Normative development: Self development
The emergence of self (emergence of perception of constancy in thoughts, feelings and behaviours.)
Self-regulation
- Emotional
- Behavioural
Self concept (cohesive self despite physical change) - Identity (identity diffusion, identity achieved etc)
Ego development
- Ego control
- Ego resilience
- Ego defence
Development of Psychopathology: Self-processes
- Low self-esteem
- Identity confusion
- Disruptions in self-organisation (disruptions in a solid sense of self, can lead to BPD and schizophrenia)
- Ego brittleness (at risk of anx and dep because under times of stress they get stuck and don’t cope well)
- Poor self-regulation (overly or under regulated)
Normative development: Moral development
The development of moral reasoning (advancement of cog skills)
Internalisation of caregiver values/teaching (happens earlier on and reuires positive relationships with caregivers. Also needs mutual reciprocity of care and concern)
Emotional dimensions of morality:
- The emergence of shame and guilt
- Empathy
Development of Psychopathology:
Moral processes
Relational deficits
Cognitive deficits
Cultural expectations
Normative development: Sex and Gender
Gender identity
Gender role behaviour
Sexuality (feelings and expression of sexual desire)
Sexual orientation
Development of Psychopathology:
Gender and Sexuality processes
- Exaggerated sex-role characteristics.
Healthy development uses agency (traditional male, dominant, aggressive, stoic in the face of pain, realistic, practical, extreme would be developing antisocial traits)
and communion (femininity, nurturing, sociable, non-aggressive - extreme would be putting others needs before their own)
Both extremes not ideal, need balance.
- Precocious sexuality. need to be careful of young people entering into sexual relationships when not ready.
- Responses of society/others to sexual-minority orientation. Family and peers might not support diversity.
Development in the Family Context
Parenting processes
- Parenting style
- Parental sensitivity
- Boundary dissolution
Interparental conflict and family dissolution
Maltreatment and family violence
Parenting Styles
Parenting Styles: Baumrind’s Typology
2 dimensions:
- Warmth/support
- Control/structure
4 styles:
- Authoritative – associated with adjustment
- Authoritarian
- Permissive/Indulgent
- Neglectful/Uninvolved
Parental sensitivity
Parent sensitivity to child’s signals, emotions, and needs
Vygotsky:
- Scaffolding
- Internalisation
Boundary dissolution
Minuchin (1974)
Clear boundaries in the family are crucial to healthy psychological development
Boundary problems in the parent-child relationship:
- Enmeshment
- Intrusiveness
- Role-reversal (parentification)
- Spousification
Interparental conflict and divorce
Risk factors
- Exposure to conflict
- Triangulation
- Life stressors (other losses, enter poverty)
- Parent stress, disrupted parenting, disrupted PC r’ship
Protective factors
- Coparenting after separation
- Child “resilience” factors
Side note: Other family forms
Single-parent families
Grand-parent headed homes
Maltreatment and family violence
- Home environments that are violent, abusive or neglectful fall outside the “average expectable environment” needed for positive development
- Maltreatment implicated in many psychopathologies
- Children do not need to be direct victims of abuse in order to be affected
Development of Psychopathology:
Family processes
- Overly harsh or lax parenting
- Parental insensitivity
- Inappropriate parent-child boundaries
- Interparental conflict and family dissolution
- Victimisation or exposure to violence in the home
