Cognition

Piaget’s Cognitive-Developmental Theory

Children and adults use their ability to think to better understand their environment; the more we know, the more we can do

Cognitive schemas

a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information; concepts, ideas, ways of interacting with world

Systems Theory

People are inseparable from the familial, neighborhood, and societal contexts in which they live; Emphasizes the role of social context in development

Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems Theory

Development is the result of interactions among biological, cognitive, and psychological changes within a person and their changing context

Dominant Genetic Inheritance

Does not matter what other gene pair says; trait will be expressed

Recessive Genetic Inheritance

both egg and sperm contribute recessive gene in order for recessive gene to be expressed by child

Maternal nutrition

Need very high caloric diet (~3000 calorie diet to maintain pregnancy); requires right amount of vitamins

Significant Maternal illness

rubella, zica, HIV, measles, chicken pox, etc.

Maternal Emotional Well-Being (stress)

high levels of stress cause stress hormones to go through placenta and umbilical cord into baby; causes baby heart rate to increase and experience hormones

Effects of maternal high levels of stress on infant

more likely to be LBW or early birth; When child/adolescent, higher rates of ADD, anxiety, ADHD, depression, etc.

Potential causes of maternal stress

persistent discrimination, unsafe living conditions, risk of physical harm

Maternal age

older age, higher risk of baby with exceptionality/disability (commonly downsyndrome); still birth, miscarriage

Maternal prenatal care

set of health and medical services that individuals who are pregnant should seek out; can identify complications

Maternal Pre-Natal Care Ethnic and SES Disparities

usually lack access, no health insurance

Biological Influences on Pubertal Timing

Genetics; Strong connection between parental experience & offspring experience

Contextual Influences on Pubertal Timing

weight and nutrition, stress, SES

Weight and Nutrition Influence on Pubertal Timing

The fatter girls are, the earlier they hit puberty;

Higher levels of leptin → higher amount of fat in female body → increased production of estrogen → ovulate → menstruate

Stress Influence on Pubertal Timing

Related to early menarche; connected to experience with sexual abuse, growing up in household with stepfather, growing up with household with absent father, domestic violence in household, experiencing persistent discrimination

SES Influence on Pubertal Timing

low SES related to being overweight; stressful experiences more likely to happen to low SES families

Off-timed puberty

Usually referring to start growth spurts

Psychosocial Challenges of Reaching Puberty Early

more problems than late maturation; hang out with older people, more likely to participate in smoking, drugs, sex, etc.; not good at making smart decisions yet, but already participating in these things

higher rates in STIs, teen pregnancies, termination of teen pregnancies, teen parenting

Why is Early Puberty Especially Problematic for Girls?

Not likely to be in time with anyone else; bigger than everyone;

Higher rates of depression, anxiety, lower self esteem, lower body image, poor body image issues, often victims of bullying;

looks like woman by 12/13, so people treat her like she’s mature; more susceptible to dating much older boys

Usual outcome for boys who have early puberty

popular; more athletic

Psychosocial Challenges of Reaching Puberty Late (Boys)

all friends look like men while they look like a boy

Synaptogenesis

the formation of new synapses; created through interactions with environment (crucial for infants in interact with world during their first year of life)

Synaptic Pruning

Loss of unused neural connections; If infant is not fully stimulated/interacting with environment, synapses that are not used are pruned

Risk factors for child abuse: Parent Characteristics

perceiving child as intentionally stubborn & noncompliant, don’t understand normal child development; poor impulse control, problem solving skills, coping skills; domestically violent towards female partner, marital/relational instability

Parent Characteristic Risk factors for child abuse: perceives child as being intentionally stubborn and noncompliant

Parent feels they have to control the child; if can’t control with word, resort to physical abuse

Parent Characteristic Risk factors for child abuse: Poor impulse control

lash out

Parent Characteristic Risk factors for child abuse: Poor problem solving

Resort to abuse

Parent Characteristic Risk factors for child abuse: Poor coping

feel like you need to control child

Parent Characteristic Risk factors for child abuse: Marital/relational instability

Couple splitting up & getting back together etc.

Canada Statistics of Marijuana use in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: average age of first use

14 y/o

Canada Statistics of Marijuana use in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: females vs males

males use cannabis more frequently, perceive it to be less risky, & are more likely to drive a car after using it

Piaget’s concepts: assimilation

Integrating a new experience into a preexisting schema

Piaget’s concepts: Accommodation

modifying or creating a schema in light of new information

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective: Guided Participation

More skilled partner is attuned to needs of the child and guides her to accomplish more than she could do alone; Someone notices that child is at the cusp of being able to do something, so they step in to help so that child can do that thing

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective: Zone of proximal development

The gap between a child’s competence level (what she can do alone) and what she can do with assistance; child very close to advanced development

Information Processing System

Sensory memory, working memory, long-term memory

Sensory Memory

Holds incoming sensory information in its original form; information will fade quickly if nothing is done with it

Working Memory

Holds and processes information that is being “worked on”: manipulated, encoded (making this information permanent), or retrieved

Central Executive

Control processor that directs the flow of information and regulates cognitive activities such as attention, action, and problem-solving

Executive Function

Cognitive process of understanding information, making decisions, and solving problems

Long-Term Memory

Unlimited store that holds information indefinitely

What causes Risk Taking Behaviours in Adolescence?

