Social Development Chapter 1 Themes and Theories of Social Development Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Development implies growth and change,  But not all growth and change is DEVELOPMENT What causes change?  Normative events  Non-normative events  Historical events – (i.e., Great Depression, 9/11) Age cohorts - People who were born in the same time period and share historical experiences What is Development? Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

1. Better adaption to the environment E.g., babbling to complex speech 2. Change from simple to more complex behavior over time E.g., from single words to more complex sentences 3. Relatively enduring E.g., once a child acquires language it is enduring What is Development? Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

What is the study of social development? “How children’s development is affect by the people and social institutoins around them” 4 Goals  Describing changes at various ages  Explaining causes of development  Predicting development at later point in time  Intervening to improve development and well- being Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood(Seigler, DeLoache, Eisenberg, 2006, p. 335)

Let’s learn about each other. What is your favorite childhood memory? Think about something you experienced that contributed to your social development.  How did this experience contribute to your social development? Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Overarching Themes Interaction b/w Nature and Nurture Activity vs. Passivity Reciprocal and Transactional Relationships Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Overarching Themes Continuity vs. Discontinuity Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood AGE Level of Development AGE Level of Development

Overarching Themes 3 Types of Stability (Instability)  Rank-Order Stability  Mean-Level Stability  Personality Coherence Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood 9 Rank-Order Stability

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood 10 Rank-Order Instability

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood 11 Rank-Order Instability

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood 12 OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE LOW HIGH What type of Stability? A.Mean Level Stability B.Mean Level Change

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood 13 CONSCIENTIOUSNESS LOW HIGH What type of Stability? A.Mean Level Stability B.Mean Level Change

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood 14 EXTRAVERSION LOW HIGH What type of Stability? A.Mean Level Stability B.Mean Level Change

Overarching Themes - Stability Personality Coherence  Maintaining rank order relative to others  But changing the way the trait is manifested Child of Our Time: James vs. Helena © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood 15

Overarching Themes Levels of analyses  Dyadic → triadic → long-term → social groups → social networks → society/culture  Bronfenbrenner Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Multifinality  The divergence of developmental paths in which two individuals start out similarly but end at very different points Equifinality  The convergence of developmental paths in which children follow very different paths to reach the same developmental end point Overarching Themes Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Overarching Themes Multifinality Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood At age 2, boys and girls show secure attachment to mothers At age 6, securely attached boys show high levels of extraversion. At age 6, securely attached girls show low levels of extraversion.

Overarching Themes Equifinality Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood At age 10, parents divorced At age 10, parents married At age 20, low levels of delinquency

Summary of Themes Nature v. Nurture Activity v. Passivity Reciprocal and Transactional Relationships Continuity v. Discontinuity (Stage Theories) 3 Types of Stability 2 Developmental Trajectories  Multifinality vs. Equifinality Levels of Analyses Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Outline of Course Specific Types of Social DevelopmentWhat influences social development? Attachment / RelationshipsBiology / Genes EmotionsFamily, Peers Personality / TemperamentSchools, Mentors, Media The SelfSex and Gender MoralityPolicy / Your Interventions Aggression Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Coming Up! Theories of Social Development Copyright © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood