Chapter 8Chapter 8Socioemotional Socioemotional Development inDevelopment in

Middle ChildhoodMiddle Childhood

Self-DevelopmentIndustry v. Industry v. InferiorityInferiorityThe focus is on competence in meeting The focus is on competence in meeting challenges presented by parents, peers, challenges presented by parents, peers, school, etc.school, etc.

Understanding Understanding One’s SelfOne’s SelfOne’s self-concept is divided into One’s self-concept is divided into personal & academic areaspersonal & academic areas

Social ComparisonSocial Comparison

Evaluating one’s behavior, Evaluating one’s behavior, abilities, expertise, & opinions abilities, expertise, & opinions by comparing them with others’by comparing them with others’

Emotional Emotional IntelligenceIntelligence

Set of skills that help regulate self- & other-awarenessUnderlie the accurate assessment, evaluation, expression, & regulation of emotionsThey increase empathy, self-awareness, & social skillsMost feel it is the family’s responsibility

Self-esteemSelf-esteemOverall & Specific + & - Self-evaluationThe self-concept reflects beliefs & thoughts about oneself; self-esteem is more emotionally orientedSelf-esteem becomes more diversified at this time

High in some areas, low in others

Change & Stability in Self-esteemIncreases during this time with a brief decline around 12 yearsParenting needs to become more authoritative

Race & Self-Race & Self-esteemesteem

Racial DifferencesAfrican Americans show slightly higher self-esteem around age 11 than WhitesHispanics show increase in self-esteem toward the end of middle childhoodAsian self-esteem is higher in elementary school but lower than Whites by the end of childhoodSocial identity theory

Members of a minority group are likely to accept the negative views of the majority group only

if they perceive that there is little realistic possibility of changing the power & status differences between the groups

Self-efficacySelf-efficacyThe belief that one can master a situation & produce favorable outcomesThose with low self-efficacy may avoid challenging tasks

Those with high self-efficacy are eager to take on the task and spend more time at it

Moral DevelopmentMoral DevelopmentKohlberg’s Stages

Level I: Level I: Preconventional LevelPreconventional Level(Ages 4-10)(Ages 4-10)

Stage 1 – Fear of PunishmentStage 1 – Fear of PunishmentStage 2 – Self-interest and RewardStage 2 – Self-interest and Reward

Level II: Level II: Conventional Level Conventional Level (Ages 10-13)(Ages 10-13)Stage 3 – Desire to Please OthersStage 3 – Desire to Please OthersStage 4 – Respect for Authority & Stage 4 – Respect for Authority & Social OrderSocial Order

Level III: Level III: Postconventional Level Postconventional Level (After Age 13 at Young (After Age 13 at Young Adulthood or Never)Adulthood or Never)Stage 5 – Respect for Individual Stage 5 – Respect for Individual Rights & LawsRights & LawsStage 6 – Universal Ethical Stage 6 – Universal Ethical PrinciplesPrinciples

Moral DevelopmentMoral DevelopmentCarol GilliganBoys see morality in terms of justice & fairness; girls see it in Boys see morality in terms of justice & fairness; girls see it in terms of responsibility & compassionterms of responsibility & compassion

Three Stages of development in girls1. Orientation toward individual survival1. Orientation toward individual survival

Concentration on what is best for one’s selfConcentration on what is best for one’s self2. Goodness as self-sacrifice2. Goodness as self-sacrifice

Must sacrifice one’s wishes for others’ wantsMust sacrifice one’s wishes for others’ wants3. Morality of nonviolence3. Morality of nonviolence

Hurting others & one’s self is immoralHurting others & one’s self is immoral

DivorceDivorceDivorce Rate: 50%Divorce Rate: 50%

Reaction to DivorceReaction to DivorceDepends on the age at divorceDepends on the age at divorce

From 6 months to 2 years after it can From 6 months to 2 years after it can show maladjustment problemsshow maladjustment problems

The quality of mother & child The quality of mother & child relationship declinesrelationship declines

2X as many children of divorced 2X as many children of divorced parents enter psychological parents enter psychological counseling as children from intact counseling as children from intact familiesfamilies

