Chapter 2 – Theories and Causes
The study of causes of abnormal child behavior involves theory and findings on biological,
psychological, social, and cultural/ethnic factors.
• Biological factors include genetic and neurobiological contributors, among others.
• Psychological influences include the role of behavioral and cognitive processes, as well
as emotional and relationship influences.
• Major social contributors to child problems involve family patterns, peer relations,
community factors, and cultural expectations.
Factors in each one of these areas impact and interact with the other areas.
Theory: a language of science that allows us to assemble and communicate existing knowledge
more comprehensively. It permits us to make educated guesses and predictions about behavior
based on samples of knowledge, moving us forward to explore possible explanations.
Etiology: the study of the causes of childhood disorders.
• It considers how biological, psychological, and environmental processes interact to
produce the outcomes that are observed over time.
Developmental psychopathology: an approach to describing and studying disorders of
childhood, adolescents, and beyond. It emphasizes the role of developmental processes, the
importance of context and the influence of multiple and interacting events in shaping adaptive
and maladaptive development.
3 prominent assumptions derived from a developmental psychopathology perspective:
1. Abnormal development is multiply determined: use various ways to determine abnormal
development, e.g., look at a child’s developmental profile and abilities, home and school
environment, etc.
2. Child and environment are interdependent: this concept appreciates how nature and
nurture work together and are interconnected. Children elicit different reactions from
the same environment. Different environments, such as home or school, elicit different
reactions from the same child.
Transaction: the dynamic interaction of child and environment.
3. Abnormal development involves continuities and discontinuities:
Continuity: developmental changes are gradual and quantitative and that future
behavior patterns can be predicted from earlier patterns.
Discontinuity: developmental changes are abrupt and qualitative, and that future
behavior is poorly predicted by earlier patterns.
Developmental cascades: refer to the process by which a child’s previous interactions and
experiences may spread across other systems and alter his/her course of development,
somewhat like a chain reaction.
Theoretical Foundations – Section Summary
- Developmental psychopathology provides a useful framework for organizing the study of
abnormal child psychology around milestones and sequences in physical, cognitive, social-
emotional, and educational development.
- A central theme is the importance of considering multiple, interactive causes for abnormal
behavior, in conjunction with the major developmental changes that typically occur.
- The complexity of abnormal child behavior requires consideration of the full range of biological,
psychological, and sociocultural factors that influence children’s development.
, Adaptational failure: the failure to master or progress in accomplishing developmental
milestones. In other words, children with psychological disorders differ from children their own
age in some aspect of normal development. Such failure of deviation is rarely due to a single
cause, but typically results from an ongoing interaction between individual development and
environmental conditions.
Organization of development: the assumption that early patterns of adaptation evolve over time
and transform into higher order functions in a structured manner. For instance, infant eye
contact and speech sounds evolve and transform into speech and language.
Sensitive periods: windows of times during which environmental influences on development
(both good and bad) are heightened, thus providing enhanced opportunities to learn.
What is at the center of sensitive periods of development? à Environment.
Developmental psychopathology is primarily centered on comparative norms.
Developmental Considerations – Section Summary
- Children’s development is organized, which means that early patterns of adaptation evolve over
time and transform into higher order functions in a structured, predictable manner.
3 major perspectives on abnormal child development:
1. Biological perspectives: includes both genetic and neurobiological factors that are often
established at birth or soon thereafter;
2. Psychological perspectives: emotions, relationships, and though processes.
3. Familial, social and cultural influences, which set additional parameters on normal and
abnormal development.
1. Biological perspectives
A neurobiological perspective considers brain and nervous system functions as underlying
causes of psychological disorders in children and adults. Scientists now believe that brain
functions undergo continual changes as they adapt to environmental demands.
Neural plasticity (or malleability): the brain’s anatomical differentiation is use-dependent.
Although infants are born with basis brain processes, experience leads to anatomical
differentiation. That is, certain synapse of the brain is strengthened and stabilized, while others
regress and disappear.
Normal, healthy methods of child rearing may increase children’s ability to learn and cope with
stress. In contrast, abuse and neglect can prime the brain for a lifetime of struggle with handling
stress or forming healthy relationships.
Genetic contributions
Each person’s genome is established at conception and consists of approximately 20.000-25.000
genes. Genes influence how we respond to the environment, and the environment influences our
genes: gene-environment interaction (GxE).
Epigenetic: the underlying biological changes to genetic structure resulting from environmental
factors, such as toxins, diet, stress and many others.
Behavioral genetics: branch of genetics that investigates possible connections between a genetic
predisposition and observed behavior, taking into account environmental and genetic
influences.
