John W. Santrock

1. Children 14 Socioemotional Development in Middle and Late Childhood John W. Santrock

2. Socioemotional Development in Middle and Late Childhood • What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? • What Are Some Parent-Child Issues and Societal Changes in Families? • What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood? • What Are Some Important Aspects of Schools?

3. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? The Self • How do social comparisons help children distinguish who they are? • What is the nature of self-esteem?

4. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Development of Self-Understanding • Shifts toward • Defining self in terms of internal characteristics • Including social aspects in self-descriptions • Social comparison: comparing self with others

5. Self-esteem Global evaluations of the self Self-worth Self-image Self-concept Domain-specific evaluations of the self What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Self-Esteem and Self-Concept

6. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Research on Self-Esteem • Self-esteem can change • Variations related to development • A perception but not always a reality • Most research is correlational

7. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Increasing Children’s Self-Esteem • Identify causes of low self-esteem • Provide emotional support and social approval • Help children to achieve • Encourage coping skills

8. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Industry Versus Inferiority • Erikson’s fourth developmental stage • Encouragement increases child’s sense of industry; criticism results in inferiority • Children attempt to master many skills • Develop sense of competence or incompetence

9. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development • Based primarily on moral reasoning; unfolds in stages • Internalization • Key in understanding moral development • Developmental change from externally controlled behavior to behavior controlled by internal standards and principles

10. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Kohlberg’s Level 1: Preconventional Reasoning • Lowest level • No internalization of moral values • Moral reasoning controlled by external rewards and punishment • Stage 1. Heteronomous morality • Stage 2. Individualism, instrumental purpose, and exchange

11. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Kohlberg’s Level 2: Conventional Reasoning • Second level • Internalization is intermediate • One abides by certain standards of others • Stage 3. Mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships, and interpersonal conformity • Stage 4. Social systems morality

12. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Kohlberg’s Level 3: Postconventional Reasoning • Highest level • Morality completely internalized • Stage 5. Social contract or utility and individual rights • Stage 6. Universal ethical principles

13. Stage 1 70 Stage 2 Stage 3 60 Stage 4 Stage 5 50 40 Mean percent of moral reasoning at each stage 30 20 10 0 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 Age (years) Age and Percentage of Individuals at Each Kohlberg Stage Fig. 14.3

14. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Kohlberg’s Beliefs • Levels and stages occurred in sequence • Development was age related • First 4 stages had universal support • More cultural diversity at stages 5 and 6

15. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Kohlberg’s Critics • Moral Thought vs. Moral Behavior • Culture and Moral Development • Family Processes and Moral Development • Gender and the Care Perspective • Prosocial Behavior and Altruism

16. Justice Focuses on individual rights Individuals independently make moral decisions Care Views people in terms of their connectedness with others Communication Relationships Concern for others What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Justice and Care Perspectives

17. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Stereotyping and Culture • Traditional gender stereotypes and roles challenged in many societies • Traditionally: males dominant, females nurturant • Some social inequalities have diminished • As sexual equality increases, gender stereotypes may diminish

18. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Gender Similarities and Differences • Physical • Many differences tied to health • Female brains smaller, have more folds • Brain area for sexual behaviors and visuospatial skills are larger in males • Brain area for emotional expressions shows more activity in females

19. What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Gender Similarities and Differences • Cognitive • Early research found females had better verbal skills, males better math and visuospatial skills • Later research suggests differences slight • Differences persist on standardized test scores of children; suspect other factors

20. Report talk Favored by males Provides information Public speaking such as jokes and story telling Rapport talk Favored by females For conversation, establishing connections, and negotiating relationships What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Socioemotional Similarities and Differences

21. Communication differences affected by Group size Speaking with peers or adults Familiarity Age What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Similarities and Differences

22. Differences seen in all cultures Appears very early in life May be equally aggressive but expressed differently Females use relational aggression, more verbally aggressive than boys Males show less self-regulation What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Aggression in Boys and Girls

23. Controversy: size of differences? Gender in context: behavior varies Culture allows for more diversity Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood? Gender

24. What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood? Friendship Not all friendships and not all friends are equal • Friendships serve six functions • Companionship • Stimulation • Physical support • Ego support • Social comparison • Intimacy/affection

25. Popular Frequently nominated as a best friend; rarely disliked by peers Average Receive average number of positive and negative nominations from peers Neglected Infrequently nominated as a best friend but not disliked by peers Rejected Infrequently nominated as a best friend; actively disliked by peers Controversial Frequently nominated as someone’s best friend and as being disliked What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood? Peer Statuses

26. What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood? Social Cognition • Involve thoughts about social matters • Increasingly important for understanding peer relationships in middle and late childhood • Involved in peer relationships

27. What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood? Bullying • Verbal or physical behavior intended to disturb someone less powerful • Most likely affected are males and younger middle school students • Bullies may enjoy high peer status despite increased conduct problems

28. Belittled about religion or race Belittled about looks or speech Males Hit, slapped, or pushed Subject of rumors Subject of sexual comments or gestures 0 5 10 15 20 25 Percent experiencing bullying Bullying Behavior Among U.S. Youth Females Fig. 14.6

29. What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood? To Reduce Bullying • Older peers act as monitors; intervene • Create/post school-wide rules and sanctions • Include anti-bullying message/program in other community activities for adolescents • Encourage parents to reinforce/model positive behaviors and interactions

30. What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood? To Reduce Bullying • Form adolescent friendship groups for victims • Identify bullies and victims early; use social skill training to improve behavior • Parents: contact professional to help with child’s bullying behavior or victimization • Parents get involved in school programs