© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 1

John W. Santrock

Socioemotional Development in Middle and Late Childhood

14

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 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?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 3

The Self

• How do social comparisons help children distinguish who they are?

• What is the nature of self-esteem?

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 4

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 5

Self-Esteem and Self-Concept

• Self-esteem

Global evaluations of the self

Self-worth

Self-image

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

• Self-concept

Domain-specific evaluations of the self

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 6

Research on Self-Esteem

• Self-esteem can change

– Variations related to development

– A perception but not always a reality

• Most research is correlational

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 7

Increasing Children’s Self-Esteem

• Identify causes of low self-esteem

• Provide emotional support and social approval

• Help children to achieve

• Encourage coping skills

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 8

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 9

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 10

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 11

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 12

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 13Age and Percentage of Individuals at Each Kohlberg Stage

Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5

Stage 1

12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 3610

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

70

Age (years)

Me

an

pe

rce

nt o

f mo

ral r

easo

nin

g

at e

ach

sta

ge

Fig. 14.3

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 14

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 15

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 16

Justice and Care Perspectives

Justice • Focuses on

individual rights

• Individuals independently make moral decisions

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

Care• Views people in terms

of their connectedness with others– Communication– Relationships– Concern for others

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 17

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

What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 18What 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

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 19What 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

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 20

Socioemotional Similarities and Differences

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?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 21

Similarities and Differences

• 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?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 22

Aggression in Boys and Girls

• 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?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 23

Gender

• 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?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 24

Friendship

Not all friendshipsand not all friends are equal

What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?

• Friendships serve six functions– Companionship– Stimulation– Physical support– Ego support– Social comparison– Intimacy/affection

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 25

Peer Statuses

Rejected

Frequently nominated as someone’s best friend and as being dislikedControversial

Average

Popular

Infrequently nominated as a best friend; actively disliked by peers

Receive average number of positive and negative nominations from peers

Frequently nominated as a best friend; rarely disliked by peers

NeglectedInfrequently nominated as a best friend but not disliked by peers

What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 26

Social Cognition

• Involve thoughts about social matters

• Increasingly important for understanding peer relationships in middle and late childhood

• Involved in peer relationships

What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 27

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

What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 28Bullying Behavior Among U.S. Youth

Subject of sexual comments or gestures

Belittled about religion or race

Subject of rumors

Hit, slapped, or pushed

Belittled about looks or speech

Males

5 250 10 15 20

Percent experiencing bullying

Females

Fig. 14.6

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 29

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

What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Slide 30

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

What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?