SFL 351 Final - David Nelson

concept of induction

how someone reaches a conclusion about a situation (could be strong or weak inductions) -> likely dependent on parenting style

- authoritative: shares reasoning behind rules made and encourages verbal give and take

- authoritarian: does not encourage verbal give and take

parenting styles

collection of behaviors that describe a child and parents interactions among different situations

parenting practices

strategies parents do to obtain specific goals in different situations

authoritative child outcomes

socially mature, high self esteem, responsible, prosocial, academic achievement, little problem behavior

authoritarian child outcomes

children perform moderately well at school and avoid problem behavior, poorer social skills, low self esteem, higher levels of depression

permissive child outcomes

more problem behavior, impulse control problems, difficulty with respect, challenges coping w frustration, perform less well in school, less discipline, do not tend to have social skills, self esteem and depression difficulties

uninvolved child outcomes

children perform poorly socially, academically, more problem behavior, higher depression, lower self esteem etc

why is authoritative parenting the best

- firm control does not put too much restriction on children

- love limits and latitude (responsiveness, structure and autonomy support)

- high control, high warmth

- well balance in life: socially mature, high self esteem, responsible, more prosocial, high academic achievement, little problem behavior

two major dimensions of parenting

acceptance/responsiveness and demandingness/control

direct effects of parents on peer sociability

parental effects which directly determine the sheer amount of contact a child has with peers

indirect effects of parents on peer sociability

parental effects wherein the parent's goal is not explicitly to modify the child's relationship with peers

Attachment and peer relations

secure and insecure attachment

- secure attachment fosters peer sociability and positive peer relations (positive internal working model of relationships)

importance of peer friendships

- peer social status are predictors of a child's psychosocial adjustment

- friendships may ameliorate the effects of peer rejection

- peers may enhance or diminish children's sociability

- peers provide security, social support, lessons in conflict resolution

direct parenting effects on peer sociability (parents as managers & educators)

manager: facilitate peer contacts by acting like designers/mediators

- enroll children in organized play groups

- chauffeuring children from one place to another

- get together with friends so their children can play together

educators

- supervise & advise/consult

- mix of direct and indirect parenting

- teaching children how to be social on their own

different levels of parent supervision (parents as educators)

infant/toddler - interactive interventions: proactively regulating/scaffolding social interactions

indirect interventions: observing and reacting minimally to events in children's play

monitoring: outside of direct parenting involvement

ethnicity & parenting styles

culture determines what is acceptable when raising a child

- italy and kenya had the most spanking, whereas thailand had the least.

- debate of tiger parenting and child outcomes in asian families and authoritarian parenting in asian and african american families and how that effects child outcomes

how effective discipline really works

- children must accurately interpret the parent's intended message

- children need to accept the parental message and adopt its their own

- two parents must have a united front and be consistent and predictive

parenting needs from a developmental perspective by age

infancy & toddlers

- structure, supervision, schedule, reasoning, diversion, negotiation and ignoring misbehavior

preschool

- reasoning and logical consequences, verbal reprimands, positive reinforcement of desired behavior

school age children

- reasoning and logical consequences, better to ask for better behavior than to punish, children still seek to please parents

adolescence:

- storm and stress is not normative, rather mutual respect and cooperation, gradual transition to greater autonomy as earned, limit setting and monitoring should continue then children should begin to internalize, withdrawal of privileges is impactful for misbehavior, physical and psychological control are detrimental

directive parenting (17%)

- high demanding/firmness

- moderate responsive

- moderate autonomy

- supportive

- low coercive power assertion

- less adolescent problems

authoritative (7%)

high demanding firmness

high responsiveness

high autonomy supportive

low coercive power assertion

less adolescent problems

democratic (19%)

moderate demanding,

moderate firmness

high responsiveness

high autonomy supportive

less adolescent problems

permissive (10%)

low demanding/pushover

high responsive

high autonomy supportive

more adolescent problems

disengaged (11%)

low demanding

low responsive

low autonomy supportive

more adolescent problems

Authoritarian (15%)

high demanding

low responsive

low autonomy supportive

high coercive power assertion

- psychological control

- unqualified power assertion

- arbitrary severe discipline

- verbal hostility

more adolescent problem

good enough (19%)

