Early & Middle ChildhoodEarly & Middle Childhood

Emotional DevelopmentEmotional Development

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Personality Development of Personality Development

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18m-3y18m-3y

3-63-6

6-126-12

12-2112-21

21-3021-30

30-6530-65

65+65+

Feel Feel guiltguilt (i.e., are self-conscious) if (i.e., are self-conscious) if society is overly criticalsociety is overly critical

Take Take initiativeinitiative in doing new tasks & in doing new tasks & interact with peers in make-believe interact with peers in make-believe

playplay

Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Personality Development of Personality Development

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65+65+Become Become industriousindustrious: good at : good at

somethingsomething

Feel a sense of Feel a sense of inferiorityinferiority

Self Understanding: Early Self Understanding: Early Childhood Childhood

Self-conceptSelf-concept: attributes, abilities, attitudes : attributes, abilities, attitudes & values that define a person& values that define a person– 3-5 yrs:3-5 yrs: based on external attributes & based on external attributes &

behaviorsbehaviors““I have yellow hair.”I have yellow hair.”

“ “I paint pictures.”I paint pictures.”

“ “Yellow is my favorite color.”Yellow is my favorite color.”

– Do not yet mention internal traitsDo not yet mention internal traits

Reason assert themselves over possessions Reason assert themselves over possessions

““Mine!”Mine!”

Tell me about yourself?Tell me about yourself?

Self-esteemSelf-esteem: judgments & feelings about : judgments & feelings about one’s own worth & competenciesone’s own worth & competencies– 4 yrs: 4 yrs: “I’m a good painter”“I’m a good painter”

– Overestimate competenciesOverestimate competencies

Contributes to development of Contributes to development of initiativeinitiative

How do you feel about yourself?How do you feel about yourself?

Is this a good or bad thing?Is this a good or bad thing?

Self Understanding: Early Self Understanding: Early Childhood Childhood

Self Understanding: Middle Self Understanding: Middle childhoodchildhood

Self-conceptSelf-concept: emphasize internal : emphasize internal competenciescompetencies (& deficiencies) instead of (& deficiencies) instead of external behaviorsexternal behaviors– ““I paint well, but I’m not a good piano player; I try hard I paint well, but I’m not a good piano player; I try hard

in school, but I only do okay.”in school, but I only do okay.”

Contributes to development ofContributes to development of industry industry

Self-esteemSelf-esteem: influenced by social : influenced by social comparisonscomparisons– gains in perspective takinggains in perspective taking– form an form an ideal selfideal self to to

evaluate evaluate real selfreal self

How do children decide what they are & are not How do children decide what they are & are not good at?good at?

What happens if the ideal self & What happens if the ideal self & real self are not in sync? real self are not in sync?

Hierarchically Structured Hierarchically Structured Self-Self-esteem esteem

Hierarchically Structured Hierarchically Structured Self-Self-esteem esteem

Which type is most closely related to general self-Which type is most closely related to general self-esteem?esteem?

Changes in Self-esteem in ChildhoodChanges in Self-esteem in Childhood(Marsh, Craven, & Debus, 1998)(Marsh, Craven, & Debus, 1998)

ParticipantsParticipants:: 396 preschool, 1396 preschool, 1stst, & 2, & 2ndnd grader boys grader boys & girls& girls

MeasureMeasure: Self-Description Questionnaire: Self-Description Questionnaire

Physical abilityPhysical ability

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

K 1st 2nd

BoysGirls

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

K 1st 2nd

BoysGirls

AppearanceAppearance

Social CompetenceSocial Competence

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

K 1st 2nd

BoysGirls

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

K 1st 2nd

BoysGirls

AcademicAcademic

Changes in Self-esteem in Middle Changes in Self-esteem in Middle ChildhoodChildhood

(Marsh, Craven, & Debus, 1998)(Marsh, Craven, & Debus, 1998)

ParticipantsParticipants:: 396 preschool, 1396 preschool, 1stst, & 2, & 2ndnd grader boys grader boys & girls& girls

MeasureMeasure: Self-Description Questionnaire: Self-Description Questionnaire

Results summaryResults summary: : – Self-esteem drops during 1Self-esteem drops during 1stst few years of few years of

elementaryelementary– Physical appearance esteem drops sharply for girls Physical appearance esteem drops sharply for girls – Most do not have exceptionally low self-esteemMost do not have exceptionally low self-esteem

** Culture & Child rearing practices**** Culture & Child rearing practices**

AttributionsAttributions: : common explanations for causes of common explanations for causes of behaviorbehavior

What influences a child’s self-esteem?What influences a child’s self-esteem?

** Culture & Child rearing practices**** Culture & Child rearing practices**

AttributionsAttributions: : common explanations for causes of common explanations for causes of behaviorbehavior

What influences a child’s self-esteem?What influences a child’s self-esteem?

Examples of influences on attributionsExamples of influences on attributions

ExampleExample1.1. ““Your such a smart Your such a smart

kid!”kid!”

2.2. ““Getting an ‘A’ is not Getting an ‘A’ is not

what matters.”what matters.”

