MIDDLE CHILDHOOD: PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT What about the elementary child’s social relationships?
MIDDLE CHILDHOOD:
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
What about the elementary child’s social relationships?
What stage are they in?
Erikson’s stage
Industry vs. inferiority (4 th . Stage)
Skill mastery
E.g. Reading and Math
Self-image of industrious or inferior
Freud
Latency
Emotional drives & unconscious sexual conflicts are quiet
How does the child develop a self concept?
Comparison to others
An unrealistically high self-concept reduces
“effortful control” (trying to control your emotions) – lowers achievement & increases aggression
What is the “ME” and “I”?
“I-self” = I know what I want, I am
Thinks, acts, & feel independently
“Me-self” = What do others think of me?
Based on the perception of what others think
How does culture effect self esteem?
The culture influences how you are supposed to see yourself
Japanese vs. US
Japanese American
What helps children handle stress?
Healthy children tend to be resilient to stress
Cope with stressful situations without being overwhelmed
Social support (family, friends, church) helps deal with stress
What is the effect of cumulative stress?
Accumulated small daily stresses over time = more devastating than isolated major stress
Child’s interpretation of the situation is important
Do you remember?
Which of Erikson’s stages is this child in?
What is the difference between the “I” and the
“Me” in the child’s self concept?
How does culture effect self esteem?
What does a child need to be resilient to stress?
Are small daily stresses or one large stressor most damaging?
What is the effect of family on children?
Individual children are influenced by age, genes, gender, resilience, parents, and home life
Children raised in same home does not = same environment and parenting
Parents treat different children differently
Most environmental effects may be from the
“non-shared” environment
What is family structure and function?
Structure = Legal & genetic connections of family members
Family structures
Nuclear (Husband, wife, and children)
Blended (Parents with children from earlier marriages)
Extended (Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, etc.)
Polygamous (Multiple spouses)
Function
How families act with each other
Function is more important than structure at all ages.
What functions does the family perform?
Material necessities
Learning
Self-respect
Peer relationships (Friendships)
Harmony and stability
Protective, predictable routines
What interferes with family function?
Low income = stress
High conflict = stress
Money
Child rearing
Family roles
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse
Children need a feeling of harmony
Do you remember?
Where do most environmental effects come from?
What types of family structures are there?
What are the main functions of a family?
Is structure or function in a family the most important?
What is the effect of low income and high family conflict on children?
How do peer groups effect children?
What is the culture of children?
Norms, values, beliefs, habits that characterize children as opposed to an adult
Children are their own “in group”
Encourages independence from adults
E.g. Don’t be a “tattle-tale” to an adult
How do friendships and social acceptance effect children?
Both boys and girls want to be liked and have best friends
Learn faster and feel happier with friends
Friendships develop between same sex, age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic group
People who understand and agree with them
What happens when children develop social awareness?
Social cognition
Understanding the causes and consequences of social interaction
Crucial for peer acceptance
Effortful control = Ability to control your emotions
Well-liked children like themselves
See unkind remarks as accidental
Does not provoke fear, self-doubt and anger
Rejected children = poor self-concept
See unkind remarks as purposefully directed at them
Created self-doubt and anger
Do you remember?
What is the “culture of children”?
What types of peers do children choose to be in their peer group?
What is the effect on children of having friends?
What is the concept of social cognition?
How does bullying and its effects develop in this age group?
Bullying = repeated attacks
Socially aware but lack empathy with victim
Skilled at avoiding adult awareness
Victims counted on not to resist effectively
Types of bullying
Physical (hitting, kicking)
Verbal (Teasing, name-calling)
Relational (Isolate from friends, reduce acceptance)
More common in high school
Cyberbullying (Emails, Facebook)
How do bullies think?
Bullies lack empathy
Not rejected – have admiring henchmen for friends
Boys target smaller, weaker children
Boys = physical aggression
Girls target shy soft-spoken girls
Girls = verbal aggression
Both sexes use relational aggression and cyberbullying
Who are the victims?
Lonely, abandoned, no good friends
Chosen because of their vulnerability and isolation
What causes bullying?
Possibly genetic predisposition or brain abnormality
Family
Insecure attachment
Ineffective discipline
Hostile siblings
Intensify aggression
Peers that approve of the behavior
What are the consequences of bullying?
Bullies often become increasing cruel
Victims
Depression
Lower school achievement
Can bullies be stopped?
Very difficult
Victim finding new friends helps
Whole school strategy
Bully not supported by his peers, friends, and school staff helps
Morality
Kohlberg’s levels of moral development
Preconventional
Egocentric
Getting rewards and avoiding punishments
Conventional
Acceptance of social rules and laws
Postconventional
“What should be”
Ultimate good
Morality
Often guided by the culture and religion
Children use their intellectual abilities to justify their moral actions
Do you remember?
How do bullies think?
What are the main types of bullying that boys and girls use?
What do both sexes use?
What are the causes and consequences of bullying?
What are Kohlberg’s three levels of moral development?
