13 - Middle Childhood: Psychosocial Development
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Transcript of 13 - Middle Childhood: Psychosocial Development
13 - MIDDLE CHILDHOOD: PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Nature of the child Erikson’s stage
Industry vs. inferiority (4th. Stage) Skill mastery Self-image of being industrious or inferior
Freud Latency
Emotional drives & unconscious sexual conflicts are quiet
Self-Concept Comparison to others An unrealistically high self-concept
reduces “effortful control” (trying to control your emotions) – lowers achievement & increases aggression
The me-self “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
Culture and self-esteem The culture influences how you are
supposed to see yourself Japanese vs. US
Handling 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
Cumulative stress Accumulated small daily stresses over
time = more devastating than isolated major stress
Child’s interpretation of the situation is important
Families and 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 “nonshared” environment
Family structure and function Structure = Legal & genetic connections of family
members 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.
Family functions: 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
Peer group
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
Friendship & social acceptance Both boys and girls want to be liked and
have best friends Learn faster and feel happier with friends Between same sex, age, ethnicity, and
socioeconomic group People who understand and agree with
them
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
Bullies and Victims Bullies lack empathy Bullying = repeated attacks
Types of bullying Physical (hitting, kicking) Verbal (Teasing, name-calling) Relational (Isolate from friends, reduce
acceptance) More common in high school
Cyberbullying (Emails, Facebook)
Victims Lonely, abandoned, no good friends Chosen because of their vulnerability
and isolation
Bullies 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
Bullies Socially aware but lack empathy with
victim Skilled at avoiding adult awareness Victims counted on not to resist
effectively
Causes of bullying Possibly genetic predisposition or brain
abnormality Family
Insecure attachment Ineffective discipline Hostile siblings Intensify aggression
Peers that approve of the behavior
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 Rewards and 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