FAML 220 Readings: Divine Framework, Mindsets, Temperament, and Development Concepts (Chapter 1 Overview)
Chapter 1 Notes: Divine Framework, Mindset, Temperament, and Developmental Practices
Core purpose of the chapter: differentiate between doing and becoming in learning; emphasize biases in parenting and personal growth; learning is a means to become more like our Heavenly Parents, not just to achieve grades or external indicators.
Gospel perspective on learning:
Learning involves agency and responsibility as a learner.
Objective divine truths and laws guide effective parenting (the Divine Parenting Framework).
The ultimate aim is eternal progression and becoming like God through applying gospel truths in family life.
Learning and Becoming: Doing vs Becoming
Key distinction: doing (external actions) vs becoming (internal transformation, attitudes, character).
Important cautions:
Grades and external indicators should not be the primary purpose of learning; they should support meaningful learning.
It is possible to pursue grades while losing sight of the deeper purpose of learning.
Parable of the Apple Watch (illustration):
Apple Watch tracks stand, exercise, and move metrics via three rings; ownership sets daily goals (e.g., stand 12 hours, exercise 30 minutes, move 500 calories).
Limitation: the device measures activity, not motives, causes, or long-term health.
Hector’s example: he cheated by waving his wrist to close rings, prioritizing the indicator over actual health.
Takeaway: external indicators (like grades or ring closures) can overshadow the real purpose of activity or learning.
Scripture references used to emphasize learning as a spiritual enterprise:
D&C 131:6 – it is impossible to be saved in ignorance.
D&C 130:18 – whatever intelligence we attain in this life will rise with us or stay with us beyond this life.
Question prompts for reflection:
How do you balance grades with genuine learning?
Genuine learning can help balance our grades as we focus on understanding the information rather than just memorizing it word for word. This can lead to a deeper understanding of the information, and we are able to apply it to our lives.
How do you avoid letting external indicators undermine intrinsic motivation?
By focusing on the importance of learning and not allowing the pressure of external indicators to dictate the education we want to receive.
Gospel Perspective on Learning: Agency and Responsibility
Learners are agents with the responsibility to grow and learn (not simply recipients of information).
The Divine Framework provides a doctrinal lens for parenting and learning.
Emphasis on humility and seeking objective truth about human nature, motivation, and discipline.
The course encourages applying gospel and secular knowledge to real-life relationships, especially within the family.
The Divine Parenting Framework: Doctrines, Principles, and Applications
Core idea: There are objective truths and laws in gospel, philosophy, and science that guide parenting.
Framework components (three-part structure):
Doctrines: overarching truths that answer why we are here and why family relationships matter.
Principles: guidelines derived from doctrines that tell us what we should do (not strict behaviors).
Applications: concrete actions and practices that implement the principles in daily life.
How the three relate: doctrines explain why; principles explain what; applications explain how. Applications should be grounded in doctrines and principles.
Examples of doctrinal content:
The Plan of Salvation
The Atonement of Jesus Christ
The Fall and Creation
The Godhead
Eternal progression (becoming)
Priesthood and priesthood keys
Prophets and revelation
Apostasy and Restoration
Principles associated with these doctrines: examples include faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, wholesome recreational activities (as per canonical LDS sources).
Applications: specific ways to implement principles (e.g., how faith is exercised within family contexts).
The importance of not over-focusing on applications detached from underlying doctrines and principles.
“Think Celestial!”: mindset of grounding actions in gospel truths rather than mere rule-following.
Connection to For the Strength of Youth and Family Proclamation: similar framework (doctrines and principles guide behavior rather than lengthy checklists of do’s and don’ts).
Using the Divine Framework in Family Life
Practical parenting questions framed through the framework:
How can I get my 1-year-old to sleep through the night? (rooted in development and doctrine; not just a quick application.)
How can I help a 16-year-old come home on time? (guided by doctrines and principles about agency, accountability, and love.)
How can I stop a 12-year-old’s tantrums? (anchored in eternal principles like respect, love, and obedience to God’s plan.)
Informal family councils as a preferred approach over punitive or purely rule-based methods.
Case of the parent who focused on principles (eternal progression and Plan of Happiness) rather than chasing the latest parenting trend or a step-by-step system.
The interplay with revelation: 2 Nephi 32:3 – Christ’s words tell us all things we should do (doctrines and principles); the Holy Ghost guides application to individuals and circumstances (the how).
The Family Proclamation generally contains doctrines and principles rather than explicit applications; the Holy Ghost helps tailor applications to specific families.
Objective: align parenting with eternal truths so that children feel loved and guided rather than simply controlled.
Mindset Theory: Growth vs Fixed Mindset
Core concepts (BYU-Idaho readings): two mindsets identified by psychologist Carol Dweck.
Growth Mindset: abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and perseverance.
Fixed Mindset: abilities and intelligence are largely innate and unchangeable.
