SLK 310
Chapter 2 Theories and causes of childhood
disorders
Theoretical foundations:
Theory is essentially a language of science that allows us to assemble and communicate existing
knowledge more comprehensively.
A theory 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 causes of childhood disorders. It considers how biological, psychological and
environmental processes interact to produce the outcomes that are observed over time.
Biological determinants focus on possible causes (structural brain damage, brain dysfunction,
neurotransmitter imbalances and genetic influences).
Psychological and environmental models emphasize the role of environmental toxins, early experiences,
learning opportunities, disciplinary practices, family systems and sociocultural contexts.
Biological determinants as well as, psychological and environmental models, are primarily risk factors and
correlates associated with certain disorders, their “causal” role is not always clear.
Developmental psychopathology perspective:
Developmental psychopathology an approach to describing and studying disorders of childhood,
adolescence and beyond in a manner that emphasizes the importance of developmental processes and
tasks.
This approach provides a useful framework for organizing the study of abnormal child psychology around
milestones and sequences in physical, cognitive, social-emotional and educational development.
3 prominent assumptions derived from a developmental psychopathology perspective:
1. Abnormal development is multiply determined
o We have to look beyond the child’s current symptoms and consider developmental pathways and
interacting events that, overtime, contribute to the expression of a particular disorder.
o Scientific method emphasizes the need to simplify variables to those of the most importance but
focusing on one primary explanation rather than identifying and allowing for several possible
explanations (genetic factors, reinforcement history and peer problems) fails to consider the
concept of developmental pathways.
o A particular problem or disorder may stem from a variety of causes and similar risk factors may
lead to different outcomes.
2. Child and environment are interdependent
o A child and their environment are interdependent how they influence each other.
o This concept argues that children also influence their own environment.
o Interdependence appreciate how nature and nurture work together and are interconnected.
o Thus, children elicit different reactions from the same environment; different environments, such
as home and school, elicit different reactions from the same child.
o The dynamic interaction of child and environment is referred to as a transaction. The child and the
environment both contribute to the expression of a disorder and one cannot be separated from the
other.
o Children and their environment are viewed as active contributors to adaptive and maladaptive
behavior.
, o According to this transactional perspective, children’s psychological disorders do not reside within
within the child, nor are they due solely to environmental causes. They most often emerge from a
combination of factors, which interact in ways that follow general laws of organized development.
3. Abnormal development involves continuities and discontinuities
o Few psychological impairments or disorders suddenly emerge without at least some warning signs
or connections to earlier developmental issues.
o Continuity implies that developmental changes are gradual and quantitative (expressed as
amounts that can be measured numerically, such as weight and height changes) and that future
behavior patterns can be predicted from earlier patterns.
o Discontinuity implies that developmental changes are abrupt and qualitative (expressed as
qualities that cannot be measured numerically, such as changes in mood or expression) and that
future behavior is poorly predicted by earlier patterns.
o Problem behaviors (eating disorders) seem to follow a more discontinuous pattern; they occur
more suddenly and without much prior warning.
o Sometimes discontinuity can refer to an unexpected or atypical outcome (child who shows normal
development until about 18 months and then displays loss of language and reduced social
engagement).
o The degree of continuity or discontinuity will vary as a function of changing environmental
circumstances and transactions between the child and the environment. These continual changes,
in turn, will affect the child’s development course and direction.
Changes, typical and atypical:
Developmental cascades refer to the process by which a child’s previous interactions and experiences
may spread across other systems and alter his or her course of development, somewhat like a chain
reaction.
This concept helps explain how processes that function at one level or domain of behavior (curiosity) can
affect how the child adapts to other challenges later on (academic performance).
An integrative approach:
o Biological explanations emphasize genetic mutations, neuroanatomy and neurobiological mechanisms
as factors contributing to psychopathology.
o Psychological explanations emphasize causal factors (insecure attachments, cognitive distortions or
maladaptive reinforcement and/or learning histories).
o Biological and psychological models both multicausal and distinctive in terms of the relative importance
each attaches to certain events and processes.
o each model is restricted in its ability to explain abnormal behavior to the extent that it fails to incorporate
important components of other models.
Developmental considerations:
There is an indication of adaptational failure in one or more areas of development.
Adaptational failure the failure to master or progress in accomplishing developmental milestones.
Organization of development:
An organizational viewpoint looks closely at the psychological processes that may explain how these
systems influence each other.
In the organization of development perspective, early patterns of adaptation (infant eye contact and
speech sounds) evolve with structure over time and transform into higher-order functions (speech and
language).
