Instructor’s Resource Manual
with Test Bank
Abnormal Child Psychology
FIFTH EDITION
Eric J. Mash
David A. Wolfe
,__________________________________________________________
1 Introduction to Normal and Abnormal Behavior in
Children and Adolescents
__________________________________________________________
Chapter Summary:
During the 17th and 18th centuries, many children were subjected to harsh treatment or parental
indifference. Concern for the plight and welfare of children with mental and behavioral
disturbances rose with increasing advances in general medicine, physiology, and neurology. In
addition, the growing influence of the philosophies of Locke and others led to the view that
children needed moral guidance and support. These changing views resulted in an increased
concern for moral education, compulsory education, and improved health practices. The late 19th
century was marked by more compassionate attitudes towards children and adults with mental
disorders, and detection and intervention methods flourished. However, during the early part of
the 20th century, this educational and humane model returned to a custodial model, and attitudes
became pessimistic and hostile towards persons with mental disorders. Psychoanalytic and
behavioral theories helped shape emerging psychological and environmental influences in the
beginning of the 20th century. Freud linked childhood experiences to mental disorders, causing a
shift in the view of children as insignificant beings to that of human beings in distress. Watson
scientifically investigated behavior, based on the learning theory of classical conditioning. In the
late 1940s the institutionalization of children with intellectual or mental disorders was criticized,
and from 1945 to 1965, the institutionalization of children decreased dramatically as children
were placed in foster homes and group homes. Behavior therapy emerged in the 1950s and 1960s
as treatment for child and family disorders. Defining the term psychological disorder is a
difficult task, but it has been broadly defined as a pattern of symptoms associated with features
of distress and/or disability, and/or increased risk of further suffering or harm. Recent
longitudinal studies have found that by their 21st birthday, 3 out of 5 young adults meet criteria
for a well-specified psychiatric disorder. In addition, a significant number of children do not
grow out of their childhood difficulties. Childhood poverty is a daily reality for about 1 in 5
children in the United States and 1 in 7 in Canada. Poverty and socioeconomic disadvantage, sex
differences, race, ethnicity, culture, child maltreatment and non-accidental trauma, other special
issues concerning adolescents and sexual minority youths, and lifespan implications are all
factors that influence the changing rates and expression of mental disorders.
Chapter Outline:
I. Historical Views and Breakthroughs
Historically, children were often ignored or subjected to harsh treatment because
of the belief that they would die, were possessed, or were the property of
their parents
1
,A. The Emergence of Social Conscience
1. In the 17th century, John Locke, an English philosopher and physician,
advanced the belief that children should be raised with thought and care,
rather than indifference and harsh treatment. He saw the importance of
treating children with kindness and understanding and providing them
with opportunities for education
2. Jean-Marc Itard undertook one of the first documented efforts to work
with a special needs child around the turn of the 19th century, an
undertaking that launched a new era of a helping orientation towards
children
3. Although not entirely clear, the distinction was made in the latter half of
the 19th century between individuals with mental retardation (“imbeciles”)
and individuals with psychiatric disorders (“lunatics”)
4. Children with normal cognitive abilities but disturbing behavior were said
to be suffering from “moral insanity”
5. Advances in medicine, physiology, and neurology led to a replacement of
the moral insanity view by the organic disease model, and the growing
influence of philosophies of Locke and others fostered the belief that
children needed moral guidance and support
B. Early Biological Attributions
1. Early attempts at biological explanations for abnormal behavior were very
biased in favor of locating the cause of the problem within the individual
2. The view of mental disorders as being “diseases” meant that they were
progressive and irreversible, and resistant to treatment or learning
3. The early educational and humane model for assisting persons with mental
disorders returned to a custodial model during the early part of the 20th
century, meaning that attitudes towards those with mental disabilities were
once again hostile and negative. Many communities chose to prevent the
transmission of these mental “diseases” through sterilization and
institutionalization.