moderate demanding firmness

moderate responsive

moderate autonomy supportive

decontextualized discussions

outside of the peer context

proactive or reactive

distinction between behavioral and psychological control

behavioral control:

excessive (overly restrictive) or inadequate (permissive)

psychological control:

universally negative, inhibits psychological development through manipulation, exploitation of the parent child bond

statistics related to pessimism epidemic

- 1950s-1970s, the rate of depression was up 10x

- trends have worsened for the youngest generation

- pessimism becomes a habit of the mind and brings on deeper entrenchment with each setback

correlations with psychological control (negative outcomes)

- internalizing problems (anxiety, depression, self esteem)

- externalizing difficulties (impulsivity, aggressiveness, acting out)

mental health crisis for Gen-Z

- Gen Z is struggling with depression and anxiety

- sudden mental health crisis for adolescence and college students

- 2010 spike in cell phones - mental illness went from 12%-20%

- it's not that people are just becoming more open, because anxiety and depression are the only mental health issues on the rise, not many others.

- Gen Z has fewer tools to deal with stress

twnge's explanation for Gen Z struggles

- less life experience

- delay getting drivers license

- less likely to drink or drugs

- less likely to have a paying job

- less likely to date regularly

- less likely to engage in teen sexuality

- devices overtook their lives in middle school, rather than later (contrast with millennials)

--average teen spends 9 hours a day on media

-- 6.5 out of 9 hours with a screen

Haidt's 3 great untruths

- what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

-- kids are anti-fragile, if we protect them from all the bad things, we are stunting their social developmental growth

- always trust your feelings

-- question your feelings and ask why you are feeling that way

- life is a battle between good and evil people

-- drives separation and competition which leads to a less inclusive environment

relative frequencies of different forms of child abuse

64.1% neglected

40% physically abused

8.8% sexually abused

6.6% psychologically abused

2.2% medically neglected

15.1% other types: abandonment, threatening etc

Sex and SES differences in abuse prevalence

- lower SES households produce 5x greater risk

- many kids experience more than one type, simultaneously or sequentially

- sex differences only emerge for sexual abuse - girls are 3x more likely to be sexually abused

gershoff's reason to avoid corporal punishment

- does not promote long term compliance

- does not reduce aggression

- promotes fear, anger, sadness and hostile intent attribution in the child

- models violence and can slide into physical abuse

- linked to negative parent child relationships, mental health problems, delinquent behavior and criminal behavior

cycle of abuse research

- cycle of abuse is not the norm

-- only 30% of physically abused children abuse the next generation

- some children overcome abuse in miraculous ways

-- 20-49% of victims show few signs of behavior or mental health problems, although this resilience does not mean the abuse had no consequences on the child

APA pedophilia controversy

- if a man abuses a woman, it's because he is a man. if a woman abuses a man, it's because she has mental health issues and is not really to blame..?!?

- claims there is a difference between a 5 year old being sexually abused by her father and a "consenting" 15 year old boy with an unrelated adult. the first is abuse and the latter is "violating social norms"

- "adult child sex has been common cross culturally and historically and often socially sanctioned and may fall within the range of normal human behaviors"

general findings of Werner's Kauai birth cohort

- 1/3 of the kids in her study became competent, confident, autonomous and effective adults

- due to resilience

resilience

a dynamic process allowing for positive adaptation in the context of trauma or extreme risk, now also including adversity

Big 5 Personality Traits & their correlation with resilience & what effects resilience

- extraversion and conscientiousness are the two most important, neuroticism predicts lower resilience

Extraversion (.42)

Openness (.34)

agreeableness (.31)

conscientiousness (.42)

neuroticism (-.46)

- resilience is also effected by a child's temperament and is eroded by repeated trauma

how can resilience be nurtured as a skill

sense of coherence: ability to perceive surrounding world as understandable, manageable and meaningful

martin seligman: focus on immunizing children psychological to fight off mental and physical illness - psychological interventions tend to increase well being and resilience

general research findings regarding resilience and gene-environment interplay

5-HTT helps regulate serotonin and guard against depression, and could be a potential buffer against trauma; there are 3 variants

