Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood Chapter 13: pgs (Infants & Children)

Erikson’s Theory: Industry vs. Inferiority (pg 482) IndustryInferiority Developing a sense of competence at useful skills Pessimism and lack of confidence in own ability to do things well; sense of inadequacy School provides many opportunities (learn about the division of labor, a sense of moral commitment & responsibility) Family environment, teachers, peers, can contribute to negative feelings * positive experiences lead children to develop a sense of competence at useful skills/tasks

Erikson’s Sense of Industry… a positive, but realistic self- concept pride in accomplishments moral responsibility cooperative participation with peers …combines several developments of middle childhood:

Self-Understanding (pg 482) Self-concept ▫major change takes place between 8-11 years old ▫becomes more refined  social comparisons-judging their own appearance, abilities, & behavior is relation to those of others  emphasize competencies (what they are/are not good at) ▫parental support is vitally important ▫varies from culture to culture  Western parents emphasize independence & self-assertion  Asian parents stress harmonious interdependence Self-esteem ▫structured in a hierarchy of 4 broad self-evaluations:  academic competence (*See Figure 13.1, pg 484)  social competence  physical/athletic competence  physical appearance

Hierarchical Structure of Self-Esteem in Middle Childhood (Fig. 13.1, pg 484) Allyn & Bacon, 2008

Influences on Self-Esteem (pg 485) culture ▫cultural forces profoundly affect self-esteem  Chinese & Japanese children score lower than U.S. children  African-American children have a slightly higher self-esteem when compared to Caucasian children, perhaps b/c of warm extended families & a stronger sense of ethnic pride (Gray-Little & Hafdahl, 2000) ▫gender-stereotyped beliefs affect self-esteem  girls feel less confident than boys about their physical appearance & athletic abilities  girls score higher in language arts self-esteem; boys have higher math & science self-esteem (Fredricks & Eccles, 2002)

Influences on Self-Esteem…cont’d child-rearing practices ▫authoritative style (warm, positive) of parenting creates good self-esteem ▫controlling parents communicate a sense of inadequacy to their children, resulting in low self-esteem ▫indulgent parenting is associated with unrealistically high self- esteem, which also undermines development

Emotional Development (pg 489) pride-motivates children to take on more challenges guilt-prompts them to strive for self-improvement self-conscious emotions explain emotions by referring to internal states (ex. happy or sad thoughts) have mixed emotions (ex. “I was very happy I got a present, but sad that it wasn’t the exact one I wanted.”) rise in empathy emotional understanding must learn to manage negative emotion that threatens their self-esteem motivated by self-esteem and peer approval emotional self-efficacy (a feeling of being in control of their emotional experiences) emotional self- regulation (rapid gains)

Moral Development (pg 492) increase in appreciation of moral rules ▫no longer say that telling the truth is always good and lying is always bad, but consider the social intentions begin to understand their individual rights and personal choices ▫i.e. hairstyle, friends, leisure activities begin to contemplate religious & spiritual concepts begin to understand diversity & inequality ▫media plays a role in this in-group & out-group biases: development of prejudice ▫in-group favoritism-(7-8 yrs old)-prefer their own group ▫out-group favoritism-ethnic minority children assign positive characteristics to the white majority & negative characteristics to their own group (Corenblum, 2003)

Peer Relations… (pg. 497) formed from proximity, similarity in sex, ethnicity, academic achievement, popularity, & aggression (Rubin, Bokowski, & Parker, 2006) adopt similar dress and behavior “peer culture” (informal groups) specialized vocabulary, dress code, place to “hang out” formal group ties (scouting, religious youth groups) Peer groups children like each other’s personal qualities & respond to one another’s needs and desires more selective in choosing friends girls demand greater closeness than boys & are more exclusive in their friendships (Markovits, Benenson, & Dolesky, 2001) tend to select friends similar to themselves in age, sex, race, ethnicity, & SES high-quality friendships remain fairly stable & can last several years Friendships

Peer Relations…cont’d (pg 500) refers to likability-the extent to which a child is viewed by a group of age-mates, such as classmates, as a worthy social partner better accepted children tend to have more friends and more positive relationships with them (Landsford et al., 2006) 4 general categories of peer acceptance: popular children-well liked rejected children-disliked controversial children-both liked and disliked neglected children-seldom mentioned, either positively or negatively powerful predictor of current as well as later psychological adjustment Peer Acceptance

Gender Typing (pg 503) Gender Stereotyped Beliefs personality traits-tough, aggressive (masculine); gentle, affectionate (feminine) achievement areas- reading, spelling, art, music=girls; math, athletics, mechanical skills=boys many school-agers take a harsh view of gender violations, such as boys playing w/dolls or wearing girls’ clothing Gender Identity and Behavior boys=strengthen masculine traits girls=feminine traits decline self-evaluations of their own identity=similarity to others, comfortable with own gender, pressure felt to conform to gender roles how children feel about themselves in relation to their gender becomes vitally important Allyn & Bacon, 2008

Family Influences on Social Development (pg 506) Family Relationships ▫parent-child relationship  gradual control shifts from adult to child; parents must learn to guide & monitor from a distance and effectively communicate expectations  parenting becomes easier for those parents who established an authoritative style in the early years  the amount of time children spend w/their parents declines dramatically  5 th & 6 th graders report their parents are the most influential people in their lives  a strong sense of attachment security to both parents is positively related to school-age children’s academic & social self-esteem ▫siblings relationship  sibling rivalry increases  parents often compare siblings’ traits & accomplishments  rely on each other for companionship, assistance, & emotional support (Seibert & Kerns, 2009)  older siblings help younger siblings

Types of Families Allyn & Bacon, 2008

Family Influences…cont’d (pg 508) Gay/lesbian families ▫research shows children in gay/lesbian families do not differ from the children of heterosexuals in mental health, peer relations, and gender identity (Farr, Forssell, & Patterson, 2010) Never-married single-parent families ▫largest group is African-American young women (64%) ▫generally increases financial hardships; nearly 50% have a 2 nd child Divorced families ▫family conflict, sharp drop in income, stress, depression, anxiety, disorganized family situation, differing discipline techniques ▫children show improved adjustment by 2 yrs after divorce, yet continue to score slightly lower than children of continuously married parents in academic achievement, self-esteem, social competence, and emotional & behavioral adjustment (Lansford, 2009)

Family Influences…cont’d (pg 512) Blended families ▫adaptation is related to the quality of family functioning, which parent forms the new relationship, child’s age/sex, & the complexity of blended family relationships ▫older children & girls seem to have the most difficulty Maternal employment/dual earner families ▫leads fathers to take on greater child-rearing responsibilities ▫when mothers enjoy their work & remain committed to parenting, children show favorable adjustment-higher self- esteem, more positive family & peer relations, less gender- stereotyped beliefs, & better grades in school ▫high quality child care is vital

Some Common Problems of Development (pg 517) fears & anxiety ▫dark, thunder & lightening, supernatural beings ▫personal harm (being robbed, stabbed, shot) ▫media events (war & disasters)-most common source of fears in Western nations ▫academic failure, separation from parents, parents’ health, physical injuries, dying, peer rejection ▫phobias-unmanageable fears child sexual abuse ▫a serious & widespread problem-60,000 cases reported in 2009; greatly underestimates the true amount b/c of non-reports ▫Internet & mobile phones are becoming avenues in which adults commit child abuse