C. Early Psychological Attributions
1. Psychological influences did not emerge until the early 1900s,
corresponding with the formulation of a taxonomy of illnesses (diagnostic
categorization system)
2. Psychoanalytic theory linked mental disorders to childhood experiences;
for the first time the course of mental disorders was not viewed as
inevitable
3. Behaviorism laid the foundation for studying conditioning and elimination
of children’s fears
D. Evolving Forms of Treatment
1. Up until the late 1940s, most children with intellectual or mental disorders
were institutionalized
2. Research in the mid 1940s by Rene Spitz revealed the very harmful impact
of institutional life on children’s physical and emotional development;
within the following 20-year period there was a rapid decline in
institutionalization and an increase in foster family and group home
placements
2
, 3. In the 1950s and 1960s behavior therapy emerged as a systematic
approach to treatment of child and family disorders
E. Progressive Legislation
1. In countries such as the U.S. and Canada, many laws have been enacted in
the past few decades to protect the rights of children with special needs
a. Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA): the US mandates that free
and appropriate education be provided for K-12 children with special
needs in the least restrictive environment
b. Each child must be assessed with culturally appropriate tests
c. Individualized Educational Plan (IEP): each child must have an IEP
tailored to his or her needs, and must be re-assessed
2. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new convention
and treaty to enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights,
and abolish legislation, customs, and practices that discriminate against
persons with disabilities
II. What is Abnormal Behavior in Children and Adolescents?
A. Defining Psychological Disorders
1. Determining the boundaries between what is normal and abnormal is an
arbitrary process
2. Psychological disorders have traditionally been defined as patterns of
behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or physical symptoms, which are
associated with distress and/or disability and/or increased risk for further
suffering or harm
3. Due to children’s dependency on others, many childhood problems are
better depicted in terms of relationships, rather than problems contained
within the individual
4. Labels describe behavior, not people; children have many other non-
problematic attributes that should not be overshadowed by global
descriptives
5. Problems may be the result of children’s attempts to adapt to abnormal or
unusual circumstances
B. Competence
1. The study of abnormal child psychology considers not only the degree of
maladaptive behavior, but also children’s competence (the ability to
successfully adapt in the environment)
2. Successful adaption varies across culture and ethnicity
a. Traditions, beliefs, languages, and value systems need to be considered
when defining a child’s competence
b. Some children and families face greater obstacles in adapting to their
environment (e.g. minorities who cope with racism, prejudice,
discrimination, oppression, and segregation)
3. Knowledge of developmental tasks provides a backdrop for determining if
there are impairments in developmental progress
C. Developmental Pathways
1. Refers to the sequence and timing of particular behaviors, as well as the
possible relationships between behaviors over time
3
with Test Bank
Abnormal Child Psychology
FIFTH EDITION
Eric J. Mash
David A. Wolfe
,__________________________________________________________
1 Introduction to Normal and Abnormal Behavior in
Children and Adolescents
__________________________________________________________
Chapter Summary:
During the 17th and 18th centuries, many children were subjected to harsh treatment or parental
indifference. Concern for the plight and welfare of children with mental and behavioral
disturbances rose with increasing advances in general medicine, physiology, and neurology. In
addition, the growing influence of the philosophies of Locke and others led to the view that
children needed moral guidance and support. These changing views resulted in an increased
concern for moral education, compulsory education, and improved health practices. The late 19th
century was marked by more compassionate attitudes towards children and adults with mental
disorders, and detection and intervention methods flourished. However, during the early part of
the 20th century, this educational and humane model returned to a custodial model, and attitudes
became pessimistic and hostile towards persons with mental disorders. Psychoanalytic and
behavioral theories helped shape emerging psychological and environmental influences in the
beginning of the 20th century. Freud linked childhood experiences to mental disorders, causing a
shift in the view of children as insignificant beings to that of human beings in distress. Watson
scientifically investigated behavior, based on the learning theory of classical conditioning. In the
late 1940s the institutionalization of children with intellectual or mental disorders was criticized,
and from 1945 to 1965, the institutionalization of children decreased dramatically as children
were placed in foster homes and group homes. Behavior therapy emerged in the 1950s and 1960s
as treatment for child and family disorders. Defining the term psychological disorder is a
difficult task, but it has been broadly defined as a pattern of symptoms associated with features
of distress and/or disability, and/or increased risk of further suffering or harm. Recent
longitudinal studies have found that by their 21st birthday, 3 out of 5 young adults meet criteria
for a well-specified psychiatric disorder. In addition, a significant number of children do not
grow out of their childhood difficulties. Childhood poverty is a daily reality for about 1 in 5
children in the United States and 1 in 7 in Canada. Poverty and socioeconomic disadvantage, sex
differences, race, ethnicity, culture, child maltreatment and non-accidental trauma, other special
issues concerning adolescents and sexual minority youths, and lifespan implications are all
factors that influence the changing rates and expression of mental disorders.
