Extrafamilial Influences

Extrafamilial Extrafamilial InfluencesInfluencesMost Important Most Important

Concept/theory for Concept/theory for Development?Development?

Ecological Systems TheoryEcological Systems Theory

BronfenbrennerBronfenbrenner– Mutual Influence– Mutual Influence– – Child Development EnvironmentChild Development Environment– Environment is a set of Environment is a set of nestednested

structures – developing person at the structures – developing person at the center, rings of influencecenter, rings of influence

– Relative influence changes over time Relative influence changes over time (for infants, Microsystem is most (for infants, Microsystem is most important)important)

Levels of the Ecology of a Levels of the Ecology of a ChildChild

Microsystem [innermost layer] (the Microsystem [innermost layer] (the immediate setting/surroundings)immediate setting/surroundings)

– Relations between the child and their Relations between the child and their immediate surroundingsimmediate surroundings

– Activities/individuals in which the child Activities/individuals in which the child is DIRECTLY involved (i.e., Family, is DIRECTLY involved (i.e., Family, Daycare/ preschool/school, Peers – Daycare/ preschool/school, Peers – other children infant interacts with…other children infant interacts with…


Mesosystem [second layer] the Mesosystem [second layer] the interconnections between a child’s interconnections between a child’s immediate settings/surroundings.immediate settings/surroundings.

– Relations between systems in which child is Relations between systems in which child is directly involveddirectly involved INDIRECT EFFECTS INDIRECT EFFECTS

Family – daycare (notebook back & forth each day)Family – daycare (notebook back & forth each day) Family – school (parent conferences, progress reports)Family – school (parent conferences, progress reports)

– Supportive systems facilitate development Supportive systems facilitate development (consistencies between home & school)(consistencies between home & school)

– Non-supportive systems hamper developmentNon-supportive systems hamper development-Negative peer pressure devaluing academic -Negative peer pressure devaluing academic achievement – reducing individual performanceachievement – reducing individual performance


Exosystem [third layer] contexts which Exosystem [third layer] contexts which influence without individual’s actual influence without individual’s actual participation in themparticipation in them

– Parent’s employment status – influences SES, Parent’s employment status – influences SES, parent availability to child both emotionally & parent availability to child both emotionally & physicallyphysically

– School board policies – determine course, School board policies – determine course, nature of educ systemnature of educ system

– Community politics – curfew, Community politics – curfew, number/size/location of city parksnumber/size/location of city parks

– ReligionReligion


Macrosystem [outermost layer] Macrosystem [outermost layer] broad, over-reaching ideological broad, over-reaching ideological influences influences

– Culture, SES, customs, etc. influence Culture, SES, customs, etc. influence how children should be treated.how children should be treated.

– Patterns & accepted behaviors of a Patterns & accepted behaviors of a specific culture or subculturespecific culture or subculture

– Laws that govern that culture or societyLaws that govern that culture or society– Religion- in terms of valuesReligion- in terms of values

Ecological ModelEcological ModelCultural Values, Laws

Microsystem connections

Family, teachers

Child

External ResourcesChronosys tem

Macro

Exo

Meso

Micro

At each levelAt each level 2 examples of things that:2 examples of things that:

– Facilitate positive outcomesFacilitate positive outcomes– Prevent positive outcomesPrevent positive outcomes

FriendsFriends What are they?What are they? Why do we have them?Why do we have them? Friends?Friends?

Familial InfluencesFamilial Influences

Peers- Peers- – Continuous vs DiscontinuousContinuous vs Discontinuous

a logical result of the original parent-child a logical result of the original parent-child relationship? (continuous)relationship? (continuous)

Or, are peer relationships qualitatively Or, are peer relationships qualitatively

different?different?

Peer Relationship ResearchPeer Relationship Research

Causal Influences on Positive Social Causal Influences on Positive Social DevelopmentDevelopment

– Friendship Existence: Does the child have Friendship Existence: Does the child have friends? friends?

– If notIf not increased aggression and peer increased aggression and peer rejectionrejection

– Having Friends≠ Having good friendsHaving Friends≠ Having good friends



– Personality of Friends: Who are these Personality of Friends: Who are these friends? friends?

– Good Quality vs. Poor Quality?Good Quality vs. Poor Quality?– Deviancy training- can facilitate Deviancy training- can facilitate

maladaptive behavior through modelingmaladaptive behavior through modeling– But, having good quality friendsBut, having good quality friends≠ good ≠ good

relationshipsrelationships



– Quality of Relationships with friendsQuality of Relationships with friends– Even good quality w/ delinquent friends Even good quality w/ delinquent friends

encourage drug use & depressionencourage drug use & depression Take home message:Take home message:

– Having friends Having friends – Having good quality friendsHaving good quality friends– Having strong relationships with good quality Having strong relationships with good quality

friendsfriends

Peer Relationship ProblemsPeer Relationship Problems

Gender DifferencesGender Differences– Who engages in more aggression?Who engages in more aggression?– Males:Males:

Males more likely to engage in reactive Males more likely to engage in reactive aggression w/ peersaggression w/ peers– Instrumental AggressionInstrumental Aggression

More likely to develop externalizing More likely to develop externalizing behavior problems related to peer rejectionbehavior problems related to peer rejection

Peer Relationship ProblemsPeer Relationship Problems

Gender DifferencesGender Differences– FemalesFemales

females more likely to engage in relational females more likely to engage in relational aggression w/peers.aggression w/peers.