Mindset across domains can differ by context; a person can be growth-minded in some areas and fixed in others.
Implications for parenting: fostering a growth mindset in children supports resilience, risk-taking in learning, and persistence.
Visual aid: a chart (Figure 5) contrasts mental dialogue in fixed vs growth mindsets.
Praise and its impact on mindsets (practical guidelines): four practical guidelines for growth-minded praise:
Praise the process: focus on effort, strategies, and perseverance rather than outcomes alone.
Encourage resilience: view challenges as opportunities to learn; failures are not fatal.
Avoid overpraising: excessive praise can cause anxiety or fear of failure.
Promote a "yet" mentality: use phrases like "you can’t do this yet" to emphasize potential for growth.
Additional parenting insights from Alfie Kohn (Unconditional Parenting): replace evaluative praise with descriptive observation and inquiry to promote intrinsic motivation.
Change and faith: change is hard but possible through the Atonement; a growth mindset aligns with accepting grace to become more like Christ.
Warnings about fixed mindsets: a fixed mindset and a heart at war resist change; spiritual warfare context emphasizes resisting externalist mindsets that objectify people.
Reflection prompts: identify where you or your children exhibit fixed vs growth mindsets; plan growth-oriented praise and support.
Temperament and the Big Five: Foundational Concepts
Temperament vs Personality: temperament is the biological basis for personality; temperament traits form the building blocks of personality.
About 50–60% of personality is genetically inherited; environment shapes the rest.
Temperament provides a “factory setting” that can be adjusted by parents.
The spiritual dimension: temperament and personality have both biological and spiritual aspects; mind, spirit, and body interact.
The nine dimensions of temperament (Thomas & Chess, New York Longitudinal Study):
Activity Level
Rhythmicity
Approach/Withdrawal
Adaptability
Threshold of Responsiveness
Intensity of Reaction
Quality of Mood
Distractibility
Attention Span and Persistence
The O.C.E.A.N. model (Big Five):
Openness to experience (O)
Conscientiousness (C)
Extraversion (E)
Agreeableness (A)
Neuroticism (N)
Each trait exists on a spectrum (not binary); individuals have all five traits to varying degrees.
Behavioral interpretations: high openness correlates with curiosity and art/culture; high conscientiousness correlates with hard work and reliability; high extroversion correlates with sociability and energy; high agreeableness correlates with cooperation; high neuroticism correlates with emotional sensitivity and potential anxiety.
Developmental stability and cross-cultural relevance: Big Five traits are relatively stable across lifespan with modest age-related shifts; they exist across cultures and ethnicities with possible biological underpinnings.
Practical implications for parenting:
Recognize temperamental differences as natural and assessable using the nine dimensions.
Distinguish temperament from personality; tailor expectations and parenting strategies to individual temperaments without pathologizing them.
Connect temperament to the Big Five to understand long-term personality tendencies.
Linking temperament to spirituality and personal growth: consider how temperament traits can be channeled through a “heart at peace” to develop Christlike character even when traits present challenges.
Visualization: temperament can be imagined as a horizontal slider system (rather than a vertical good/bad scale) to emphasize that all traits have costs and benefits.
Developmental Psychometrics: ZPD and Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP)
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): Lev Vygotsky’s concept describing the range of tasks a learner can perform with guidance but cannot yet perform independently.
Tasks the learner can do independently
Tasks the learner can do with guidance
Tasks the learner cannot do even with guidance
DAP (Developmentally Appropriate Practices): framework to assess whether activities are appropriate for a particular child.
Three components (as a pie chart):
Appropriate for the child’s cultural and social context; shaped by family values and community context.
Individual appropriateness: temperament, personality, gender; child’s interests, abilities, and developmental progress.
Age-appropriateness: typical growth, development, milestones.
Domains of development (interconnected):
Cognitive
Language
Physical (gross and fine motor)
Socio-emotional
Spiritual
The domains overlap; an event in one domain can ripple into others.
Normative development: age norms help identify typical development, but individual variation is expected; development is multi-dimensional.
The risk of misalignment: teaching something beyond a child’s current abilities can cause stress; teaching something far below can cause boredom.
ZPD and DAP together encourage teaching just beyond current abilities with guidance, tailored to the child’s unique profile.
The Divine Framework in Practice: Charting Doctrines, Principles, and Applications
Recap of the three components and their relationship:
Doctrines answer why we should do something.
Principles answer what we should do based on doctrines.
Applications answer how to implement the principles.
How to identify whether something is a doctrine, principle, or application:
Ask why: if you can identify a doctrinal truth behind a behavior, it may be a doctrine or a principle connected to a doctrine.
The Holy Ghost guides the application to individual contexts.
Scriptural integration:
2 Nephi 32:3 – the words of Christ will tell you what to do (doctrines and principles).
2 Nephi 32:5 or 32:3 (emphasis on receiving revelation for personal application).
The role of the Family Proclamation and For the Strength of Youth: they provide doctrinal truths and principles rather than step-by-step applications.
Practical adoption: the Divine Framework helps parents design family life that honors doctrines (eternal progression, plan of happiness) and uses principles (faith, prayer, forgiveness, etc.) to guide daily decisions.
Real-life quotes and experiences:
A parent’s testimony about shifting from an application-focused approach to a doctrine/principle-based approach, resulting in more peace and love in the home.
Tools to implement:
Family councils as a regular practice for collaborative decision-making.
Ongoing prayer and seeking guidance from the Lord to tailor applications to each child’s needs.
Mindset Change: Growth Mindset, Change, and Spiritual Warfare
Change is challenging but possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ; growth mindset enables access to divine assistance more fully.
The world often offers quick, artificial solutions (Google answers, credit cards, etc.) which can undermine patience and long-term growth.
The spiritual dimension emphasizes resisting a fixed mindset that treats people as objects to be acted upon and focusing on becoming through Christ’s power.
Practical study prompts:
How can you apply growth-minded praise in your family? (emphasize process and effort.)
How can you model resilience and perseverance in the face of setbacks?
Case Studies and Real-Life Applications: Meghan's Story and Beyond
Case study recap: Meghan, a BYU-Pathway student, attempts to balance Sabbath observance with a busy schedule; she struggles with consistency in church attendance and maintaining the Sabbath.
Reference list for applied learning: authors and sources that inform the framework and practices (Bednar; Eyring; Nelson; Holland; Packer; Baumanrind; Maccoby; etc.).
The study guide exercise: create a Divine Framework chart in your study guide with doctrines, principles, and applications you feel impressed to apply in your parenting (or future parenting).
Doctrines and principles to consider writing down:
Doctrines: The Plan of Happiness; Eternal Progression; Atonement; Godhead; Nature and Character of God; Priesthood; Prophets; Restoration.
Principles: Faith, Prayer, Repentance, Forgiveness, Respect, Love, Compassion, Work, Wholesome Recreational Activities; Respect for autonomy; Family unity.
End-of-chapter reflection: answer and ponder the three components of the Divine Framework; reflect on how to apply them in personal life and family life.
Quick Reference: Key Definitions and Takeaways
Divine Parenting Framework:
Doctrines: revealed truths that explain the why behind parenting and eternal goals.
Principles: guidelines that tell you what to do based on doctrine.
Applications: concrete actions that implement principles in daily life.
ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development): the range of tasks a learner can do with help but cannot yet do alone; guides optimal teaching challenges.
DAP (Developmentally Appropriate Practices): ensure activities are culturally/contextually appropriate, individually tailored to temperament/personality, and age-appropriate.
Temperament: innate, biologically based patterns that form the foundation of personality; includes nine dimensions.
Big Five (OCEAN): openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism; each trait lies on a spectrum and interacts with development across the lifespan.
Growth Mindset: belief that abilities can be developed; fosters resilience, risk-taking, and persistence.
Fixed Mindset: belief that abilities are static; can hinder learning and growth.
Developmental integration: all domains (cognitive, language, physical, socio-emotional, spiritual) interact; development in one area influences others.
Developmentally appropriate parenting emphasizes individualized, compassionate, principled approaches over one-size-fits-all prescriptions.
Study Prompts for Review (From the Text)
What are the differences between growth mindset and fixed mindset, and how can parents foster a growth mindset in children?
What are the nine dimensions of temperament, and how do they map onto the Big Five personality traits (OCEAN)?
How do Doctrines, Principles, and Applications function within the Divine Framework, and how can you determine whether something is a doctrine, a principle, or an application?
What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and how can it guide parenting and teaching strategies?
What are the three components of Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), and how do they interact with the domains of development?
What are Baumrind’s parenting styles, and what are their effects and criticisms?
How can we apply the Divine Framework to real-life parenting scenarios, such as chores, bedtimes, and discipline?
Invitation to Act
Reflect on your own learning: What actions do you feel impressed to take to strengthen relationships today?
If you are a parent, consider how doctrinally based principles can help your children develop Christlike characteristics and reach their divine potential.
Engage with the Divine Framework by completing the chart in your study guide with relevant doctrines, principles, and applications that you want to apply in your parenting.
References and Optional Readings (from the Transcript)
Bednar, D. A. (2011). Increase in Learning. Deseret Book.
Bednar, D. A. (2021). The Principles of My Gospel. Liahona.
Eyring, H. B. (2010). Serve with the Spirit. Liahona.
Nelson, R. M. (2023). Think celestial! Liahona.
Webster, B. (2007). Govern ourselves by correct principles. BYU-Idaho.
For the Strength of Youth (LDS Church, 2022).
The Family Proclamation (LDS Church, 1995).
Baumrind, D. (1967, 1991). Studies on parenting styles.
Maccoby, E. E., et al. (1983). Handbook of child psychology.
Dana references and scriptures cited in the course materials.