Assignment
Jan and Judi are identical twins who, tragically, were separated at birth after an administrative mishap in the hospital where they were born. Jan was raised in a warm, loving environment where her identity was allowed to flourish in authentic ways. Sadly, Judi was not as fortunate as her twin sister; she was raised in a psychologically abusive and chaotic environment that included parental neglect, substance abuse, and toxic relationships. Compared to Jan, Judi's life has been anything but easy.
As previously discussed, Judi had two children with past partners; tragically, one teenage child died from addiction, while the other, nine-year old Jamie, is prone to angry outbursts and struggles with childhood anxiety and depression. Also, Jamie presents as fearful and distrusting, as evidenced by her tendency to retreat and isolate when in social situations. Given Judi's history of excessive drinking, inattention to good health practices, and severe psychosocial trauma, she is reflecting on how her choices may have impacted Jamie's development.
After Jamie's teachers expressed concern about her ability to attend to tasks, recent follow-up psychometric tests conducted by the school psychologist revealed evidence of attention-deficit issues. In addition, Jamie has difficulty regulating her emotions when faced with challenging situations across a variety of contexts. According to her teachers, Jamie has exhibited angry outbursts when waiting for her peers to answer questions or losing at games, and when mistakes cause her to feel embarrassment. These circumstances cause exasperation and anxiety for Jamie, which often result in uncontrollable emotional outbursts that require intervention from school faculty and administrators. Judi believes that she has unknowingly internalized and passed many of the psychosocially dysfunctional qualities that she learned from observing her parents on to Jamie.
In a session with her guidance counselor, Jamie acknowledged that her quick escalation into intense displays of anger often results in feelings of guilt and shame. During the session, Jamie also acknowledged that her inability to control her emotions makes it difficult to sustain peer relationships. To cope, Jamie often seeks reassurance from peers by inquiring as to whether they will give her another chance. However, when her peers deny Jamie the opportunity to prove herself, she feels rejected, lost, and abandoned.
In an effort to help her daughter get the support that she desperately needs, Judi has reached out for help-and hopes for a miracle.
Answer each question with a minimum of 3-5 sentences. Support your answers with credible sources when appropriate. You must address the criteria listed below:
A. Describe the ways in which Piaget's research applies to Jamie's development.
B. Describe the ways in which Vygotsky's research applies to Jamie's development.
C. Identify factors that could have influenced Jamie's physical well-being during the prenatal, birth, and early childhood stages of development.
D. Identify factors that could have influenced Jamie's cognitive well-being during the prenatal, birth, and early childhood stages of development.
E. Identify factors that could have influenced Jamie's psychosocial well-being during the early and middle childhood stages of development.
F. Evaluate the sociocultural factors that could have contributed to Jamie's maladaptive behavior.
G. Explain why it is important to consider the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors in combination (versus separately) throughout the life span when evaluating an individual's well-being.
H. Describe the research or theory that best explains Jamie's behavior. Explain your response.