CHAPTER 3 Social, emotional and moral development

Distinguish between self-concept, self-esteem and self- efficacy, and discuss the teacher’s role in their promotion Explain how the identity crises faced by children impact their development Differentiate between the socialisation approach and the cognitive developmental approach to moral development Comment on how emotional competence is related to understanding others Chapter objectives

The self is: who we are, what makes us unique who we believe ourselves to be ‘that central, private region of our life’ – Gordon Allport made up of many dimensions and many ‘selves’ Understanding our self

Self-concept: a collection of information, ideas, attitudes and beliefs we have about ourselves Self-esteem: the level of satisfaction and pride that individuals have in the self Self-efficacy: an individual’s sense of being able to manage a task effectively and successfully in a particular domain Dimensions of self

A theoretical view of a hierarchical and differentiated self-concept

Development of sense of self over time Developmental stage Self statement Characteristics of the statement InfancyNo language-based statements Gradually comes to recognise self in mirror Early childhood‘I am a boy. I like soccer.’Concrete self-perception based on appearance and favourite activity Middle childhood‘I watch my brother do it first, then I know I can do it!’ Social comparison becomes an important source of self-efficacy and self-concept Adolescence‘I’m fairly shy with new people but I’m pretty “out there” with my friends!’ Abstract psychological concepts of shyness and self-descriptive terms; differentiates ability and efficacy in different social contexts

Erikson proposed that we move through a series of eight psychosocial stages Each stage is characterised by a psychosocial crisis or ‘turning point’ Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development

Birth to 1 year – Basic trust vs. basic mistrust 2 to 3 years – Autonomy vs. shame and doubt 4 to 6 years – Initiative vs. guilt 7 to 12 years – Industry vs. inferiority 13 to 18 years – Identity vs. role confusion Stages in Erikson’s theory

The 20s – Intimacy vs. isolation Late 20s to late 50s – Generativity vs. stagnation/self- absorption 60s and beyond – Ego integrity vs. despair Stages in Erikson’s theory (2)

Identity achievement Identity foreclosure Identity diffusion Moratorium Marcia’s four identity statuses

Stage theory Role of society and culture Highlights connections between physical, psychological and emotional development Selected strengths of Erikson’s theory

More attention to infancy and childhood than to adult life Universal applicability Progression through stages is genetically programmed Applies more to males than females Selected limitations of Erikson’s theory

The self is understood in light of relationships with society and environment Individualistic cultures: focus on the self as autonomous individual; pursuit of individual goals is valued Collectivistic cultures: typically group-centred, viewing individuals in terms of relationships, roles and responsibilities in the community The self across cultures

Moral development as socialisation Moral development as moral reasoning Moral development

Cognitive development relates to moral development Moral reasoning is influenced by the stage of cognitive development and capacity for analytical thinking Piaget’s moral dilemmas Two types of moral reasoning: – Heteronomous morality – Autonomous morality Piaget’s theory of moral reasoning

Six-stage sequence of moral development Progression from one stage to the next comes about through a combination of cognitive development and socialisation Kohlberg’s theory of moral development

Example of Kohlberg’s moral dilemmas

Level 1: Preconventional morality Stage 1: Heteronomous morality Stage 2: Individualism, instrumental purpose and exchange Kohlberg’s theory of moral development

Level 2: Conventional morality Stage 3: Mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships and interpersonal conformity Stage 4: Social system and conscience Kohlberg’s theory of moral development (2)

Level 3: Postconventional morality Stage 5: Social contract or utility and individual rights Stage 6: Universal ethical principles Kohlberg’s theory of moral development (3)

Distinction between moral reasoning and moral behaviour Comprehensive and detailed Still used today Strengths of Kohlberg’s theory

Stage theories can be problematic Cross-cultural applicability Gender bias Limitations of Kohlberg’s theory

Male orientation of Kohlberg’s theory associated with justice, rules and rights Female morality is associated with care, compassion and relationships with others Gilligan’s feminist voice

Emotions: a mental or physiological state associated with feelings, thoughts and behaviours The functionalist perspective The social-constructivist perspective (Saarni) The self developing emotionally and socially

Awareness of emotional state Ability to discern others’ emotions Ability to use vocabulary of emotion Capacity to be empathetic and sympathetic Understanding link between inner emotions and outward expression Saarni’s emotional competencies

Ability to cope with emotions Understanding relationship between emotions and relationships Emotional self-efficacy Saarni’s emotional competencies (2)

Cognitive development determines children’s ability to interpret and understand their own and others’ emotions. Perspective-taking: ability to understand another’s position and feelings. Prosocial behaviour: voluntary behaviour intended to benefit others. Emotional and cognitive development

Types of play: Solitary play Parallel play Cooperative play Imaginary play Interacting with others

Interaction: social exchange between individuals Relationship: exchanges between people, building on previous interactions, have emotional significance Group: exchanges involving several individuals who have a relationship and have some degree of reciprocal influence Peer experiences and socioemotional development

Peer acceptance

Peer relationships assist in: Emotional support Socioemotional development Self-esteem Identity development Cognitive and moral development Role of peer experiences

Features and benefits of friendship FeatureBenefit Friendship and the selfA powerful source of self-esteem, as friends regard each other with equal respect and provide the trust to share one’s thoughts and feelings Friendship as a bufferA powerful protector against stress, negative family environments, and bullying and harassment Friendship and learningThe trust and security of friendships allow exploration of ideas in a context of friendly exchanges, challenge of ideas and problem solving Friendship as developmentFriends contribute to each other’s development (in positive and negative ways) by bringing unique histories and expectations, including the will to do better in school or engage in troublesome behaviours

Negative form of peer relationship Involves aggression, verbal abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, relational aggression and cyber- bullying Characterised by persistent and repeated attacks over time Bullying and harassment

Rates of bullying across countries Gender and age in relation to bullying Developmental effects of bullying: – Psychological effects – Social effects – Outcomes Trends and effects of bullying

Defining the self Dimensions of the developing self Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development The self across cultures The self developing emotionally and socially The self engaging with learning Chapter review

The self developing morally: Cognitive developmental theories Socialisation approaches to moral development Moral development Chapter review (2)