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# Child Psychology and Psychopathology Notes This document appears to be notes on child psychology and psychopathology, focusing on the interplay between genetics, environment, and neural development. ## Underlying Assumptions in Child Psychology * **Few direct cause-and-effect relationships:**...

# Child Psychology and Psychopathology Notes This document appears to be notes on child psychology and psychopathology, focusing on the interplay between genetics, environment, and neural development. ## Underlying Assumptions in Child Psychology * **Few direct cause-and-effect relationships:** Child development is complex, with many factors interacting. * **Interactive and historical context:** Children's development is influenced by their relationships with others, and societal background. * **Continual reorganization of the brain:** Neural plasticity means the brain's structure changes throughout life based on experience. ## Emotional Expression and Development * **Emotional expression affects social interaction:** Emotions impact how children relate to and interact with others. * **Emotional regulation from socialization:** Children learn to manage their emotions through social interactions and experiences. * **Emotional experiences influence early personality development and parenting:** Emotional experiences during childhood affect personality development, and vice versa. ## Neurobiological Contributions * **Different structures/functions in the brain:** Several brain structures contribute to psychological processes and may be implicated in disorders. * **Neurotransmitters:** Chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA play significant roles in behavior, moods, and learning. Specific neurotransmitters are connected to specific disorders or conditions (e.g., serotonin to depression or anxiety). * **Neural plasticity:** The brain's ability to adapt throughout life, shaping and modifying neural pathways based on experiences. ## Genetic Influence on Child Behavior * **Polygenic:** Behavior is often a result of several genes working together. * **Genes influence behavior:** Genes play a role in how children behave, interact socially, and learn. * **Genes are not deterministic:** Genes do not entirely determine behavior; but they play a substantial role * **Environmental contributions:** Environmental factors are often necessary for gene expression to cause certain conditions. * **Genetic concordance rates:** Similarities between twins (monozygotic and dizygotic) give clues about the potential genetic and environmental influence on conditions like depression. **Note:** The document contains some shorthand or abbreviations that are difficult to fully interpret without additional context. The provided information, while accurate within the context of a learning document, may require further clarification by specialized sources for a complete understanding.