-Two long: protect against depression in response to stress

-One long, one short: moderate protection

-Two short: no protection

Caveats

- in the absence of trauma, 5-HTT is not expressed

transitional characters

filter out destructiveness so future generations will have a supportive foundation upon which to build out productive lives - break the "cycle of abuse"

race

based on presumed genetic, biological/physical similarities

- not generally distinct

- within a race, there may be multiple ethnicities and vise versa

ethnicity

interconnection based on shared history, common language, nationality or ancestry

socioeconomic status

A person's position in society as determined by income, wealth, occupation, education, place of residence, and other factors

pareto principle

humans compete to produce, of all those humans, the majority produces 0, the small minority are a bit successful (make a living) and a hyper minority is insanely successful

- if you have 10,000 people, 100 of them share half the money, but this is applied in many places! Fame, social media, athletics, artists etc. many people can have the talent for it, but few will make it, it's a law of nature

individual traits promoting success

IQ and conscientiousness predict success

decide what your success will be and work hard in that direction

Jason Riley: Moynihan Report

- conventional beliefs say that the advancement of black people is challenging because of the residual effects of slavery, white supremacy, racism etc and call for more gov resources

- report done on the black family

-- fatherless homes and a crumbling family structure shows the greatest proof of worse outcomes for children

-- 25% of black children and 5% of white children were born to single mother households, then in 20 years, black children born to single mothers doubled to 50%

- likelihood of risk factors doubles from absent fathers, especially with young boys facing the justice system

- marriage was penalized and single parenting has been subsidized

- black crime rates were lower in the 60s than they are today which means this isn't something to do with systemic racism because it's rising, not staying steady

why is social stratification necessary for a functional society

social inequity is an evolved device by which societies insure that the most important positions are consciously filled by the most qualified people

three types of rewards used to motivate people into societal positions:

- money

- leisure and entertainment

- rewards that contribute to self respect and ego enhancement (prestige)

examples of the 4 levels of influence in regards to barriers to upward mobility

Macro processes: structural cultural stratification

- processes include relative wealth and poverty rates within society, poverty effects SES, if you are in it, it's hard to get out and move up because of a lack of resources or poor quality of the resources you have

Neighborhood and community processes:

- a families residential location dictates the quality and availability of resources by determining the proximity to good jobs, schools, safety and quality of social networks

Family level beliefs and practices:

- cohering of parenting practices are based on values driven by racial, ethnic and economic niche which families are in

Individual processes:

- identity formation may be influence by negative stereotypes, lack of positive role models, and absence of culturally relevant instruction which may lead to diminished exploration of different identities and increased conformity

level 3 influences: how does parenting vary by SES level on average

higher SES families

- parents encourage egalitarian relationships

- less punitive

Lower SES Families

- more controlling and restrictive mothers

- no nonsense parenting strategies are appropriate to navigate high risk

- often more authoritarian, more discipline, greater authority

- higher stress environment leads to harsher parenting

co-constructionist

Youth are co constructionists in creating content and rules for what is acceptable and how it should be displayed

--Skinny jeans are out, the skull is the new laughing face, middle parts are better than side parts lol

idealized reality

Pictures posted on social media is the "perfect life" which isn't how real life looks

People become discouraged that they don't measure up to the idealized virtual reality

Pinterest reality vs true reality

social comparison

evaluating one's abilities and opinions by comparing oneself with others

Creates pressure

My life doesn't look like that, my life isn't as good as theirs

But they measuring themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise - 2 corinthians 10:12

cyber aggression

Using e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, or other social media to spread rumors, make threats, or otherwise terrorize peers.

lurking

constantly reviewing others posts without actively posting

Associated with higher depression

Social comparison is costly

rich-get-richer hypothesis

Socially competent people may benefit most from the Internet because they are more likely to interact in appropriate and positive ways when engaged in social networking.

