1. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-1 Chapter 13: Social Behaviour and Personality in Middle Childhood 13.1 Self-Esteem 13.2 Relationships with Peers 13.3 Helping Others 13.4 Aggression 13.5 Families in the Early 21 st Century

2. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-2 13.1 Self-Esteem Measuring Self-Esteem Developmental Change in Self- Esteem Sources of Self-Esteem Consequences of Low Self- Esteem

3. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-3 Measuring Self-Esteem One common measure: Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) Measures overall self-esteem as well as self- esteem in 5 specific areas: scholastic competence athletic competence social acceptance behavioural conduct physical appearance

4. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-4 Sample Items and Profiles from SPPC Source: Harter, 1985

5. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-5 Developmental Change in Self-Esteem Self-esteem is highest in preschoolers Drops during the elementary school years, due to social comparisons Self- esteem becomes more differentiated Academic self-esteem becomes well- defined

6. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-6 Children Who View Selves Negatively

7. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-7 Sources of Self-Esteem Children have higher self-esteem when parents are nurturing and involved and establish rules concerning discipline Comparisons with others (particularly peers) Self-esteem is high when others view positively and low when others view negatively

8. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-8 Consequences of Low Self-Esteem Children with low self-esteem more likely to have problems with peers, have psychological disorders, be involved in antisocial behavior, and do poorly in school Sometimes difficult to establish cause and effect relations regarding low self-esteem

9. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-9 13.2 Relationships with Peers An Overview of Peer Interactions in Middle Childhood Friendship Popularity and Rejection Prejudice

10. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-10 An Overview of Peer Interactions… Children get along better than when they were younger Perspective-taking plays a large role Spend more time with peers without adult supervision Children “hang out” and play physical games

11. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-11 Activities that Children Do with Friends

12. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-12 Friendship Based on common interests and liking in children; intimacy is more important among adolescents, particularly girls Friends usually alike in age, gender, and race Children with good friends have higher self-esteem, are more cooperative, and deal better with life stresses

13. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-13 Popularity and Rejection 5 common categories: popular, rejected, controversial, average, neglected Popular children tend to be attractive, smart, and socially skilled Rejected children are socially unskilled, related to parents’ behavior and discipline

14. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-14 Prejudice Negative view of others based on group membership. Preschool children often are most prejudiced Declines with age, particularly when groups mix and work together toward common goals

15. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-15 13.3 Helping Others Skills Underlying Prosocial Behaviour Situational Influences Socializing Prosocial Behaviour

16. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-16 Skills Underlying Prosocial Behaviour Perspective-taking: Children help when they can imagine another’s situation. Empathy: Children help when they can feel as another person is feeling

17. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-17 Situational Influences Children help when they feel responsible for the person in need Feel competent to help Are in a good mood When the cost of helping is modest

18. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-18 Socializing Prosocial Behaviour Parents should use reasoning when disciplining children because it leads to perspective taking Model prosocial behaviour for children Use praise, particularly dispositional praise

19. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-19 13.4 Aggression The Nature of Children’s Aggressive Behaviour Roots of Aggressive Behaviour Victims of Aggression

20. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-20 The Nature of Children’s Aggressive Behaviour Instrumental aggression: used to achieve specific goal (e.g., toy) Reactive aggression: one child’s behaviour leads to another’s aggression Relational aggression: try to hurt others by undermining social relationships Forms of aggression change with age

21. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-21 Relation of Childhood Aggression to Adult Crime

22. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-22 Roots of Aggressive Behaviour Parents contribute, particularly through use of physical punishment TV also contributes, when children watch violent TV shows Cognitive processes affect how children interpret social situations and select appropriate responses

23. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-23 Victims of Aggression Youngsters are likely to be victims of aggression when they are aggressive themselves or are withdrawn and submissive Children can avoid being victims by learning new ways of responding to aggression, by raising their self-esteem, and by having friends

24. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-24 13.5 Families in the Early 21st Century After-School Care Divorce

25. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-25 After-School Care Some children are latchkey children and care for themselves after school Many factors must be considered (e.g., child’s maturity, neighbourhood safety) and parents must monitor their children Unsupervised self-care with peers is related to antisocial behaviour

26. Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education Canada Inc.13-26 Divorce Immediately after, children may behave less maturely and parents are less effective but this improves with time Divorce affects children’s conduct, school achievement, adjustment, self-concept, and relationships with parents Women’s remarriage: sons usually benefit from stepfather but daughters often resent