Introduction à la psychopathologie développementale

La psychopathologie développementale est l’application d’une perspective développementale à la psychopathologie. Ce n’est pas une théorie en soi mais plutôt un cadre théorique d’intégration de différentes approches de la pathologie. Le développement psychologique est un processus transactionnel, et le développement normal, comme le développement anormal, résulte d’adaptations de la personne à son environnement. La pathologie n’est pas quelque chose qu’« a » un individu, c’est une adaptation problématique, c’est-à-dire qui n’a pas réussi, entre la personne et le contexte. Une chaîne de transactions forme une trajectoire de développement. Des facteurs de vulnérabilité, de risque et de protection peuvent expliquer les différences entre des trajectoires de développement adaptées et inadaptées. Les recherches empiriques sur la continuité et la discontinuité des troubles de l’enfance à l’âge adulte sont essentielles en psychopathologie développementale. Une revue des connaissances sur la continuité-discontinuité des troubles de l’axe I du D.S.M.-IV (usage de drogues, dépression, anxiété, schizophrénie et troubles des conduites alimentaires) laisse beaucoup de questions en suspens car les recherches sur ces troubles chez l’enfant/l’adolescent et chez l’adulte sont très cloisonnées. Dans le domaine des troubles du comportement (troubles provocateurs oppositionnels O.D.D., troubles de déficits de l’attention et hyperactivité A.D.H.D., troubles de la conduite C.D. et comportement antisocial et délinquant), les recherches longitudinales sont plus nombreuses et les connaissances sur les continuités et les discontinuités progressent rapidement. Depuis son introduction au début des années 1980, la psychopathologie développementale est devenue un important secteur de la recherche scientifique.Developmental psychopathology concerns the application of a developmental perspective to psychopathology. It is not a theory in itself, it can best be seen as an integrative framework incorporating different theoretical perspectives on pathology. Psychological development is a transactional process, normal as well as abnormal development result from the adaptations of the person to his or her environment. Pathology is not something an individual “has”, but a problematic adaptation, a “misfit” between the person and the context. A chain of transactions forms a developmental pathway. Vulnerability, risk and protective factors help to explain the differences between adaptive and maladaptive pathways. Empirical questions of continuity and discontinuity in disorder from child to adult are central in developmental psychopathology. A review of the knowledge of continuity and discontinuity of the major D.S.M.-IV Axis I disorders (substance abuse, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and eating disorders) leaves many empirical questions to be answered. There is a serious gap between child/adolescent and adult literatures on these disorders. In the field of behavioral problems (O.D.D., A.D.H.D., C.D., and Antisocial and Delinquent behavior) much more longitudinal research has been done and the knowledge of the continuities and discontinuities in this field is rapidly growing. Since its introduction in the early nineteen eighties developmental psychopathology has become an important field of scientific inquiry

Changes in Social Comparison Orientation over the Life-span

Background: Social comparison is a basic human process, which may change dependent of one’s age. The purpose of this study was to examine how Social Comparison Orientation (SCO), i.e., the tendency to engage in social comparisons, varied across the lifespan. Method: A representative sample of 1613 adults from the Netherlands filled out the widely used 11-item scale for Social Comparison Orientation (SCO). Age was categorized in terms of decades, including both 19 years or younger and 80 years or older as categories. Results: The results showed a strong curvilinear effect of age: SCO was highest among people 19 years or younger, decreased substantially with increasing age until the age of 60, after which it increased moderately. Women were somewhat higher in SCO than men. Conclusion: The tendency to engage in social comparisons changes considerably over the life span, which may be due to the different challenges and insecurities that people may face in different stages of the life span

A percepção de adolescentes e de pais sobre decisão e autonomia

This study attempted to investigate decisional autonomy in Turkish adolescents from 12 to 18 years. The Perspectives on Adolescent Decision Making (PADM) questionnaire was administered to 372 middle class adolescents who attend middle and high schools and to their parents. The PADM assess if adolescents decide for themselves, or parents impose restrictions or adolescents and parents have arguments about the topic. MANOVA analyzes were used. Results showed that affirmative answers increased with age. From adolescent and parents' perspectives adolescent decisional autonomy grows with age, parental control decreases, conflicts between them tended to decrease, on the perspective of parents. There was minor gender differences: girls have higher level of decisional autonomy; boys experience more conflict. Adolescents' decisional autonomy expectations tended to be higher than those of parents. Fathers' and mothers' perspectives on decisional autonomy were very similar. The results support the new family model proposed by Kaðýtçýbaþý.Estudo objetivou investigar autonomia de decisão de adolescentes turcos de 12-18 anos de idade. Questionário PADM (Perspectivas na Tomada de Decisões por Adolescentes) foi administrado a 372 adolescentes de classe média, alunos de ensino fundamental e médio e a seus pais. O PADM verifica se adolescentes decidem por si mesmos ou se os pais impõem restrições, também se discutem o assunto. Foram usadas análises MANOVA. Os resultados mostraram que respostas afirmativas aumentam com a idade. Na perspectiva de pais e adolescentes a autonomia para tomada de decisões aumenta com a idade, o controle parental diminui, conflitos tendem a diminuir. Houve pequena diferença de gênero: meninas têm maior nível de autonomia decisional, meninos experimentam mais conflitos. As expectativas de autonomia decisional dos adolescentes tendem a ser maiores que as dos pais. Perspectivas de pais e mães sobre autonomia foram bastante similares; os resultados suportam o modelo de família proposto por Kaðýtçýbaþý

