Theoretical Perspectives on Parenting

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from the lecture notes on Theoretical Perspectives on Parenting, including attachment theory, behavioral theories, behavioral genetics, lifespan development, social learning, parenting styles, and systemic theories.

Harlow's Monkey Experiment (1950s)

An experiment investigating the nature of love, showing that infant monkeys preferred a cloth 'mother' for comfort over a wire mother that provided food.

Attachment Theory (Core Premise)

The relationship between a parent and infant reflects a behavioral system adapted to promote survival and competent functioning of the offspring.

Novelty Seeking

A central part of attachment theory, referring to an infant's exploration of new environments from a secure base.

Proximity Seeking

A central part of attachment theory, referring to an infant's tendency to stay near or seek contact with a caregiver.

Secure Base (Caregivers' Role)

A caregiver's role established over the first year of life by showing warmth, sensitivity to cues, satisfying needs, and helping regulate emotions.

Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation (1978)

A 22-minute procedure designed to observe attachment security in 12-month-olds and their mothers.

Secure Attachment

An attachment style where infants are visibly upset when the mother leaves and eagerly approach and hug her upon return (approx. 60%).

Insecure Attachment

A general category for attachment styles that do not demonstrate the secure pattern (approx. 40%).

Anxious Avoidant Attachment

An insecure attachment style where infants barely notice or may ignore the mother upon her re-entry into the room.

Anxious Resistant/Ambivalent Attachment

An insecure attachment style where infants are upset when the mother leaves but approach her upon return while resisting being held.

Disorganized Attachment

An insecure attachment style showing a mixture of responses, lacking an organized behavioral strategy to deal with stress.

John B. Watson

Known as the 'Father of Behaviorism,' who focused on observable behavior rather than introspection.

Behaviorism

A theory focusing on observable behavior and how it is learned, rather than internal mental states.

Classical Conditioning

Learning a new behavior by the process of association, linking two stimuli (a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus) to produce a new learned response.

Neutral Stimulus (Classical Conditioning)

A stimulus that initially produces no specific response other than focusing attention.

Unconditioned Stimulus (Classical Conditioning)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any prior learning.

B.F. Skinner

A prominent figure in behavioral theory, focusing on operant conditioning.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process where behavior is modified by its consequences (reinforcements and punishments).

Reinforcements

Actions that increase the likelihood that a behavior will recur in the future.

Punishments

Actions that decrease the likelihood that a behavior will recur in the future.

Positive (Operant Conditioning)

Refers to adding something to the environment.

Negative (Operant Conditioning)

Refers to taking something away from the environment.

Positive Reinforcement

Offering a reward to increase the likelihood of desired behavior (e.g., money, food).

Negative Reinforcement

Taking something away to increase the likelihood of desired behavior (e.g., avoiding a chore if another task is completed).

Positive Punishment

Administering something to decrease the likelihood of undesired behavior (e.g., incurring a fine, receiving detention).

Negative Punishment

Taking something away to decrease the likelihood of undesired behavior (e.g., losing TV privileges).

Bidirectional Aspect of Reinforcement

The idea that reinforcement flows in both directions within a relationship, not just from parent to child.

Effective Punishment

Punishment that is used consistently, contingently, and firmly and decisively.

Most Powerful Parental Reinforcer

Attention and approval (social reinforcers).

Human Behavioral Genetics Theory

Focuses on genetic inheritance and environmental contributions to behavior or particular characteristics, aiming to understand both genetic and environmental influences on human behavior.

Twin Studies

Research studies involving identical, fraternal, and non-twin siblings to investigate genetic and environmental influences.

Adoption Research

Research comparing similarities between adopted and biological offspring with their biological and adoptive parents.

Genotype

An individual's complete set of genes.

Phenotype

The observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of genotype and environment.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental factors can influence gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

Passive Role (of Genes)

When children's genes influence their development through the environment provided by parents who share those genes.

Active Role (of Genes)

When children's genes direct them to seek out certain environments that are compatible with their genetic predispositions.

Evocative Role (of Genes)

When parents (or others) react to a child's phenotype in a particular way unique to that child, evoking specific environmental responses.

Shared Environment

Parts of the environment that all the children within a family experience in common.

Nonshared Environment

The unique experiences of each child in the family, both within and outside the family.

Lifespan Developmental Psychology Perspective

A meta-theory addressing multiple domains of development (biological, cognitive, psychosocial) across all stages of human development (conception to death).

Development (Lifespan Perspective)

Characterized as lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, influenced by contextual, socio-cultural, and historical factors, and multidisciplinary.

Albert Bandura

Proponent of Social Learning Theory and Social Cognitive Theory.

Social Learning Theory (2001)

A theory based on modeling and observational learning (vicarious learning), where people learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling.

Modeling (Social Learning Theory)

Learning by observing and imitating the behavior of others.

Observational Learning

Another term for vicarious learning or modeling, where individuals learn by watching others.

Vicarious Learning

Learning indirectly by observing the consequences of another person's behavior.

Bobo Doll Studies (1963)

Experiments conducted by Albert Bandura demonstrating that children learn aggression through observation.

Social Cognitive Theory

An expansion of Social Learning Theory, emphasizing cognitive processes such as self-efficacy and self-regulation.

Diana Baumrind (1971, 2013)

Researcher known for identifying primary child-rearing styles (Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive, Rejecting-neglecting).

Authoritarian Parenting Style

A child-rearing style characterized by high demands and low responsiveness, strict rules, and obedience expected.

Authoritative Parenting Style

A child-rearing style characterized by high demands and high responsiveness, setting clear expectations while being warm and communicative.

Permissive Parenting Style

A child-rearing style characterized by low demands and high responsiveness, offering warmth but few rules or discipline.

Rejecting-Neglecting Parenting Style

A child-rearing style characterized by low demands and low responsiveness, demonstrating uninvolvement or indifference.

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979)

Developer of the Ecological Systems Theory.

Ecological Systems Theory

A theory explaining how children's biologically influenced characteristics interact with multiple levels of the natural environment, organized hierarchically.

B = F (P,E)

Bronfenbrenner's formula stating that a person's behavior (B) is a function of (F) a combination of the Person (P) and the Environment (E).

Transactional Influence

Constant interaction and reciprocal effects between a person and their environment.

Microsystem (Bronfenbrenner)

The immediate settings and the interactions and activities within those settings that directly involve the child (often bidirectional).

Mesosystem (Bronfenbrenner)

The connections or interrelations between a child's microsystems (e.g., home and school).

Exosystem (Bronfenbrenner)

Contexts that do not ordinarily contain children but nevertheless affect their development (e.g., parents' workplaces, community resources).

Macrosystem (Bronfenbrenner)

The subcultural and cultural context in which all other systems are embedded, including societal values, laws, and customs.

Murray Bowen

Developer of Family Systems Theory.

Family Systems Theory

A theory that views the family as the basic emotional unit, suggesting that to understand behavior, one must consider the entire family system rather than individuals in isolation.

Second-Order Effect (Family Systems Theory)

When one parent interacts differently toward a child when someone else (e.g., the other parent) is present.

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

A developmental stage theory proposing that cognitive development proceeds through a series of universal and invariant stages, with children processing information differently based on age.

Erikson's Psychosocial Theory

A developmental stage theory focusing on the development of identity, where each life stage presents psychosocial challenges that must be met and resolved.