Chapter 2

etiology

study of the causes of disorders; considers the biological, psychological, and enviornmental interactions

developmental psychopathology

an approach to describing and studying disorders of childhood and adolescence in a way that emphasizes the importance of developmental processes and tasks

interdependent

the assumption that abnormal child behavior is determined by both the child and their enviornment

transaction

process by which the subject and environment interact in a dynamic (or interdependent) way to express the disorder

continuity

theoretical position for explaining development which proposes that abnormal and normal developmental changes are gradual and quantitative and that future behavior can be predicted by past behavior

discontinuity

theoretical position for explaining development which proposes normal and abnormal developmental changes are abrupt and qualitative

developmental cascades

process where a child’s previous experiences and interactions may spread across other systems and alter their course of development

adaptational failure

failure to master or progress in accomplishing developmental milestones; kids with this differ developmentally with other kids their own age

organization of developmental perspective

assumption that early patterns of adaptation evolve and transform into higher order functions in a structured manner; implies active and dynamic process of continuous change and development

sensitive periods

windows of time during which environmental influences on development are heightened, providing enhanced learning opportunities

neural plasticity

malleable nature of the brain

gene-enviornment interaction

complex interplay of nature and nurture to account for genetic and environmental influences and their timing

behavioral genetics

a branch of genetics that investigates possible connections between genetic predisposition and observed behavior

molecular genetics

methods of genetics that directly assess the association between variations in DNA sequences and variations in particular traits

epigenetics

underlying biological changes to genetic structure resulting from environmental factors

frontal lobes

area of brain located at front of cerebral hemisphere; responsible for functions underlying much of our thinking and reasoning abilities, including memory

epinephrine

hormone produced by adrenal glands that is released into the bloodstream in response to stress; also called adrenaline

cortisol

stress hormone produced by adrenal glands

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)

regulatory system of the brain made up of the hypothalamus control center and the pituitary and adrenal glands; influences a person’s response to stress and their ability to regulate emotions

brain circuits

paths made up of clustered neurons that connect one part of the brain to another

emotional reactivity

a dimension of emotional processes associated with individual differences in the threshold and intensity of emotional experience

emotion regulation

the process by which emotional arousal is redirected, controlled, or modified to facilitate adaptive functioning

temperament

a child’s innate reactivity and self-regulation with respect to the domains of emotions, activity levels, and attention

personality disorders

an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates noticeably from the expectations of the individuals culture, resulting in clinically significant distress or impairment in function

social learning

a theoretical approach to the study of behavior that is interested in both overt behaviors and the role of possible cognitive markers

social cognition

a construct to describe how people think about themselves in relation to others, and how they interpret ambiguous events and solve problems

shared enviornment

subtype of environmental influences that refers to the environmental factors that produce behavioral similarities among siblings living in the same house

nonshared enviornment

subtype of environmental influences that refers to the environmental factors that produce behavioral differences among siblings living in the same house

attachment

process of establishing and maintaining an emotional bond with parents or other significant caregivers

family systems

theory that the behavior of an individual can be most accurately understood in the context of the dynamics of their family