3.3. ““It’s okay if you quit.”It’s okay if you quit.”

4.4. ““You got lucky on that You got lucky on that test.”test.”

5.5. ““You could have You could have studied harder to do studied harder to do well.”well.”

Attribution StyleAttribution Style1.1. HelplessnessHelplessness

2.2. Mastery Mastery

3.3. HelplessnessHelplessness

4.4. HelplessnessHelplessness

5.5. MasteryMastery

Emotional DevelopmentEmotional Development

1.1. Understanding emotionUnderstanding emotion– 4-5 yrs: provide explanations for emotions4-5 yrs: provide explanations for emotions ““Happy because my picture’s pretty”Happy because my picture’s pretty”

– LimitLimit: emphasize external & obvious reasons: emphasize external & obvious reasons““Happy because feel good about self”Happy because feel good about self”

Emotional DevelopmentEmotional Development2.2. Emotion self-regulationEmotion self-regulation

– 3-4 yrs: strategies for adjusting emotional arousal3-4 yrs: strategies for adjusting emotional arousal– Leads to decline in emotional outburstsLeads to decline in emotional outbursts– LimitLimit: Use external strategies until around age 10: Use external strategies until around age 10

– Fear regulation & “display rules” Fear regulation & “display rules”

When would children need to regulate When would children need to regulate emotions?emotions?

Emotional DevelopmentEmotional Development3.3. Self-conscious emotionsSelf-conscious emotions: involve injury : involve injury

to or enhancement of self-conceptto or enhancement of self-concept– 3 yrs: shame or guilt over (even accidental) 3 yrs: shame or guilt over (even accidental)

wrongdoingwrongdoing– LimitLimit: audience is needed, rely on adult’s : audience is needed, rely on adult’s

messagesmessages

– Intense shame = maladjustmentIntense shame = maladjustment– Guilt = good adjustmentGuilt = good adjustment

Do self-conscious emotions foster or hinder Do self-conscious emotions foster or hinder adjustment?adjustment?

Emotional DevelopmentEmotional Development4.4. Prosocial emotions & behaviorsProsocial emotions & behaviors

– 3 yrs:3 yrs: empathy empathy - feeling - feeling withwith another another Related to perspective takingRelated to perspective taking

– LimitLimit: leads to personal distress & doesn’t : leads to personal distress & doesn’t translate into translate into sympathysympathy – feeling – feeling forfor another another

How do children acquire empathy?How do children acquire empathy?

MoralityMorality

Theories of Morality Theories of Morality Develop from Develop from externally externally controlled controlled

morality to morality to inner standardsinner standards of morality of morality through childhoodthrough childhood

Social learning theorySocial learning theory– Moral behaviors are learned through Moral behaviors are learned through modelingmodeling

& & reinforcementreinforcement in early childhood in early childhood

– Harsh punishment promotes: Harsh punishment promotes: momentary momentary compliance compliance reliefrelief for parents for parents model for aggressionmodel for aggression, but…, but…

– Doesn’t achieve long-term goalsDoesn’t achieve long-term goals

Do you remember being spanked for bad Do you remember being spanked for bad behavior?behavior?

Theories of Morality Theories of Morality

Cognitive-developmental perspectiveCognitive-developmental perspective– Middle childhood become active thinkers about Middle childhood become active thinkers about

social rulessocial rules– More trustworthy in absence of adult supervisionMore trustworthy in absence of adult supervision

““Wrong to take something that’s not yours”Wrong to take something that’s not yours”

– Distributive justiceDistributive justice (Damon, 1988)(Damon, 1988)

ScenarioScenarioOne day a teacher let her class spend the whole One day a teacher let her class spend the whole afternoon making paintings and crayon drawings. afternoon making paintings and crayon drawings. The teacher thought that these picture were so good The teacher thought that these picture were so good that the class could sell them at the fair. They sold that the class could sell them at the fair. They sold the pictures to their parents, and together the class the pictures to their parents, and together the class made a lot of money. Now all the children gathered made a lot of money. Now all the children gathered the next day and tried to decide how to split up the the next day and tried to decide how to split up the money.money.

1.1. What do you think they should do with it? Why?What do you think they should do with it? Why?

2.2. Should a child who made more paintings get more Should a child who made more paintings get more money than the others? Why?money than the others? Why?

3.3. How about a child who doesn’t have enough money How about a child who doesn’t have enough money to buy lunch every day? Should they get more?to buy lunch every day? Should they get more?

Theories of Morality Theories of Morality

Cognitive-developmental perspectiveCognitive-developmental perspective– Middle childhood become active thinkers about Middle childhood become active thinkers about

social rulessocial rules– More trustworthy in absence of adult supervisionMore trustworthy in absence of adult supervision

““Wrong to take something that’s not yours”Wrong to take something that’s not yours”

– Distributive justiceDistributive justice (Damon, 1988)(Damon, 1988)

5-6 yrs: Equality5-6 yrs: Equality 6-7 yrs: Merit6-7 yrs: Merit 8+ yrs: Benevolence8+ yrs: Benevolence