Chapter 2 Theories and causes of childhood
disorders
Theoretical foundations:
Theory is essentially a language of science that allows us to assemble and communicate existing
knowledge more comprehensively.
A theory 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 causes of childhood disorders. It considers how biological, psychological and
environmental processes interact to produce the outcomes that are observed over time.
Biological determinants focus on possible causes (structural brain damage, brain dysfunction,
neurotransmitter imbalances and genetic influences).
Psychological and environmental models emphasize the role of environmental toxins, early experiences,
learning opportunities, disciplinary practices, family systems and sociocultural contexts.
Biological determinants as well as, psychological and environmental models, are primarily risk factors and
correlates associated with certain disorders, their “causal” role is not always clear.
Developmental psychopathology perspective:
Developmental psychopathology an approach to describing and studying disorders of childhood,
adolescence and beyond in a manner that emphasizes the importance of developmental processes and
tasks.
This approach provides a useful framework for organizing the study of abnormal child psychology around
milestones and sequences in physical, cognitive, social-emotional and educational development.
3 prominent assumptions derived from a developmental psychopathology perspective:
1. Abnormal development is multiply determined
o We have to look beyond the child’s current symptoms and consider developmental pathways and
interacting events that, overtime, contribute to the expression of a particular disorder.
o Scientific method emphasizes the need to simplify variables to those of the most importance but
focusing on one primary explanation rather than identifying and allowing for several possible
explanations (genetic factors, reinforcement history and peer problems) fails to consider the
concept of developmental pathways.
o A particular problem or disorder may stem from a variety of causes and similar risk factors may
lead to different outcomes.
2. Child and environment are interdependent
o A child and their environment are interdependent how they influence each other.
o This concept argues that children also influence their own environment.
o Interdependence appreciate how nature and nurture work together and are interconnected.
o Thus, children elicit different reactions from the same environment; different environments, such
as home and school, elicit different reactions from the same child.
o The dynamic interaction of child and environment is referred to as a transaction. The child and the
environment both contribute to the expression of a disorder and one cannot be separated from the
other.
o Children and their environment are viewed as active contributors to adaptive and maladaptive
behavior.
, o According to this transactional perspective, children’s psychological disorders do not reside within
within the child, nor are they due solely to environmental causes. They most often emerge from a
combination of factors, which interact in ways that follow general laws of organized development.
3. Abnormal development involves continuities and discontinuities
o Few psychological impairments or disorders suddenly emerge without at least some warning signs
or connections to earlier developmental issues.
o Continuity implies that developmental changes are gradual and quantitative (expressed as
amounts that can be measured numerically, such as weight and height changes) and that future
behavior patterns can be predicted from earlier patterns.
o Discontinuity implies that developmental changes are abrupt and qualitative (expressed as
qualities that cannot be measured numerically, such as changes in mood or expression) and that
future behavior is poorly predicted by earlier patterns.
o Problem behaviors (eating disorders) seem to follow a more discontinuous pattern; they occur
more suddenly and without much prior warning.
o Sometimes discontinuity can refer to an unexpected or atypical outcome (child who shows normal
development until about 18 months and then displays loss of language and reduced social
engagement).
o The degree of continuity or discontinuity will vary as a function of changing environmental
circumstances and transactions between the child and the environment. These continual changes,
in turn, will affect the child’s development course and direction.
Changes, typical and atypical:
Developmental cascades refer to the process by which a child’s previous interactions and experiences
may spread across other systems and alter his or her course of development, somewhat like a chain
reaction.
This concept helps explain how processes that function at one level or domain of behavior (curiosity) can
affect how the child adapts to other challenges later on (academic performance).
An integrative approach:
o Biological explanations emphasize genetic mutations, neuroanatomy and neurobiological mechanisms
as factors contributing to psychopathology.
o Psychological explanations emphasize causal factors (insecure attachments, cognitive distortions or
maladaptive reinforcement and/or learning histories).
o Biological and psychological models both multicausal and distinctive in terms of the relative importance
each attaches to certain events and processes.
o each model is restricted in its ability to explain abnormal behavior to the extent that it fails to incorporate
important components of other models.
Developmental considerations:
There is an indication of adaptational failure in one or more areas of development.
Adaptational failure the failure to master or progress in accomplishing developmental milestones.
Organization of development:
An organizational viewpoint looks closely at the psychological processes that may explain how these
systems influence each other.
In the organization of development perspective, early patterns of adaptation (infant eye contact and
speech sounds) evolve with structure over time and transform into higher-order functions (speech and
language).
