Psychological Development (psychological + development)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Psychology


Selected Abstracts


The self in conflict: The evolution of mediation

CONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2007
Richard McGuigan
Developmentalists such as Baldwin (1975); Basseches (1984); Cook-Greuter (1990, 1999, 2000); Kegan (1982, 1994, 2001); Loevinger (1976, 1979, 1983, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2002); Piaget (1970); and Wade (1996) have devoted their research to the growth of different lines of development in individuals. A developmental understanding of conflict has implications for conflict theorists and interveners. In applying Kegan's staged model of adult psychological development to the experi-ence of conflict, we can better understand the meaning-making that underlies the behaviors that disputants exhibit in conflict, thereby allowing interveners to help the disputants expand their understanding of the conflict situation and find new pathways to its resolution. [source]


Genetic Probes of Three Theories of Maternal Adjustment: I. Recent Evidence and a Model,

FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 3 2001
David Reiss M.D.
Studies focusing on genetic and social influences on maternal adjustment will illumine mother's marriage, parenting, and the development of psychopathology in her children. Recent behavioral genetic research suggests mechanisms by which genetic and social influences determine psychological development and adjustment. First, heritable, personal attributes may influence individuals' relationships with their family members. These genetically influenced family patterns may amplify the effects of adverse, heritable personal attributes on adjustment. Second, influences unique to siblings may be the most important environmental determinants of adjustment. We derive three hypotheses on maternal adjustment from integrating these findings from genetic studies with other contemporary research on maternal adjustment. First, mother's marriage mediates the influence of her heritable, personal attributes on her adjustment. Second, mother's recall of how she was parented is partially genetically influenced, and both her relationships with her spouse and her child mediate the impact of these genetically influenced representations on her current adjustment. Third, characteristics of mother's spouse are important influences on difference between her adjustment and that of her sister's These sibling-specific influences are unrelated to mother's heritable attributes. The current article develops this model, and the companion article describes the Twin Mom Study that was designed to test it as well, as its first findings. Data from this study can illumine the role of family process in the expression of genetic influence and lead to specific family interventions designed to offset adverse genetic influences. [source]


The role of puberty in the developing adolescent brain

HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 6 2010
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
Abstract Adolescence refers to the period of physical and psychological development between childhood and adulthood. The beginning of adolescence is loosely anchored to the onset of puberty, which brings dramatic alterations in hormone levels and a number of consequent physical changes. Puberty onset is also associated with profound changes in drives, motivations, psychology, and social life; these changes continue throughout adolescence. There is an increasing number of neuroimaging studies looking at the development of the brain, both structurally and functionally, during adolescence. Almost all of these studies have defined development by chronological age, which shows a strong,but not unitary,correlation with pubertal stage. Very few neuroimaging studies have associated brain development with pubertal stage, and yet there is tentative evidence to suggest that puberty might play an important role in some aspects of brain and cognitive development. In this paper we describe this research, and we suggest that, in the future, developmental neuroimaging studies of adolescence should consider the role of puberty. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Holding on and letting go: developmental anxieties in couples after the birth of a child

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOANALYTIC STUDIES, Issue 3 2004
Jenny Berg
Abstract The authors propose a theoretical sequence for the psychological development of couples from narcissistic, autistic-contiguous and paranoid-schizoid levels to depressive position functioning. The authors illustrate their observations with vignettes from couple therapy with a husband and wife who are dealing with the impact of a third on their fragile relationship, initially in the form of their baby, subsequently his lover and lastly the couple therapist. They show how dealing with resistance and transference enables the couple to give up a shared manic defence, grieve together and move along the developmental levels to achieve a more satisfying reality. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source]


A fearful child attends: a psychoanalytic explanation of children's responses to dental treatment

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 6 2007
RUTH FREEMAN
Background., At the mention of dental treatment some children become overwhelmed by anxiety whereas others appear to take the news in their stride. Sometimes when anxious children attend dental treatment, they appear to cope, contain their fears, and passively submit to treatment, whereas others angrily refuse to open their mouths and a third group of children exist who seem to just ,tough it out' no matter how disagreeable or frightening dental treatment becomes. The question remains: why do children react so differently to dental treatment? Aim., This paper aims to provide a psychoanalytic explanation as to why children react and respond differently to dental treatment. Results., This paper proposes a psychoanalytic formulation based on the functionality of the family, parent,child dyads, child psychological development, and the child's emotional and actual life experiences. Conclusions., There is a need to understand the dynamic nature of child dental anxiety and to appreciate the hidden factors and underlying complexities associated with the anxious child who attends for dental treatment. [source]


Perceptions of and Preferences for Skin Color, Black Racial Identity, and Self-Esteem Among African Americans,

JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 11 2001
Stephanie Irby Coard
The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of skin color (i.e., lightness,darkness), as it pertains to racial identity development theory and self-esteem among 113 African American college students of various skin colors. Findings revealed that the sample preferred skin color of a medium tone, rather than exhibiting self-preference for either lighter or darker skin tones. There was also a significant relationship between one's perceptions of and preferences for his or her skin color and the skin tones idealized by others (e.g., opposite gender, family). Lighter skin color was positively related to higher levels of racial identity attitudes (immersion/emersion); the more satisfied darker skinned individuals were with their skin color, the lower their self-esteem, and gender differences existed in perceptions of others' preferences for skin color. Implications of this study for providing therapeutic clinical services and fostering the healthy psychological development of African American men, women, and children are discussed. [source]


Retrospective accounts of recurrent parental physical abuse as a predictor of adult laboratory-induced aggression

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2004
Brian K. Moe
Abstract Child abuse has been frequently associated with adult aggression in its many forms. The Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) is a popular laboratory-based procedure derived from the retaliatory responses of participants engaged in a monetary-reinforced computer game. PSAP responses have been found to discriminate between participants with and without violent, antisocial, substance abuse, and even contact-sport athletic histories. The present study provided an initial test of the sensitivity of the PSAP and the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) in discriminating between college students (n=28) with and without reported histories of recurrent physical abuse as defined by incidents of being pushed, shoved, struck, punched, or threatened with physical violence by a parent more than once every six weeks over 15 years of upbringing. PSAP responses were substantially higher (d=2.1) among participants reporting histories of recurrent parental physical abuse, with 46% (as opposed to 0% for controls) of these individuals generating PSAP responses in excess of 400 (average found for violent parolees). Group differences on the OAS were also considerable (>1 SD). Larger factorial designs examining relationships between a range of developmental variables (e.g., domestic abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, parental divorce, family climate, etc.) and adult PSAP responding may help advance present knowledge regarding the impact of childhood adversity on psychological development. Aggr. Behav. 30:217,228, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Middle-Class African American Parents' Conceptions of Parenting in Early Adolescence

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE, Issue 2 2001
Judith Smetana
Conceptions of parenting were examined in 87 middle-class African American parents (87 mothers and 51 fathers) of early adolescents (M= 13.11 years of age). Using semistructured interviews, parents were queried about two developmentally salient issues of early adolescence: parental limit-setting and adolescent independence. Parents primarily defined firm limits in terms of nonnegotiation, strongly endorsed setting firm limits regarding a range of issues, and justified the importance of limits by focusing on adolescents' socialization and psychological development. Mothers rated limiting adolescents' behavior as more important than permitting or encouraging adolescents' independence. Limits were seen as more important by mothers of younger rather than older early adolescent females, but mothers encouraged independence more for younger rather than older early adolescent males. Mothers permitted independent decisions regarding a limited range of issues such as clothes and appearance, based on psychological concerns with adolescents' developing autonomy and competence; they encouraged independence primarily by encouraging greater responsibility. The results demonstrate that there is considerable heterogeneity in African American parents' beliefs and goals about parenting in early adolescence. [source]


Developmental pathways in food allergy: a new theoretical framework

ALLERGY, Issue 4 2009
A. DunnGalvin
Background:, To date, there is no model of psychosocial development based on empirical food allergy (FA) research. This limits the ability of clinicians, researchers and policy-makers to predict and evaluate the real impact of FA on the child, with implications for prevention, treatment, intervention and health policy. Objectives:, To provide an integrated conceptual framework to explain the onset, development and maintenance of FA-related cognitions, emotions and behaviour, with particular attention to transition points. Method:, Fifteen focus groups meetings were held with 62 children (6,15 years). Developmentally appropriate techniques were designed to stimulate discussion, maintain interest and minimize threat to children's self-esteem. Data were analysed using grounded theory. Results:, FA impacts directly on children's normal trajectory of psychological development in both an age- and disease-specific manner. Six key themes emerged from the analysis: ,meanings of food'; ,autonomy, control and self-efficacy'; ,peer relationships'; ,risk and safety'; ,self/identity'; and ,coping strategies'. Conclusions:, Coping with FA is more than simply a strategy, it is a cumulative history of interactive processes (age, gender and disease specific) that are embedded in a child's developmental organization. Clinical Implications:, The early recognition and incorporation of an FA-specific developmental framework into a treatment plan is essential and sets the stage for an effective medical care and the eventual transition from paediatric to adult care. Capsule Summary:, This study represents a first attempt to provide an integrated developmental framework to explain the onset, development and maintenance of FA-related cognitions, emotions and behaviour. [source]


