How does the development of self understanding change from early childhood to middle and late childhood?

Presentation on theme: "Socioemotional Development in Middle and Late Childhood"— Presentation transcript:

1 Socioemotional Development in Middle and Late Childhood
Chapter 8 Socioemotional Development in Middle and Late Childhood

2 The Development of Self-Understanding
Children increasingly describe themselves with psychological characteristics and traits They become more likely to recognize social aspects of the self More likely to distinguish themselves from others in comparative rather than in absolute terms Social comparison Example: “I’m a nerd…” (Harter, 2006)

3 Self-Esteem and Self-Concept
Self-esteem -- global evaluations of the self; self-worth or self-image Self-esteem reflects perceptions that do not always match reality Self-concept -- domain-specific evaluations of the self Children self-evaluate in many domains of their lives -- academic, athletic, appearance

4 Social and Emotional Development
Hierarchial structure of self-esteem Academic competence Social competence Physical/athletic competence Physical appearance

5 Self-Efficacy Self-efficacy -- belief that one can master a situation and produce favorable outcomes Self-efficacy influences a student’s choice of activities students with low self-efficacy for learning may avoid many learning tasks, especially those that are challenging high-self-efficacy counterparts eagerly work at learning tasks

6 Self-Regulation Self-regulation -- deliberate efforts to manage one’s behavior, emotions, and thoughts that lead to increased social competence and achievement Capacity in self-regulation is linked to developmental advances in the brain’s prefrontal cortex

7 Erikson’s Stage: Industry/Competence Vs. Inferiority
Industry -- becoming interested in how things are made and how they work When children are encouraged in their efforts, their sense of industry (competence) increases Parents who see their children’s efforts at making things as “mischief” or “making a mess” foster a sense of inferiority in their children

8 Developmental Changes in Emotion
Improved emotional understanding Increased understanding that more than one emotion can be experienced in a particular situation Increased awareness of the events leading to emotional reactions Ability to suppress or conceal negative emotional reactions The use of self-initiated strategies for redirecting feelings A capacity for genuine empathy

9 Recommendations for Parents and Teachers to Promote Coping Strategies
Repeatedly reassure children of their safety and security Allow children to retell events and be patient in listening to them Encourage children to talk about any disturbing or confusing feelings; confirm normality of the feelings  Protect children from re-exposure to frightening situations and reminders of the trauma Help children make sense of what happened (Gurwitch & others, 2001)

10 Moral Development According to Piaget, older children:
consider the intentions of the individual believe that rules are subject to change are aware that punishment does not always follow wrongdoing Based on Piaget, Kohlberg proposed six stages of moral development which he believed are universal

11 The Kohlberg Stages Based on Piaget, Kohlberg proposed six stages of moral development which he believed were universal Preconventional reasoning -- children interpret good and bad in terms of external rewards and punishments Conventional reasoning -- individuals apply certain standards, but they are the standards set by others, such as parents or the government Postconventional reasoning -- individuals recognize alternative moral courses, explore the options, and then decide on a personal moral code

12

13 Emotional Development
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development Preconventional morality Stage 1 – Avoid punishment Stage 2 – Gain reward Conventional morality Stage 3 – Gain social approval and care for others Stage 4 – Uphold laws and rules Postconventional morality Stage 5 – Morality affirms everyone’s agreed upon rights Stage 6 – Reflects more abstract principles for all humanity Moral Reasoning Moral Dilemma

14 Moral Dilemma Three weeks before their developmental psychology term papers are due, Jennifer and two classmates visit the campus library to conduct online literature searches on their topics. After 30 minutes of surfing the web, Blake announces that he has found a website that offers inexpensive term papers on a variety of subjects, including the topic of his paper. Jennifer, who has never cheated in her academic career, says nothing and maintains her concentration on her own research. Sharon, who is appalled by Blake’s intention to cheat, vows she will report Blake to the professor. In choosing their selected course of action, Blake, Sharon and Jennifer each made a moral decision. However, behavior alone does not indicate moral thinking. Give a justification that each of these students might use at each of Kohlberg’s stages.

