Transcript Chapter 13

Introducing the Cell to Society Framework
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Human behavior is impacted by processes
ranging from those occurring at the smallest
levels of biological organization to the largest
levels of social and physical environmental
systems.
The need to root these theoretical principles on
the best scientifically available data.
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The principles and conceptual
foundations of the cell to society
framework
Transdisciplinary
 Joining
together and transcendence of
disciplines toward a common understanding of
complex phenomena
 Human behavior is multidimensional in nature
and requires a host of disciplines to understand
• e.g., genetics, neuroscience, endocrinology,
psychology, sociology, geography
 Evolution
• Change and adaptation over time
• Studies on primates have shown that change and
adaptation does occur and certain behaviors or
social problems are not inevitable or fixed
Systems Theory
 The
behavior of systems is generated by its
underlying structure or pattern of interrelationships
 Key
concepts
• Positive feedback: system-changing innovations
• Negative feedback: system-maintaining innovations
• Emergence: properties that do not appear at any
lower level of interactive parts
• Contingency: cases not observable regularities
Key concepts
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Transactions: exchange of information and behavioral
interactions between persons and others in environment
Inputs: flow of energy (i.e. stimuli) into a person or system
Outputs: flow of energy out of a person or system
Interface: the point of interaction or change target
Adaptation: capacity to adjust to changes in environment
Interdependence: mutual reliance between actors in a
system and habitat
Differentiation: change toward greater complexity in system
Equifinality: many different means to achieve the same end
Multifinality: one starting point leading to many outcomes
 Multiple
units of analysis and disciplinary
perspectives brought together to
understand and intervene in human
behavior across levels of analysis
 Begins with genes and moves to larger
levels of physiological organization such as
stress, emotion, and functions in the brain
 What
is science?
• A way of knowing about the world that is based
on empiricism and testing
 Deduction
• Take an idea or theory about something and
gather data to assess the theory’s validity
 Induction
• Observe facts and form a theory capable of
explaining or making sense of our observations
 What
is pseudoscience?
• Use of persuasion and misinformation in support
of cherished claims
• Lack of empirical tests, rigorous external review
and self-correction
 What
are the pitfalls of pseudoscience?
• Use of interventions by helping professionals
that are not empirically tested can be potentially
harmful and waste time and resources
Milestones
Period
Transformation of single cell organism to
human organism ready for growth and development
Conception to
birth
Rapid changes to physiology, central nervous
system and social receptiveness
Infancy
Gross and fine motor skills are developed and flowering of
language and thought
Early
childhood
Attendance at school, making friends, sense of self, development of
morality
Middle to late
childhood
Puberty and sexual activity, growing autonomy and value system,
stronger reliance on peers and formation on social identity
Adolescence
Independence, career and work, marriage or intimate partnership,
child rearing
Early
adulthood
Greater mastery and leadership, sense of one’s own mortality,
helping children and others reach independence and success
Middle
adulthood
Adapting to diminished physical capacity, loss of life partner, life
reflection, new ways to occupy time
Late
adulthood
 Psychodynamic
theory
 Behaviorism
 Cognitive
perspective
 Evolutionary approaches and gene–
environment interplay
 Ecological systems theory
Psychodynamic theory
 Posits that development takes place in a series of discrete
stages driven by innate sexual impulses and early experiences.
 Early forms of this theory put forth by Freud were modified
significantly by Erickson with less of an emphasis on biology
and internal drives and more emphasis on external
psychosocial relations.
 Cell to society: Psychodynamic theory is biosocial and
interactive involving the cell to society domains of emotion,
temperament, personality, and cognition and learning. Genes,
stress and physiological adaptations, and executive functions,
although likely involved, are not specified. Macrosocial context
is largely ignored, though Freud extended the perspective to
civilization (society) and Erickson to major societally
contingent life stages such as career and employment.
Behaviorism
 Environmental input shapes behavior of the organism. Many of
these environmental inputs involve social learning via
reinforcement. Thus, development is a sum of learning
experiences based on specific environmental conditions.
Behaviorists do not deny existence of important biological
factors but what matters most is environmental contingencies.
Later modifications to behaviorism involved incorporations of
thoughts (cognitions).
 Cell to society: Although born out of physiology, limited genetic
and neuroscience input. Far more emphasis on nurture as
opposed to nature in this theory. Although larger social
structures such as institutions (as well as broad societal factors
like technology) can be linked to behavioral changes, very little
study of these linkages has been undertaken.
Cognitive perspective
 Focused attention on frame of reference or schemas that
humans are born with. We need to have this structure to
process information from our external environment.
Humans assimilate this information in stages. Recent
cognitive theories of development focus on attention,
memory, and reasoning.
 Cell to society: Strong input from biology, but not a focus of
study. Emphasis is on cognition and learning and to some
extent executive functions and belief systems. However,
limited roles specified for temperament and personality as
well as institutions and technology.
Evolutionary approaches and gene–environment interplay
 Heredity plays an important role in development, but the
environment has great impact on the human genotype. As such,
humans must adapt to environments but this adaptation is partly
influenced by genetic factors. Thus, some people respond
differently to the same environment. Environmental factors vary
over different periods (e.g., adolescence). In these theories, not
only does environment act upon humans, but individuals often
select environments (and change the environment) consistent
with their genotype
 Cell to society: Strong emphasis on genetics but also executive
functions, stress and adaptation, temperament, personality, and
cognition and learning. Similar to other major developmental
perspectives, the role of larger social aggregates is neglected.
Ecological systems theory
 The individual interacts with multiple levels of the
environment (i.e., micro, meso, macro) to influence
behavior and development across time in complex
ways. Concepts such as equifinality and multifinality
are prominent. This theoretical perspective is very
systems oriented and does not posit discrete changes
or place substantial emphasis on early experiences.
 Cell to society: Biology somewhat de-emphasized, as
well as temperament and personality. Social factors
even macro ones like institutions and communities—
are given substantial weight. Successive levels of
context surround the individual.
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Understanding human behavior includes factors that occur at
multiple levels and requires the use of a host of disciplines.
Change and adaptation over time is fundamental to human
behavior, and can occur at the biological, individual, and cultural
levels. When changes occur, adaptations in human behavior
result, which initiates further change.
Science is a way of knowing about the world that is based on
empiricism and testing. Social work relies on science to deliver
rational and effective services and uses scientific evidence to
inform social policies and practices.
Tremendous complexity of interactions occur over the life course
ranging in involvement from the smallest units inside the body
(e.g., neurons) to the largest aggregations (e.g., worldwide
systems). Humans are highly plastic and depend on the social
environment for experiences that stimulate healthy brain
development.