RemarriageRemarriageBlended FamiliesRemarried couples with at least 1 step-child living with them17% of children live in blended families in U.S.Role ambiguity

Roles & expectations unclear

Gay & Lesbian ParentsChildren develop similarly to heterosexual households

Shaping a Child’s Shaping a Child’s BehaviorBehavior

CoregulationCoregulationPeriod when both parents & children jointly control children’s behavior

Includes siblings which can have an influence on a particular child

Sibling rivalry may occur

Self-care Self-care ChildrenChildren“Latchkey children”

Let themselves in & wait for the parents to come home

OrphanagesOrphanages“Group Home” or “Residential Treatment Center”300,000 removed from homes each year

¾ return home

Other ¼ so psychologically damage due to abuse, etc. they are left in group care & remain there

PopularityPopularityCharacteristicsCharacteristicsSocial competenceSocial competence

Collection of individual Collection of individual social skills that permit social skills that permit individuals to perform individuals to perform successfully in social successfully in social settingssettings

Popular children are high in social Popular children are high in social competencecompetence

Social problem-solvingSocial problem-solving

Use of strategies for Use of strategies for solving social conflicts in solving social conflicts in ways that are ways that are

satisfactory satisfactory both to oneself both to oneself & others& others

Better at interpreting the Better at interpreting the meaning of others’ behaviorsmeaning of others’ behaviors

Peer StatusPeer Status5 StatusesPopular childrenFrequently nominated as best friend & rarely disliked

Average childrenAverage number of positive & negative nominations from peers

Neglected childrenInfrequently nominated as a best friend but not disliked by peers

Rejected childrenInfrequently nominated as a best friend & are actively disliked by peers

Controversial children

Frequently nominated both as someone’s best friend and as being disliked

Schoolyard Schoolyard BulliesBullies

Torment from BulliesTorment from Bullies160000 stay home due to bullying160000 stay home due to bullying

90% of middle school students report being 90% of middle school students report being bulliedbullied

15% are bullies15% are bullies

VictimsVictims½ of bullies come from abusive homes½ of bullies come from abusive homes

Prefer violent TV programs/moviesPrefer violent TV programs/movies

Misbehave at home more than othersMisbehave at home more than others

Show little remorse for lyingShow little remorse for lying

More likely to break laws as adultsMore likely to break laws as adults

Education of the BullyEducation of the BullyNeed to learn the importance of caring, a Need to learn the importance of caring, a warm environment & better social skillswarm environment & better social skills

Stages of FriendshipStage 1 (4 – 7 years)Friendship is based on others’ behavior

Friends are those who like them & who share toys, games, etc.

Stage 2 (8 – 10 years)Friendship is based on a mutual share of trust

Stage 3 (11 – 15 years)Friendship is based on feelings of closeness through sharing personal thoughts & feelings

Gender & Race Gender & Race FriendshipsFriendships

Gender FriendshipsGender FriendshipsDominance hierarchy

Rankings that present the relative social power of those in the groupMiddle childhood friendships tend to be restricted to the same sexBoys tend to be concerned with placement in the groupGirls tend to have 1 or 2 “best friends” of relatively equal statusConflicts are resolved through compromise

Cross-race FriendshipsCross-race FriendshipsClosest friends tend to be of the same raceClosest friends tend to be of the same raceThere are more cross-race best friends around 3There are more cross-race best friends around 3rdrd grade than 10thgrade than 10th

School Success & Failure

Attributions TheoryDispositional factors (I’m not so smart) or situational factor contribute (I didn’t get enough sleep)

Cultural ComparisonsDifferent experiences give different perceptions of how things should be

Subcultural differences in behaviors related to

achievement & what it isAsian performance

In U.S. attribute school performance to stable, internal causesIn Asia, it is temporary, situational factors

Teacher Expectancy

EffectSelf-fulfilling ProphecyCycle of behavior where a teacher transmits an expectation about a child & thereby bringing about the expected behavior

Verbal & Nonverbal CuesSmiling & warmth

More positive feedback, contact & opportunities to perform, more difficult material, & more opportunities to respond to high expectation children; more criticism, less contact, & less opportunity to perform to low expectation children