15 Gender and the Care Perspective
The most publicized criticism of Kohlberg’s theory has come from Carol Gilligan She argues that Kohlberg’s theory reflects a gender bias Kohlberg’s theory is based on a male norm that puts abstract principles above relationships and concern for others In contrast to Kohlberg’s justice perspective, Gilligan argues for a care perspective

16 Prosocial Behavior   Kohlberg’s and Gilligan’s theories have focused on moral reasoning Study of prosocial moral behavior emphasizes behavioral aspects of moral development sharing is one aspect of prosocial behavior by the elementary school years, children express objective ideas about fairness (Eisenberg, Fabes, & Spinrad, 2006)

17 Gender Stereotypes and Gender Similarities and Differences
Gender stereotypes -- broad categories that reflect general impressions and beliefs about females and males Similarities and differences between boys and girls -- bear in mind… the differences are averages even when differences are reported, there is considerable gender overlap the differences may be due primarily to biological and/or sociocultural factors

18 Physical Development Males grow to be 10 percent taller
Females have a longer life expectancy Females are less likely to develop physical or mental disorders Males have twice the risk of coronary disease Researchers have found some differences in the brains of males and females

19 Cognitive Development
Males have better math and visuospatial skills, whereas females have better verbal abilities Gender difference in visuospatial skills may be small

20 Socioemotional Development
Boys are more physically aggressive than girls girls tend to be more verbally aggressive there are no definitive findings on relational aggression -- behaviors such as spreading malicious rumors or ignoring someone when angry Girls are more likely to express their emotions openly and intensely than boys Girls are better at reading others’ emotions and more likely to show empathy Males usually show less self-regulation of emotion than females May lead to behavioral problems

21 Gender Differences in Prosocial Behavior
Females view themselves as more prosocial and empathic Across childhood and adolescence, females engage in more prosocial behavior The biggest gender difference occurs for kind and considerate behavior with a smaller difference in sharing (Eisenberg & Morris, 2004; Eisenberg & Fabes, 1998; Eisenberg, Fabes, & Spinrad, 2006)

22 Gender-Role Classification; Gender in Context
Androgyny -- the presence of positive masculine and feminine characteristics in the same person androgynous individuals are more flexible, competent, and mentally healthy The importance of considering gender in context is very apparent when examining what is culturally prescribed behavior for females and males in different countries around the world (Bem, 1977; Spence & Helmreich, 1978)

23 Developmental Changes in Parent-Child Relationships
In middle and late childhood years, parents spend considerably less time with children Parents continue to be important Parents support and stimulate academic achievement Children receive less physical discipline than they did as preschoolers Children in grade school use more self-regulation (Huston & Ripke, 2006)

24 Stepfamilies About half of all children whose parents divorce will have a stepparent within four years of the separation Complex histories and multiple relationships make adjustment difficult in a stepfamily Three common types of stepfamily structure Stepfather; stepmother; or blended/complex Children often have better relationships with their custodial parents Simple families show better adjustment than complex (blended) families

25 Types of Stepfamilies Three common types of stepfamily structure are:
stepfather mother typically had custody of the children and remarried stepmother father usually had custody and remarried blended or complex In a blended or complex stepfamily, both parents bring children from previous marriages to live in the newly formed stepfamily

26 Developmental Changes
Reciprocity becomes especially important in peer interchanges As children move through middle and late childhood, the amount of time spent in social interaction with peers increases Size of their peer group increases Peer interaction is less closely supervised by adults Until age 12, same-sex peer groups are preferred (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006)

27 Peer Status Popular children Average children Neglected children
Sociometric status -- describes the extent to which children are liked or disliked by their peer group Popular children Average children Neglected children Rejected children Aggressive-rejected Withdrawn-rejected Controversial children

28 Being Popular Popular children give out reinforcements
listen carefully maintain open lines of communication with peers are happy and control their negative emotions show enthusiasm and concern for others are self-confident without being conceited

29 Social Cognition Social cognition -- thinking about social matters
important for understanding peer relationships 5 steps in processing information about the social world decode social cues interpret search for a response select an optimal response enact (Dodge, 1983)

30 Bullying Bullying has been defined as verbal or physical behavior intended to disturb someone less powerful Boys are more likely than girls to be bullies

31 Discussion What do you think causes bullying?
How do girls and boys differ in bullying behavior? What are some of the emotional consequences of being bullied? How might psychologists working from a sociocultural perspective explain sex differences in bullying? Psychoanalytic?