pareto principle in action

social compensation

the shy introverted and socially anxious can benefit from social media, little data to support this hypothesis

screen time issues

Pediatricians now counsel teens to limit screen time to 90 mins per day

Put down the phone, turn off the laptop and do something - anything - that does not involve a phone - for more teen happiness

lessons from Harlow's monkey experiment

- monkeys raised by mothers only

-- avoid peers, highly aggressive, antisocial tendencies persist into adulthood

- monkeys raised by peers only

--cling to each other and form a strong mutual attachment, become highly agitated over minor stresses or frustrations, as adults - unusually aggressive to peers outside their group

- lesson: mother's give a secure base and social skills, peers give an opportunity to practice social skills - MUST HAVE BOTH

toddler play

gleeful repetition using gross motor skills and senses, gradually increases in sophistication

- parallel play

- parallel aware play: add eye contact

- simple social play: talk, smile, offer and receive toys

complimentary and reciprocal play

action-based reversals in social games such as run and chase

cooperative social pretend play

socio-dramatic role playing among and between children

complex pretend play

older children assigning roles to one another and telling each other what to do

gendered play

emerges between 2-3 years old

feminine: toys highlight domestic activities, nurturance, attractiveness, more likely to engage in art, music, dress up, doll play

masculine: toys promote competition, aggressiveness, construction. more likely to play with balls, blocks, cars and weapons

sex segregated peer groups

middle childhood: emergence of true peer groups

- interact regularly with a sense of belonging, norms of behavior, dress, and thinking, structured or hierarchical organization & common goals

- peer interactions are increasingly segregated by sex (gender cultures)

preschooler's and elementary ages and gender oriented play

preschoolers play with the same sex partner 3 times more often than the opposite sex peers; ratio increases to 11:1 by elementary years

same sex interaction (homiphily) - boys

larger groups and larger social networks

themes of instrumentality and dominance

management of conflict with force - more physical fighting and rough and tumble play

more likely to play in open spaces and outdoors

same sex interaction (homiphily) - girls

smaller groups and smaller social networks

play indoors and in more confined spaces

less active play and more near adults

more cooperative play and speech

management of conflict with pacification techniques and compromise

more concerned with relational issues

sociability in adolescence

ventures into opposite-sex interactions which become increasingly relaxed

cliques: small groups of friends, same sex and heterosexual cliques, distinct norms of dress talk and behavior

crowds, peer conformity and antisocial behavior

cross pressures: peers say one thing and parents say another

friendship selection: propinquity (proximity), age, similarity (homophily)

crick & nelson 2002 findings

identification of mutual friendships for 309 children in grades 3-6

- children rated best friends engagement in physical relationship or aggression against them

- girls were more likely to be victimized by the friend whereas boys were more likely to be physically victimized by the friend

- for boys, physical victimization was a much better predictor of maladjustment problems than relational victimization for girls, the inverse was true

direct influence of friendship in protecting against peer victimization

childrens interactions with friends contribute directly to their social, emotional and cognitive functioning via acquisition of social skills, provision of emotional and instrumental support and validations of feelings of self worth

indirect influence of friendship in protecting against peer victimization

friendship protection hypothesis: children with friends are less likely to be victimized than children with little to no friends

having friends that are not victimized protects children from being victimized themselves

relational victimization is indirectly associated with both externalizing behaviors and internalizing distress through the association with conflict with friends: a child is less likely to be left alone and billies may be less likely to bully others who have strong peer affiliations because it may hurt the bully's own social status

friendship buffers against peer victimization and negative social emotional, and behavior outcomes associated with peer victimization

deviancy training

interactions among friends that reinforce one another's problem behavior

- patterns of laughter and positive affect in response to and in eliciting deviant talk, friends convey values that are tolerant of deviant behavior

- behavioral contagion

co-rumination

a pattern of conversation between friends characterized by excessive discussion of problems, a focus on negative affect, rehashing problems and generally dwelling on talk about problems one or the other friend is having

- can lead to many positive friendship qualities such as intimacy and self disclosure

- can also lead to anxiety and depressive symptoms

- ruminating leads to internalizing distress through ruminative process

- does not promote problem solving or help in regulating negative emotions the problem causes

dynamics of friendship conversation

1. modeling and imitation

2. positive reinforcement of norms and behaviors

3. friends socially construct an understanding of the adult world through interpretations of self and others within interactions with friends

4. friendships provide context for learning and practicing social and emotional skills