,Oh Rose, thou art sick!' Anti-individuation forces in the film American Beauty

THE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2003
David Hewison
Abstract:, The film American Beauty is used as a vehicle to explore difficulties in the individuation process, to look at a particular aspect of couple relationships in which mourning is avoided, and to make a general comment about the relationship between film and psychological experience. The thesis of the paper is that the individuation process is both an intra-psychic experience and an inter-psychic one which relies on relationships with external figures to enable development. The adult couple relationship is taken as one of the key areas of emotional life for the individuation process and as an area that can best show up false starts, successes, or even retreats in psychological development. Using the poetry of William Blake and the work of Michael Fordham, I show a process of anti-individuation going on in the relationship between the characters of Lester and Carolyn Burnham in the film. [source]


Surrogacy families: parental functioning, parent,child relationships and children's psychological development at age 2

THE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 2 2006
Susan Golombok
Background:, Findings are presented of the second phase of a longitudinal study of families created through surrogacy. Methods:, At the time of the child's 2nd birthday, 37 surrogacy families were compared with 48 egg donation families and 68 natural conception families on standardised interview and questionnaire measures of the psychological well-being of the parents, parent,child relationships and the psychological functioning of the child. Results:, The surrogacy mothers showed more positive parent,child relationships, and the surrogacy fathers reported lower levels of parenting stress, than their natural conception counterparts. The surrogacy children did not differ from the natural conception children with respect to socio-emotional or cognitive development. Conclusions:, Surrogacy does not appear to impact negatively on parenting or child development in families with 2-year-old children. [source]


THE RELEVANCE OF EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, Issue 3 2005
Anthony Ryle
ABSTRACT The claims made for the contribution of Evolutionary Psychology to psychotherapy are questioned. The relevance of human evolutionary history is not disputed, but it is argued that insufficient account is taken of the unique features of human beings, that the polemical attacks made on the social and human sciences are irrational, that the hypothetical reconstructions of human evolution are frequently arbitrary and biased, and that the extent to which evolved innate,mentalities'are said to determine social roles ignores the evidence for the plasticity of human brains and for social influences in individual development. In its consistent bias in favour of innate rather than learned and culturally formed processes and in its language and assumptions EP underestimates the inherited and acquired capacities of human societies and individuals to change. It fails to take adequate account of the key evolutionary development whereby humans became symbol-making and symbol-using social animals whose individual psychological development involves processes, the understanding of which requires a new theoretical perspective. These features, combined with the absence of a clear model of practice, seriously limit the contribution of EP to psychotherapy. [source]


The Legacy of Early Attachments

CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2000
Ross A. Thompson
The impact of early close relationships on psychological development is one of the enduring questions of developmental psychology that is addressed by attachment theory and research. This essay evaluates what has been learned, and offers ideas for future research, by examining the origins of continuity and change in the security of attachment early in life, and its prediction of later behavior. The discussion evaluates research on the impact of changing family circumstances and quality of care on changes in attachment security, and offers new hypotheses for future study. Considering the representations (or internal working models) associated with attachment security as developing representations, the discussion proposes that (1) attachment security may be developmentally most influential when the working models with which it is associated have sufficiently matured to influence other emerging features of psychosocial functioning; (2) changes in attachment security are more likely during periods of representational advance; and (3) parent,child discourse and other relational influences shape these developing representations after infancy. Finally, other features of early parent,child relationships that develop concurrently with attachment security, including negotiating conflict and establishing cooperation, also must be considered in understanding the legacy of early attachments. [source]


Perceptions of child labour among working children in Ibadan, Nigeria

CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2006
F. O. Omokhodion
Abstract Background The adverse effects of child labour on the children's psychological development continue to raise concerns about this public health problem worldwide. Several views have been presented by child health authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international agencies. Few studies have focused on the children themselves. This study sought to determine working children's perspective of child labour, its benefits and disadvantages and the working children's perceptions of themselves, and their aspirations for the future. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among working children in a large market in Ibadan, south-west Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to all consenting children. Results A total of 225 children, 132 females and 93 males, participated in the survey. Their age range was 8,17 years. A total of 103 respondents (46%) were currently in school while 117 (52%) were out of school. Five respondents (2%) had never attended school. A total of 104 (46%) thought that children should not work. However, when asked about the benefits of working, 81 working children (36%) felt that work provided a source of income for them, 52 (23%) indicated that it was a way of helping their parents and 39 (17%) thought it was part of their training to be responsible adults. Bad company, ill health and road traffic accidents were the perceived ill effects of child labour. The majority of the children interviewed were aspiring towards artisan trades and very few towards professional or office jobs. A total of 106 (47%) children perceived themselves as less fortunate than their peers. Fifty-five children (24%) thought that child labour was a sign of deprivation. The perception that child labour is a sign of deprivation was more prevalent among child workers whose highest educational attainment was primary school, child workers who had worked for more than 6 months and those whose earnings were small. Conclusion We recommend that school education for children should be a priority even when the harsh economic realities in their families force parents to send them to work outside the home. [source]