Ecological Model

EDP 3501: CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Ecology
Investigates the complex system of interlaced and
interdependent relationships between the biological organism
and the social/physical setting the organism is in
E.G. Humblebee and the red clover. Humblebee is the only
bee that can fertilize the red clover. Without the humblebee, no
red clover.
With more rats, no humblebee no red clover.
With more cats, no rats, yes humblebee, yes red clover. ETC.

Urie Bronfenbrenner wanted to get away from what he called:
the science of the strange behavior of children/adolescents in
strange situations with strange adults (exp.) for the briefest
possible period of time.
Chronosystem
Chronosystem takes into account the constancy or change over
time

Time is continuous and not restricted to glimpses
Measurements of ones IQ in 1990 and then again in 2000 does
not take into consideration what or how those ten years have
changed or effected the person

Two people who started off at the same place will have had a
widely different 10 years from each other and thus should be a
consideration

Different life experiences and life events, which can be external
like entering school, divorce, birth of a sibling, etc. or can be
internal like puberty, severe illness, etc.
Conceptual Model
Series of systems
each is contained
within the other so
that literally
children are
affected by all
systems but some
are more
immediate to the
children and are
able to be
influenced by them
Microsystem: Within this system the
student has direct interactions with
parents, teachers, peers, and others.
Mesosystem: This system involves the
linkages between microsystems such as
family and school, and relationships
between students and peers.
Exosystem: This system works when
settings in which a child does not have
an active role influence the students
experiences.

Model
Macrosystem: This system involves
the broader culture in which students
and teachers live.


Chronosystem: The sociohistorical
conditions of a students development.


Model (cont)
Microsystem
1st tier: immediate relationships (mom and child)
the intimate social and immediate physical environmental setting
(home/family; school; peer group)
proximal processes interaction patterns within the
microsystem
Healthy microsystems will enhancing learning and development
Poor relationships can lead to information-poor and exploration-
inhibiting microsystems

NOTE: Microsystems can change as the child changes (or goes
to) schools, joins play groups/sports
Proximal Processes
Proximal processes energy transfer between individual
(developing human) and immediate environment (be it persons,
objects, symbols, etc.), in both directions; engines of
development
Through which genotypes are translated into phenotypes

2 major kinds of outcomes based on proximal processes:
1. Competence acquisition and development of knowledge,
skill, or ability in any domain (intellectual, physical,
motivational, socioemotional, artistic, etc.)
2. Dysfunction difficulties in maintaining control and
integration of behavior across situations and domains
Proximal Processes (cont)
What causes competence and what causes dysfunction?
Exposure extent of contact between person and proximal
processes in which the person engages
Varies along several dimensions:
Duration On average, how long is the period of exposure? (what is
the length of the session?)
Frequency How often do sessions occur over time hourly, daily,
etc.?
Interruption does exposure occur on a predictable basis or is it
interrupted?
Timing how long do responses take and are they aligned with
actions appropriately? (for infants this should be quick; mistiming
can disrupt the development of self-regulatory behavior)
Intensity strength of the exposure? (brief, infrequent, not
predictablecan cause developmentally-disruptive outcomes)
Chaotic Environment
Chaotic Environment can interrupt proximal processes residential
noise, crowding, classroom design, etc.
# of residences
# of intimate relationships of the mother
# of families with whom the child has lived
Chronic illness
Negative life events of the mother (job loss, death of relatives, family
separation, legal problems, etc.)

Examples:
As this instability rises in the environment, preschoolers exhibited
psychological distress (Ackerman et al, 1999)
Evans et al., (1998) crowding at home led to poor socially supported
relationships between parent and child, which resulted in poor
behavior at school and heightened vulnerability to learned
helplessness
Mesosystem
2nd tier: interaction or links between several Microsystems
looks at the individual roles one plays in Microsystems in terms of their
interactions with each other (so, one can be a son, a brother, a friend, a
first baseman; i.e., have different roles in different contexts)

EXAMPLE: if the links between the family microsystem and the
school system breakdown, it has been shown that students are worse
off in school academically and show less initiative and independence,
whereas in families where the family and school share mutual
communication systems, the child does better in the same areas

Best outcome when the Microsystems are congruent in terms of
their values (so, family and peer group both encourage good grades
and no smoking)
Mesosystem (cont.)
Areas of problems or risks within the
mesosystem:
impoverished mesosystem few or no
meaningful linkages between existing
Microsystems. Child is compartmentalized; no
continuity between Microsystems (e.g. parents who
dont know the friends).

divergent values within mesosystem so,
family condemns playing video games, while
friends condone playing them.
Exosystem
3rd tier: larger community; neighborhood; local laws;
(school boards cut funding for play grounds)
Children have no direct influence on -OR- participation in the
exosystem
THESE ARE NOT PLACES THE CHILD HAS INFLUENCE ON,
BUT ARE PLACES THE PARENT COULD HAVE INFLUENCE
OVER.

Important exosystems include:
parents and workplace
parents circle of friends
neighborhood/community
school and neighborhood groups
mass media
local government

Exosystem (cont.)
Exosystem can impoverish or enrich the quality of the micro and
mesosystems

EXAMPLE: a parents work environment can affect a childs
home life (microsystem) and the interaction with other
Microsystems (mesosystem) the parent may become less
involved in the childs other Microsystems leading to an
impoverished mesosystem

Can lead to parental stress & possibly child abuse or neglect
inadequate housing, unemployment, prolonged poverty. (note
that protective factors like supportive families or church
attendance can reduce the probability of abuse/neglect)
Macrosystem
4th tier: Society/cultural norms; societal
blueprint; public policy
E.g., single-parenting is bad so mom is
wrong because shes a single parent
E.g., social customs, fashionable wear:
whats in or out

Definitions of appropriate and inappropriate
behavior
Ecological Transition
Ecological transition changing systems
Mesosystem changes as new
Microsystems are added
EXAMPLES: