EARLY CHILDHOOD – PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Understand self-definition: single representations (real self, ideal self) and representational
mappings.
Understand the link between self-awareness and emotions directed toward self.
Understand the Eriksonʼs 3rd stage: initiative vs. guilt.
Understand self-esteem and why they tend to overrate their abilities.
Understand the types of play: social & nonsocial (solitary play, parallel constructive play);
cognitive play (repetitive; constructive; imaginative; formal games with rules).
Understand gender identity, gender differences, gender typing , gender roles, gender stereotypes,
gender labeling, gender stability and gender constancy.
Understand Cognitive-Developmental Theory: [Development of Gender Identity] and the
problems with this theory.
Understand Socialization-Based Approach to gender development, including the role of parents,
peers and media.
Understand the Biological Approaches to understanding gender development.
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD – COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Understand Piagetʼs concrete operational stage.
Understand advances in cognitive abilities in the concrete operational child: space, causality,
categorization (seriation, transitive inference, class inclusion), conservation.
Undertand the influences of neurological development and culture on advances in cognitive
abilities.
Understand the 2 stages for moral reasoning: morality of constraint and morality of cooperation.
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD – PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Understand representational systems.
Understand Erikson's 4th stage - industry vs. inferiority.
Understand the components of home environment (family structure and atmosphere) and which
component seems to be most important.