13 - Middle Childhood: Psychosocial Development

1. 13 - Middle Childhood: Psychosocial Development

3. 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

4. Self-Concept • Comparison to others • An unrealistically high self-concept reduces “effortful control” (trying to control your emotions) – lowers achievement & increases aggression

5. 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

6. Culture and self-esteem • The culture influences how you are supposed to see yourself • Japanese vs. US

7. HandlingStress • Healthy children tend to be resilient to stress • Cope with stressful situations without being overwhelmed • Social support (family, friends, church) helps deal with stress

8. Cumulative stress • Accumulated small daily stresses over time = more devastating than isolated major stress • Child’s interpretation of the situation is important

9. 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

10. 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.

11. Family functions: • Material necessities • Learning • Self-respect • Peer relationships (Friendships) • Harmony and stability • Protective, predictable routines

12. 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

13. Peer group

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. Bullies and Victims • Bullies lack empathy • Bullying = repeated attacks

18. Types of bullying • Physical (hitting, kicking) • Verbal (Teasing, name-calling) • Relational (Isolate from friends, reduce acceptance) • More common in high school • Cyberbullying (Emails, Facebook)

19. Victims • Lonely, abandoned, no good friends • Chosen because of their vulnerability and isolation

20. 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

21. Bullies • Socially aware but lack empathy with victim • Skilled at avoiding adult awareness • Victims counted on not to resist effectively

22. Causes of bullying • Possibly genetic predisposition or brain abnormality • Family • Insecure attachment • Ineffective discipline • Hostile siblings • Intensify aggression • Peers that approve of the behavior

23. Consequences of bullying • Bullies often become increasing cruel • Victims • Depression • Lower school achievement

24. 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

25. Morality

26. Kohlberg’s levels of moral development • Preconventional • Egocentric • Rewards and punishments • Conventional • Acceptance of social rules and laws • Postconventional • “What should be” • Ultimate good

27. Morality • Often guided by the culture and religion • Children use their intellectual abilities to justify their moral actions