More likely to develop internalizing More likely to develop internalizing behavior problems related to peer behavior problems related to peer rejection.rejection.

ExampleExample- 1:30- 1:30

Peers DevelopmentallyPeers Developmentally

First year – cries in response to other First year – cries in response to other infants crying- Looks, touches, vocalizes infants crying- Looks, touches, vocalizes @ other infants@ other infants

Second year – turn taking, role playing, Second year – turn taking, role playing, prosocial (sharing, comfort)prosocial (sharing, comfort)

– Social play increases (attempts to move from Social play increases (attempts to move from parallel to associative)parallel to associative)

– Pretend play (simplest forms begins)Pretend play (simplest forms begins) Third year – initiates interactions w/peersThird year – initiates interactions w/peers

– Begins to show preference for peers to adultsBegins to show preference for peers to adults

Peers DevelopmentallyPeers Developmentally 4 – 6 years – Sharing & cooperative play 4 – 6 years – Sharing & cooperative play

increases, imaginative play reaches peakincreases, imaginative play reaches peak***Main goal of friendship is to facilitate play***Main goal of friendship is to facilitate play

7 years – begins to choose same sex 7 years – begins to choose same sex peers consistentlypeers consistently

7 – 8 years – expectations of friends 7 – 8 years – expectations of friends (sharing, support, participate) (sharing, support, participate)

***Main goal of friendship is to have ***Main goal of friendship is to have someone else doing the same thingsomeone else doing the same thing

Peers DevelopmentallyPeers Developmentally

8 – 12 years – acceptance and 8 – 12 years – acceptance and admiration for/from peersadmiration for/from peers

– Expectation of loyalty, commitmentExpectation of loyalty, commitment

***Main goal of friendship is acceptance ***Main goal of friendship is acceptance of same sex peersof same sex peers

Pre-teens – intimacy, self-Pre-teens – intimacy, self-disclosure, common interests, disclosure, common interests, comparable valuescomparable values

Extrafamilial InfluencesExtrafamilial Influences

NOT in the child’s microsystemNOT in the child’s microsystem

Community- Community norms can Community- Community norms can affect what is “acceptable” affect what is “acceptable” behavior.behavior.

– Behavior in Hill Top vs. Behavior in Behavior in Hill Top vs. Behavior in Proctor- How are the two different?Proctor- How are the two different?

ExtraFamilialExtraFamilial

Community can affect parenting, quality of Community can affect parenting, quality of schools, local policies, etc- HOW???schools, local policies, etc- HOW???– parents are more involved in upper SES parents are more involved in upper SES

communitiescommunities– Schools with more moneySchools with more money– Residential law: Ban on cruising, neighborhood Residential law: Ban on cruising, neighborhood

watch, noise ordnanceswatch, noise ordnances– Access to quality daycare.Access to quality daycare.– Local curfewsLocal curfews– Driver’s ed before 18, school mandatory before Driver’s ed before 18, school mandatory before

1818

ExtrafamilialExtrafamilial

ReligionReligion– Provides a framework that guides Provides a framework that guides

behavior behavior toward toward the child and the child and behavior behavior ofof the child. the child.

– Provides many role models; other than Provides many role models; other than parentsparents

TelevisionTelevision

Stats:Stats:– 98% of American households have more than 98% of American households have more than

1 TV1 TV– TV watching increases with age: Peaks TV watching increases with age: Peaks

@~12-14 years with 4-7 hours per day@~12-14 years with 4-7 hours per day– 68% 8-18yr olds have tv in bedroom68% 8-18yr olds have tv in bedroom

Positive Influences?Positive Influences? Positive influences: Within 5 years of Positive influences: Within 5 years of

Sesame St. Debut, the average age of Sesame St. Debut, the average age of 1st reading decreased by 6 months.1st reading decreased by 6 months.

TelevisionTelevision

Negative influences (Think: Negative influences (Think: Bandura- Modeling)Bandura- Modeling)

– 58% of all TV between 6 am and 11 58% of all TV between 6 am and 11 pm shows repeated aggression- pm shows repeated aggression- typically during children’s typically during children’s programming (cartoons) and typically programming (cartoons) and typically by the “hero”.by the “hero”.

– Bobo Doll Experiment (Bandura): Bobo Doll Experiment (Bandura): Children imitate what they see on Children imitate what they see on televisiontelevision

TelevisionTelevision What can parents do?What can parents do? Violence on TV can be mediated by:Violence on TV can be mediated by:

– Co-watching (supervision)Co-watching (supervision)– 80% of parents report watching primetime tv 80% of parents report watching primetime tv

w/ their childrenw/ their children– Only 10% report watching children’s Only 10% report watching children’s

programming w/ their children.programming w/ their children.– Parent-child discussionParent-child discussion– TV is NOT representative of the real worldTV is NOT representative of the real world– Aggression is not okayAggression is not okay– Aggression is not the only way to solve Aggression is not the only way to solve

problemsproblems

Documents

Extrafamilial Influences