Chapter Outline:
I. Historical Views and Breakthroughs
Historically, children were often ignored or subjected to harsh treatment because
of the belief that they would die, were possessed, or were the property of
their parents
1
,A. The Emergence of Social Conscience
1. In the 17th century, John Locke, an English philosopher and physician,
advanced the belief that children should be raised with thought and care,
rather than indifference and harsh treatment. He saw the importance of
treating children with kindness and understanding and providing them
with opportunities for education
2. Jean-Marc Itard undertook one of the first documented efforts to work
with a special needs child around the turn of the 19th century, an
undertaking that launched a new era of a helping orientation towards
children
3. Although not entirely clear, the distinction was made in the latter half of
the 19th century between individuals with mental retardation (“imbeciles”)
and individuals with psychiatric disorders (“lunatics”)
4. Children with normal cognitive abilities but disturbing behavior were said
to be suffering from “moral insanity”
5. Advances in medicine, physiology, and neurology led to a replacement of
the moral insanity view by the organic disease model, and the growing
influence of philosophies of Locke and others fostered the belief that
children needed moral guidance and support
B. Early Biological Attributions
1. Early attempts at biological explanations for abnormal behavior were very
biased in favor of locating the cause of the problem within the individual
2. The view of mental disorders as being “diseases” meant that they were
progressive and irreversible, and resistant to treatment or learning
3. The early educational and humane model for assisting persons with mental
disorders returned to a custodial model during the early part of the 20th
century, meaning that attitudes towards those with mental disabilities were
once again hostile and negative. Many communities chose to prevent the
transmission of these mental “diseases” through sterilization and
institutionalization.
C. Early Psychological Attributions
1. Psychological influences did not emerge until the early 1900s,
corresponding with the formulation of a taxonomy of illnesses (diagnostic
categorization system)
2. Psychoanalytic theory linked mental disorders to childhood experiences;
for the first time the course of mental disorders was not viewed as
inevitable
3. Behaviorism laid the foundation for studying conditioning and elimination
of children’s fears
D. Evolving Forms of Treatment
1. Up until the late 1940s, most children with intellectual or mental disorders
were institutionalized
2. Research in the mid 1940s by Rene Spitz revealed the very harmful impact
of institutional life on children’s physical and emotional development;
within the following 20-year period there was a rapid decline in
institutionalization and an increase in foster family and group home
placements
2
, 3. In the 1950s and 1960s behavior therapy emerged as a systematic
approach to treatment of child and family disorders
E. Progressive Legislation
1. In countries such as the U.S. and Canada, many laws have been enacted in
the past few decades to protect the rights of children with special needs
a. Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA): the US mandates that free
and appropriate education be provided for K-12 children with special
needs in the least restrictive environment
b. Each child must be assessed with culturally appropriate tests
c. Individualized Educational Plan (IEP): each child must have an IEP
tailored to his or her needs, and must be re-assessed
2. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new convention
and treaty to enact laws and other measures to improve disability rights,
and abolish legislation, customs, and practices that discriminate against
persons with disabilities
II. What is Abnormal Behavior in Children and Adolescents?
A. Defining Psychological Disorders
1. Determining the boundaries between what is normal and abnormal is an
arbitrary process
2. Psychological disorders have traditionally been defined as patterns of
behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or physical symptoms, which are
associated with distress and/or disability and/or increased risk for further
suffering or harm
3. Due to children’s dependency on others, many childhood problems are
better depicted in terms of relationships, rather than problems contained
within the individual
4. Labels describe behavior, not people; children have many other non-
problematic attributes that should not be overshadowed by global
descriptives
5. Problems may be the result of children’s attempts to adapt to abnormal or
unusual circumstances
B. Competence
1. The study of abnormal child psychology considers not only the degree of
maladaptive behavior, but also children’s competence (the ability to
successfully adapt in the environment)
2. Successful adaption varies across culture and ethnicity
a. Traditions, beliefs, languages, and value systems need to be considered
when defining a child’s competence
b. Some children and families face greater obstacles in adapting to their
environment (e.g. minorities who cope with racism, prejudice,
discrimination, oppression, and segregation)
3. Knowledge of developmental tasks provides a backdrop for determining if
there are impairments in developmental progress
C. Developmental Pathways
1. Refers to the sequence and timing of particular behaviors, as well as the
possible relationships between behaviors over time
3
