Discussion 3

Relationships & Psychological Theories

Next Week:

◼ Theory of Social Development

◼ Attachment Theory

◼ Risk & Protective Factors Theory

◼ Ecological Theory by U. Bronfenbrenner

We are Born with the UNFINISHED “Gigantic” Brain

◼ Giraffes at birth: 6 feet - walk within an hour

◼ All mammals start walking at the same point in their brain development

◼ No animal can survive in the variety of conditions that humans can

Babyishness & Complete Dependency

Wanted:

Caregiver to rear 1 or 2 children from birth to

maturity. The job is a 7 day-a-week, 24-hour-a-

day position.

No salary, no benefits, no retirement plan. Must

supply all living expenses for self and children.

Motivation for the job and satisfaction must come

from within as neither children nor society will

regularly express gratitude and appreciation.

More than 4 million positions per year

How to Parent a Newborn?

Experiments by Harry Harlow “Non Organic Failure to Thrive”

Theory of Social Development

Each stage culminates in “Psychosocial Crisis"

Cognitive Dissonance

Theory of Social Development

Attachment Theory

Types of Attachment

Attachment Theory

▪ Secure: I find it relatively easy to get close to others and comfortable depending on them. I don’t often worry about being abandoned or about someone getting close to me.

▪ Resistant: I find that others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner doesn’t really love me or won’t want to stay with me. I want to get very close to my partner, and this sometimes scares people away.

▪ Avoidant: I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others; I find it difficult to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on them. I am nervous when anyone gets too close, and often, love partners want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being.

Theory of Social Development

It is OK to make mistake

I see you are frightened, let me hold you

I see you are having a hard time, I want you to know that I am here to help you. I love you.

I am here to protect you, you can relax now

It is OK to be YOU

It is OK to be different

You are safe with me

I will be there for you no matter what

You can trust me

I will give you all the time you need

You can always count on me

There is no one more important to me than you

You mean a world to me

You are the love of my life

There is no one more important to me than you

I love spending time with you

It is a joy to be with you

You are the love of my life

I will never stop loving you, no matter what

I am so happy that you were born

It is such a joy to have you in my life

I am so happy that you are a girl/boy

You are beautiful

You are free to make your own decisions

You are free to be YOU

You can trust yourself

I love you

3 Models

1. Poor outcomes under adverse conditions

2. Good outcomes under adverse conditions

3. Poor outcomes under favorite conditions

Jane Gilgun

Genetic Vulnerability

Dandelion children

“resilient” genes: do well anywhere

Orchid children plasticity Hypothesis

- wilt if ignored/maltreated

- bloom with good care

levels of interaction between individuals

from micro to macro levels

Four Types of Attachment

Conduct Disorder

Mild, moderate, or severe

1. Aggressive behavior

▪ fighting

▪ bullying

▪ being cruel to others or animals

▪ using weapons

▪ forcing sexual activity

Conduct Disorder

2. Destructive behavior

▪ destruction of property

▪ arson (deliberate fire-setting)

▪ vandalism (harming person's property)

3. Deceitful behavior

▪ lying

▪ shoplifting

▪ stealing

4. Violation of rules ▪ running away

▪ skipping school

▪ playing pranks

▪ being sexually active at a

very young age

Conduct

Disorder

▪ Irritable

▪ low self-esteem

▪ abuse drugs and alcohol

▪ unable to see how their behavior can hurt others

▪ have little guilt or remorse

▪ Can be a precursor to antisocial personality

disorder

▪ Biological link to the brain structure and genetics

Conduct Disorder

Biological

▪ structural/ chemical abnormalities in the brain

Genetics

▪ family members with mental illnesses

▪ mood & personality disorders, substance abuse ▪ decreased baseline autonomic nervous system activity

▪ require greater stimulation for optimal arousal

▪ high level of sensation-seeking activity

Conduct Disorder: Possible Causes

child's problem behaviors do not meet

the criteria for Conduct Disorder, but

Often

▪ Angry

▪ Resentful

▪ Often lose temper

▪ Spiteful or vindictive

▪ Refuse to comply

▪ Deliberately annoy people

▪ Blame others for their mistakes or

misbehavior

▪ Easily annoyed by others

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Behavior lasting at least 6 months, 4 or more symptoms have to be present

Personality Disorders

Antisocial Personality Disorder (formerly known as Sociopath or Psychopath)

▪ .2% to 3.3.% in individuals at least 18 years of age

▪ Empathy - lack of concern for feelings, needs, or suffering of others

▪ Can harm and use other people, without remorse, guilt, shame or regret

▪ Dominance or intimidation to control others

▪ Frequent angry feelings & antagonism

▪ Dishonesty and fraudulence; failure to honor financial and other obligations or

commitments

▪ Reactive

▪ Engage in risky and potentially self-damaging activities

▪ Can be charismatic, good at obtaining sympathy from others (play the victim role)

▪ Have average or higher than the norm intelligence

▪ Have an intuitive ability to observe and analyze others, determine their needs

Borderline

Personality Disorder

▪ Excessive self-criticism

▪ Chronic feelings of emptiness

▪ Instability in goals, values, or career plans

▪ Compromised ability to recognize the feelings and needs of others

▪ Intense, unstable, and conflicted close relationships, marked by mistrust,

neediness, and anxious preoccupation with real or imagined abandonment

▪ Extreme idealization and devaluation

▪ Alternating between over involvement and withdrawal

▪ Frequent mood changes

▪ Anxiousness: intense feelings of nervousness, tenseness, or panic

▪ Feeling miserable, hopeless; difficulty recovering from such moods

▪ Impulsivity

▪ Antagonism