Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence
Definition
Emotional and behavioral disorders are conditions in which children or
adolescents show persistent emotional, social, or behavioral problems that
interfere with learning, relationships, development, and daily functioning.
These disorders may affect:
Emotions
Thinking
Behavior
Social interaction
Academic performance
Classification
1. Emotional Disorders
Mainly affect mood, feelings, and anxiety.
Examples
Anxiety disorders
Depression
Phobias
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Features
Excessive fear or worry
Sadness
Withdrawal from social activities
Crying spells
Sleep disturbances
Low self-esteem
2. Behavioral Disorders
Characterized by disruptive or antisocial behavior.
Examples
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Conduct disorder
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
Features
Aggression
Disobedience
Hyperactivity
Impulsiveness
Rule breaking
Poor concentration
Causes (Etiology)
Biological Factors
Genetic predisposition
Brain injury or dysfunction
Neurochemical imbalance
Prenatal complications
Psychological Factors
Low self-esteem
Poor coping skills
Trauma or abuse
Environmental Factors
Family conflict
Neglect
Poverty
Peer pressure
School stress
Bullying
Social Factors
Broken family
Substance abuse in family
Lack of parental supervision
Attitude
Definition
Attitude is a learned predisposition to think, feel, and behave in a particular
way toward a person, object, idea, or situation.
Example:
Positive attitude toward exercise
Negative attitude toward smoking
Components of Attitude (ABC Model)
1. Affective Component (Feeling)
Refers to emotions or feelings toward something.
Examples
Fear of injections
Love for music
Dislike toward violence
Key Point
“Feelings and emotions”
2. Behavioral Component (Action)
Refers to the way attitude influences behavior or actions.
Examples
Helping poor people
Avoiding unhealthy food
Participating in sports
Key Point
“Action tendency”
3. Cognitive Component (Belief)
Refers to beliefs, thoughts, knowledge, or opinions.
Examples
Smoking causes cancer
Exercise improves health
Key Point
“Thinking and beliefs”
Characteristics of Attitude
1. Learned
Attitudes are acquired through experience, observation, and education.
2. Persistent
They tend to remain stable over time.
3. Can be Positive or Negative
Example:
Positive toward education
Negative toward drugs
4. Influences Behavior
Attitudes affect decision-making and actions.
5. Directed Toward an Object
Every attitude has a target:
Person
Group
Idea
Event
6. May Vary in Strength
Some attitudes are strong, others weak.
7. Socially Influenced
Family, media, culture, and peers affect attitudes.
Learning Theory
Attitudes are learned through:
Conditioning
Observation
Reinforcement
Imitation
Example
A child develops fear after repeated negative experiences with dogs.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Proposed by Leon Festinger
Concept
People feel discomfort when beliefs and behavior conflict.
Example
A smoker knows smoking is harmful but continues smoking.
Result
The person may:
Change behavior
Change belief
Justify behavior
Balance Theory
Proposed by Fritz Heider
Concept
People try to maintain consistency in relationships and attitudes.
Example
If you like a friend and your friend likes a movie, you may also develop a
positive attitude toward that movie.
Factors Affecting Attitude Change
1. Persuasion
2. Education
3. Personal Experience
4. Social Influence
5. Emotional Appeal
6. Reward and Punishment
Intelligence
Intelligence is the ability to learn, understand, reason, solve problems, adapt
to new situations, and use knowledge effectively.
It include:
Learning from experience
Thinking logically
Problem-solving
Decision-making
Adapting to environment
Understanding relationships
IQ (Intelligence Quotient)
IQ is a numerical measure of intelligence obtained through standardized
intelligence tests.
Formula of IQ
Actual Age/Chronological age × 100
Interpretation
IQ = 100 → average intelligence
Above 100 → above average
Below 100 → below average
Classification of IQ
IQ Range----Classification
Above 140----Genius / Very superior
120–139-----Superior
110–119----High average
90–109-----Average
80–89-----Low average
70–79----Borderline
Below 70-----Intellectual disability
Types of Intelligence
1. General Intelligence (g factor)
Proposed by Charles Spearman
One general ability influences all mental activities.
2. Specific Intelligence (s factor)
Specific abilities for particular tasks.
Example: musical skill, mathematical skill.
3. Fluid Intelligence
Ability to solve new problems.
Independent of education.
4. Crystallized Intelligence
Knowledge gained from learning and experience.
5. Multiple Intelligence Theory
Proposed by Howard Gardner
Types:
Linguistic
Logical-mathematical
Spatial
Musical
Bodily-kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Naturalistic
6. Emotional Intelligence
Ability to understand and manage emotions.
Components:
Self-awareness
Self-control
Motivation
Empathy
Social skills
Theories of Intelligence
1. Spearman’s Two-Factor Theory
By Charles Spearman
Two factors:
G factor → general intelligence
S factor → specific intelligence
2. Thurstone’s Group Factor Theory
By Louis Thurstone
Primary Mental Abilities:
Verbal ability
Numerical ability
Spatial ability
Memory
Reasoning
Word fluency
Perceptual speed
3. Thorndike’s Multifactor Theory
By Edward Thorndike
Intelligence consists of many independent abilities.
Types:
Social intelligence
Mechanical intelligence
Abstract intelligence
4. Guilford’s Structure of Intellect Theory
By J. P. Guilford
Intelligence has:
Operations
Contents
Products
He proposed around 150 intellectual abilities.
5. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory
By Howard Gardner
States that intelligence is not single but multiple abilities.
6. Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
By Robert Sternberg
Three types:
Analytical intelligence
Creative intelligence
Practical intelligence
Uses of Intelligence Tests
Educational Uses
Student guidance
Career counseling
Identifying gifted children
Detecting learning disability
Clinical Uses
Diagnosis of intellectual disability
Psychiatric assessment
Neuropsychological evaluation
Occupational Uses
Employee selection
Job placement
Military selection
Research Uses
Psychological studies
Educational research
Intelligence Tests
1. Individual Tests
Conducted on one person at a time.
Examples
Alfred Binet–Simon Test
Stanford–Binet Test
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
2. Group Tests
Conducted on many individuals together.
Examples
Army Alpha Test
Army Beta Test
3. Verbal Tests
Use language-based questions.
Require reading and speaking ability.
Examples
Vocabulary tests
Arithmetic reasoning
4. Non-Verbal / Performance Tests
Use pictures, symbols, patterns.
Useful for children and illiterate persons.
Examples
Raven’s Progressive Matrices
Picture completion tests