32 Bullying Bullied children reported more loneliness and difficulty in making friends Anxious and socially withdrawn children may be victimized because they are non-threatening and unlikely to retaliate Aggressive children may be the targets because their behavior is irritating to bullies

33 Bullying Suicidal ideation and depression
Those who did the bullying were more likely to have a poor academic record and to smoke and drink alcohol Victims of bullies had Suicidal ideation and depression Higher incidence of headaches Dizziness Sleeping problems Anxiety

34 Functions of Friendships
Children’s friendships can serve six functions companionship  stimulation physical support ego support social comparison affection and intimacy Intimacy in friendships -- characterized by self-disclosure and sharing private thoughts Gottman & Parker, 1987; Berndt & Perry, 1990)

35 Constructivist and Direct Instruction Approaches
Constructivist approach -- learner-centered approach that emphasizes the importance of individuals actively constructing their knowledge and understanding with guidance from the teacher children should be encouraged to explore their world, discover knowledge, reflect, and think critically with careful monitoring and meaningful guidance from the teacher (Eby, Herrell, & Jordan, 2011)

36 Direct Instruction Approach
Direct instruction approach -- structured, teacher-centered approach characterized by teacher direction and control, high expectations for students’ progress, maximum time spent by students on academic tasks, and efforts by the teacher to keep negative affect to a minimum Important goal: maximizing student learning

37 Constructivist Versus Direct Instruction Approach
Constructivists argue that direct instruction turns children into passive learners and does not challenge them to think critically or creatively Direct instructions say that constructivists do not give enough attention to the content of a discipline and instruction is too relativistic and vague (Duffy & Kirkley, 2004)

38 Accountability Demands for accountability include
State-mandated tests to measure just what students have or have not learned High expectations and high standards for students Became national policy in 2002 when the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation was signed into law Criticisms of NCLB Single tests Teaching to the test Tests are too narrow -- don’t focus on other aspects such as creativity, motivation, and social skills Standards vary per state

39 Socioeconomic Status, Ethnicity, and Culture
Schools in low-income areas are more likely to: have more students with low achievement test scores have low graduation rates have small percentages of students going to college have young teachers with less experience encourage rote learning have buildings and classrooms that are old and crumbling

40 Ethnicity in Schools Many inner-city schools are still segregated, grossly underfunded, and do not provide adequate opportunities for children to learn effectively School segregation remains a factor in U.S. education The school experiences of students from different ethnic groups vary considerably (Banks, 2010; Bennett, 2011)

41 Ethnicity in Schools African American and Latino students are much less likely to be enrolled in academic, college preparatory programs Much more likely to be enrolled in remedial or special education programs

42 Ethnicity in Schools Strategies for improving relationships among ethnically diverse students: Turn the class into a jigsaw classroom Encourage students to have positive personal contact with diverse other students Reduce bias View the school and community as a team Be a competent cultural mediator

43 Cross-Cultural Comparisons
Asian students do better in math than U.S. students Greater time spent on math instruction in Asian schools Asian parents have higher expectations for their children’s education and achievements Asian parents believe that their children’s math achievement was the consequence of effort and training Asian students more likely to do math homework Asian parents more likely to help children with math homework

44 Cross-Cultural Comparisons
Mind-set is the cognitive view individuals develop for themselves Fixed mind-set Growth mind-set Dweck argues that individuals’ mind-sets influence whether they will be optimistic or pessimistic

How does a child in middle childhood develop self understanding?

How does self

What are the different changes in the developmental stage of the middle childhood?

What is self understanding in early childhood?