Socioemotional Development in Middle Childhood Chapter 12

Social and Emotional Self Social Evaluations – Self representations/Self Concepts—me self – Self appraisals—judgment about self in light of some standard of comparison Peers’ standards, Parents’ expectations, Teachers’ expectations

Perceived Self Efficacy (PSE) Realization that one can complete some task or attain the knowledge and skills to do so Realistic appraisals of one’s PSE is more adaptive than either extreme and unwarranted optimism OR extreme pessimism

Perceived Self Efficacy (PSE) PSE can be enhanced or inhibited in middle childhood by feedback from: – Teachers – Parents – Peers Development of PSE: – Enactive Mastery Experiences (succeed at tasks) – Verbal Persuasion (informative and encouraging feedback) – Vicarious Experiences (access to competent role models) – Positive Emotional Experience and Environment (environment supports efforts and continued attempts following failure at a task)

Emotional Development in Middle Childhood Cassidy, et al. (1992)—children of emotionally expressive mothers are held in high regard by their peers Koester, et al. (1990)—involved fathers and mothers who restricted aggression and who were satisfied with their roles had children who became more empathic Zahn-Waxler & Robinson (1995)—depressed mothers tend to have children who experience guild and helplessness

Aggression Physical Aggression (use of force) – historically males have engaged in greater frequency than females – females’ rates of physical aggression are increasing – threats and intimidation with threats of physical violence can be equally harmful emotionally assault is the threat of violence with means, opportunity, and motive battery is the act of violence against another individual Both are crimes

Aggression Relational Aggression – Use of social and emotional strategies to undermine reputation, relationships, or status of another – Typically females have higher frequency of relational aggression, but males also use this – May lead to self injurious behavior but unclear relationship

Aggression Murray-Close, Crick & Galotti (2006): – Asked 4 th and 5 th graders to rate relative harm and moral status of physical and relational aggression – Relational Aggression (RA): Girls more likely than boys to report RA Overall, children who rated relational aggression as wrong were less likely to report or being reported as having committed RA Overall children’s reports of harmfulness of RA were more likely to be reported by peers and teachers as having committed RA. 5 th grades more likely to be reported by peers as having committed RA than 4 th graders.

Aggression Murray-Close, Crick & Galotti (2006): – Physical Aggression (PA): Boys more likely to be reported by peers and teachers as being involved in PA Overall, children’s ratings of harmfulness of PA were positively related to peers’ and teachers’ ratings of PA Overall, children’s ratings of wrongfulness of PA were negatively related to peers’ and teachers’ ratings of PA – Social Conventions and Perception of Appropriateness of aggression seemed to predict aggressive (relational or physical) acts.

Divorce Te Puna Whakaaro (2004): Impact of family structure and change on child outcomes – Income declines for custodial parent – Paternal absence (usual case) – Poor maternal mental health following divorce – Interparental conflict – Compromised parenting practices and child parent relations

Divorce Te Puna Whakaaro (2004): Impact of family structure and change on child outcomes Selection effects – Families that divorce may be different from the start Exhibit poor parenting styles High levels of marital conflict Suffer from persistent economic stress – Exposure to these conditions can compromise children’s wellbeing Economic Social Psychological (Furstenberg & Teitler, 1994)

Resiliency Succeeding when factors predict otherwise Resilient Children: – Having caring, supportive and consistent relationship with at least one adult – Hearing a consistent, clear and high but realistic expectations – Having meaningful and numerous opportunities to shape, influence, and control aspects of one’s environment (PCE)

Erikson’s Stages of Identity Development Industry vs. Inferiority – Acquire skills and technologies of the culture – Typically from more competent others (e.g. teachers, older siblings, parents) – Focus shifts from goal initiation to goal attainment – Undue focus on perfection and harsh feedback can lead to a sense of inferiority Self handicapping Resistance to attempt challenging tasks

Attribution and Motivation Orientation Attribution for success & failure – Internal   External factors Forces within or outside the individual’s control – Stable   Unstable factors Forces that are relatively permanent or relatively malleable

Attribution and Motivation Orientation Internal External Stable Success—smartSuccess—easy task Failure—stupidFailure—hard task Unstable Success—Effort Success—Lucky Failure—effort Failure—unlucky Females tend to attribute failure to Ability and success to Luck or Task Males tend to attribute success to Ability and failure to luck or effort

Attribution and Motivation Orientation task/mastery orientation – the completion of the task and learning the material or mastering the skill is key performance/ability orientation – focus is on external evaluation; getting the grade; helplessness orientation – no matter what actions are taken, the task is insurmountable what kinds of schools can overcome these problems? – high participation—active learning – high personalization—teacher interacts with students as individuals – high investigation—students test ideas rather than simply accepting them

Peer Status Groups (Coie, Dodge, et al) Two factors: Social Preference & Social Impact – Social Preference positively related to cooperation, support, attractiveness negatively related to disruption and aggression – Social Impact Active and salient behaviors whether positive or negative Rated high to low on each dimension

Peer Status Groups Popular – positive preference & high impact – attractive, athletic, academically successful – school leader Average/amiable – positive preference, mid-level impact – friendly, dependable, academically average or above average – member of clubs, not leader

Peer Status Groups Rejected – negative preference & high impact – aggressive, threatening, low academic achievement – associates with other in rejected group Neglected – low preference & low impact – isolated by own choice, quiet, unknown – may be candidate for internalizing problems (depression) Controversial – Positive and Negative preference and high impact – rejected (disruptive, aggressive) & popular (social leaders) – may be class clown; the kid your parents warned you about