Le développement de l’identité : un processus relationnel et dynamique

Cet article présente l’application du modèle relationnel des systèmes dynamiques au développement de l’identité que nous définissons en termes d’engagements. Au départ, nous considérons que les engagements ne sont pas une caractéristique interne à l’individu, mais qu’ils sont des construits relationnels. Nous décrivons le processus développemental comme une longue série d’interactions entre la personne et le contexte, et nous proposons un modèle qui rend compte de ces interactions. Des différences dans l’individu et dans le contexte, et spécialement leur combinaison spécifique, déterminent le développement de l’identité à long terme. Ce modèle a des implications pour la théorie, la recherche et les interventions : il appelle une approche centrée sur les émotions, les interactions et les trajectoires individuelles, plutôt que sur des caractéristiques internes statiques.In this paper we present a relational dynamic systems model of commitment development. Firstly, we argue that commitments are not an internal characteristic of individuals, but that they are relational constructs. Secondly, we describe the developmental process as a long series of interactions between the person and the context, and present a model which describes an interaction. Differences in individual and context, and especially their specific combination, determine the long term development of identity. This model has theoretical, research and intervention implications: it calls for an approach that focuses on emotions, interactions and individual trajectories, instead of on static internal characteristics

The Landscape of Identity Model:An Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects of Identity Development

The landscape of identity model views identity as a constellation of commitments with different levels of strength and integration, showing how this constellation emerges from everyday life experiences. Drawing on key principles from the complex dynamic systems approach, our model further describes this conceptualization, as well as the mechanisms underlying the development of an identity landscape. We show that the model solves current conceptual issues within identity theory, specifies how Marcia’s four identity statuses can be viewed as particular types of identity landscapes, and helps to further develop the identity field by generating predictions regarding how individuals with different types of identity landscapes would respond to major life events

Identity-in-context is not yet identity development-in-context

In this discussion, we summarize the main aspects of the research presented in the papers and discuss what we see as their strong points. To analyze recent developments in identity research, we compared the present issue with the special issue of the Journal of Adolescence in 1996 on 'Identity Development in Context'. In that issue it was concluded that further research is necessary to "detail the ways in which contextual variables may interact both with one another as well as with individual personality variables to determine the course of the identity formation process". In the papers in this issue, the influence of the context has received much more attention than 20 years ago. However, they still have serious limitations with regard to the study of the developmental process. Not more than one study uses a longitudinal design. To stimulate research into developmental processes we conclude with a plea for longitudinal studies over long periods, with enough measurement points to distinguish between different patterns, and. for more conceptual attention for what identity development is about. (C) 2008 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Modeling the role of emotions in viewing oneself maturely

Adolescents develop a mature view on themselves: they view positive as well as negative self-attributes, but they hold a positive stance toward themselves. The literatures on identity, the self, parent-offspring relationships, and friendships provide hints on how such a view may develop. This article integrates this literature into an emotion-based dynamic systems mathematical model built to explain the development of maturity of such views. An innovative methodological design was used to collect empirical data: four students daily reported their experiences and emotions for a period of 5 months, while they temporarily studied abroad. At the beginning and end of this period, they were interviewed on their views on themselves. These mostly qualitative data were used to provide support to the suggested mathematical model. The usefulness, weaknesses, and strengths of such a methodological design and mathematical modeling are discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The relationship between social skills and psycho-social functioning in early adolescence

This study discusses the relationship between adolescents' social skills and four indicators of psycho-social functioning, viz. self-esteem, well-being, coping and social support. A total of 660 adolescents, 13-15 years of age, responded to a series of self-report measures which referred to these several domains. Correlational and regression analysis showed that the social skills measure and the different psycho-social measures were clearly related. Furthermore, after the social skills measure had led to the identification of three subgroups (Subassertives, Assertives and Indifferents), these groups also showed distinguishable profiles in the different psycho-social measures. The results are discussed in terms of whether psycho-social functioning is related to level of anxiety or level of performance in social situations

Experiencing Self-Definition Problems over the Life Span

Throughout the lifespan, defining a clear self-view plays a key role in both self-concept and identity development. Yet, people may encounter problems of self-definition when constructing an image of themselves as result of contrasts or ambiguities in their ideas about themselves. In this study, differences in the occurrence and types of self-definition problems were investigated in a sample of 733 Dutch participants, divided into four groups aged 17, 40, 55, and 70 years respectively. To measure self-definition problems, we developed a self-report instrument that investigated a range of problems drawn from two distinct research traditions: self-concept development and identity formation. The results revealed that participants experienced only a modest number of the presented problems. They showed, nevertheless, a clear age pattern: the adolescents distinguished themselves from the adult age groups by their concern with the problem of multiplicity, whereas during adulthood the problem of personal authenticity gave way to that of existential vacuum in old age. This pattern corresponds well with the temporal profile in the dynamics of lifespan development and Erikson’s model of ego development