The study of causes of abnormal child behavior involves theory and findings on biological,
psychological, social, and cultural/ethnic factors.
• Biological factors include genetic and neurobiological contributors, among others.
• Psychological influences include the role of behavioral and cognitive processes, as well
as emotional and relationship influences.
• Major social contributors to child problems involve family patterns, peer relations,
community factors, and cultural expectations.
Factors in each one of these areas impact and interact with the other areas.
Theory: a language of science that allows us to assemble and communicate existing knowledge
more comprehensively. It permits us to make educated guesses and predictions about behavior
based on samples of knowledge, moving us forward to explore possible explanations.
Etiology: the study of the causes of childhood disorders.
• It considers how biological, psychological, and environmental processes interact to
produce the outcomes that are observed over time.
Developmental psychopathology: an approach to describing and studying disorders of
childhood, adolescents, and beyond. It emphasizes the role of developmental processes, the
importance of context and the influence of multiple and interacting events in shaping adaptive
and maladaptive development.
3 prominent assumptions derived from a developmental psychopathology perspective:
1. Abnormal development is multiply determined: use various ways to determine abnormal
development, e.g., look at a child’s developmental profile and abilities, home and school
environment, etc.
2. Child and environment are interdependent: this concept appreciates how nature and
nurture work together and are interconnected. Children elicit different reactions from
the same environment. Different environments, such as home or school, elicit different
reactions from the same child.
Transaction: the dynamic interaction of child and environment.
3. Abnormal development involves continuities and discontinuities:
Continuity: developmental changes are gradual and quantitative and that future
behavior patterns can be predicted from earlier patterns.
Discontinuity: developmental changes are abrupt and qualitative, and that future
behavior is poorly predicted by earlier patterns.
Developmental cascades: refer to the process by which a child’s previous interactions and
experiences may spread across other systems and alter his/her course of development,
somewhat like a chain reaction.
Theoretical Foundations – Section Summary
- Developmental psychopathology provides a useful framework for organizing the study of
abnormal child psychology around milestones and sequences in physical, cognitive, social-
emotional, and educational development.
- A central theme is the importance of considering multiple, interactive causes for abnormal
behavior, in conjunction with the major developmental changes that typically occur.
- The complexity of abnormal child behavior requires consideration of the full range of biological,
psychological, and sociocultural factors that influence children’s development.
, Adaptational failure: the failure to master or progress in accomplishing developmental
milestones. In other words, children with psychological disorders differ from children their own
age in some aspect of normal development. Such failure of deviation is rarely due to a single
cause, but typically results from an ongoing interaction between individual development and
environmental conditions.
Organization of development: the assumption that early patterns of adaptation evolve over time
and transform into higher order functions in a structured manner. For instance, infant eye
contact and speech sounds evolve and transform into speech and language.
Sensitive periods: windows of times during which environmental influences on development
(both good and bad) are heightened, thus providing enhanced opportunities to learn.
What is at the center of sensitive periods of development? à Environment.
Developmental psychopathology is primarily centered on comparative norms.
Developmental Considerations – Section Summary
- Children’s development is organized, which means that early patterns of adaptation evolve over
time and transform into higher order functions in a structured, predictable manner.
3 major perspectives on abnormal child development:
1. Biological perspectives: includes both genetic and neurobiological factors that are often
established at birth or soon thereafter;
2. Psychological perspectives: emotions, relationships, and though processes.
3. Familial, social and cultural influences, which set additional parameters on normal and
abnormal development.
1. Biological perspectives
A neurobiological perspective considers brain and nervous system functions as underlying
causes of psychological disorders in children and adults. Scientists now believe that brain
functions undergo continual changes as they adapt to environmental demands.
Neural plasticity (or malleability): the brain’s anatomical differentiation is use-dependent.
Although infants are born with basis brain processes, experience leads to anatomical
differentiation. That is, certain synapse of the brain is strengthened and stabilized, while others
regress and disappear.
Normal, healthy methods of child rearing may increase children’s ability to learn and cope with
stress. In contrast, abuse and neglect can prime the brain for a lifetime of struggle with handling
stress or forming healthy relationships.
Genetic contributions
Each person’s genome is established at conception and consists of approximately 20.000-25.000
genes. Genes influence how we respond to the environment, and the environment influences our
genes: gene-environment interaction (GxE).
Epigenetic: the underlying biological changes to genetic structure resulting from environmental
factors, such as toxins, diet, stress and many others.
Behavioral genetics: branch of genetics that investigates possible connections between a genetic
predisposition and observed behavior, taking into account environmental and genetic
influences.