Limbic system is sensitive & fully developed: More likely to participate is risk-taking behaviours when limbic system is stimulated; Imbalance between limbic system and prefrontal cortex’s development

More responsive to positive feedback

Large Cohort Effects in Intelligence: Flynn Effect

over each decade, IQ increases by 3 points (over 100 years, IQ went up 30 points)

Why does the IQ test become more difficult throughout years

to ensure that the mean for remains at 100; Flynn Effect - IQ increase every decade, IQ test difficulty must go up too

Flynn Effect - Cause of increase in IQ

higher accessibility to higher education; everything in daily activity is more challenging compared to in past (due to evolution of science and technologies)

Socioeconomic Status Group Differences in IQ

contributes to IQ through differences in culture, nutrition, living conditions, school resources (richness of education; size of classroom), intellectual stimulation, and life circumstances

Socioeconomic Status Group Differences in IQ (subheadings)

stronger predictor than race

accounts for many racial/ethnic differences in IQ scores

these differences are not inborn

5 basic components that underlie all languages

phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, pragmatics

Phonology

knowledge of sounds used in a given language

Morphology

Understanding the ways that sounds can be combined in meaningful ways

Semantics

Meaning or content of words and sentences; Growing vocabulary signals an increase in semantic knowledge

Syntax

Knowledge of the structure of sentences; Rules by which words are to be combined to form sentences

Pragmatics

Understanding how to use language to communicate effectively; knowing your audience & speaking appropriately

Poverty Influence on Language Development

Less developed language skills; Typically have shorter sentences, less developed syntax, less vocabulary

How does Poverty influence Language Development?

Less exposure to speech; lower quality parent-child interactions (work hours, less interactive speech); increased household instability & disorder

Poverty influence on vocabulary

lower SES has similar size vocabulary to high SES at 18 months, but gap becomes more dramatic with development

Bowlby’s Four Stages of Attachment Formation

Indiscriminate social responsiveness; Discriminating sociability; Attachments; Reciprocal relationships

Bowlby’s Four Stages of Attachment Formation: Indiscriminate social responsiveness

birth to 2 months; responds to anyone who will relieve needs; associates relief of distress with any caregiver

Bowlby’s Four Stages of Attachment Formation: Discriminating Sociability

2 through 6-7 months; infants care who relieves their distress; beginning of attatchment

Bowlby’s Four Stages of Attachment Formation: Attachments

7-24 months; where attachment really forms (to familiar, specific caregivers); almost always caregiver initiating interactions

Bowlby’s Four Stages of Attachment Formation: Reciprocal Relationships

24-30 months & onward; Learn that once attachment forms, both members of the attachment want to keep the relationship; Voluntarily interact, take turns initiating interactions

Significance of a Secure Attachment – Adulthood

o   More positive internal working model

o   Desire closeness → facilitates intimate love relationships

o   If they have their own children, very likely to form a secure attachment with them

(Intergenerational transmission)

Significance of an Insecure Attachment – Adulthood

• likely to be anxious & avoidant of relationships

  • learned that they are unlovable/unloved

• dont share everything about self - afraid of rejection

• can be extremely jeaous - believes that whoever they are with will leave them

Self-Concept

the way we describe ourselves; our assessment of our abilities, traits, and characteristics

may not be in line with how others see us

Self-Esteem

Feelings of self-worth, self-acceptance, and self respect; based on evaluation

Relies on cognitive development and a sense of self that emerges over the course of childhood

Contextual Influences on Self Concept, Self Esteem, & Identity Development

relationships with caregivers (attachment styles), teachers (evaluate personality), SES (opportunities, time), Culture (individualist vs collectivist)

Care vs Justice orientation (moral reasoning)

women more likely to take care orientation, men take justice orientation

Care orientation (moral reasoning)

Desire to maintain relationships and responsibility not to cause harm; Caring about others and being sure that others rights are not being violated

Justice orientation (moral reasoning)

Based on abstract principles of fairness and individualism

Biological influences on prosocial behaviour

Genes that influence oxytocin (feel-good hormone related to attatchment, positive socioemotional interactions); biological advances in cognition

Contextual influences on prosocial behaviour

parents/caregivers - including child in chores, talking about emotions, modelling

broader social world - western vs eastern cultures

Contextual influences on aggression

family (spanking, etc.), exposure to aggressive models (domestic or community violence), community factors (opportunities, gangs, prosocial behaviour not modelled at home)