Social and Personality Development in Middle Childhood

Psychosocial (Erikson) Development in Middle Childhood Industry vs. Inferiority stage – period from ages 6 to 12 characterized by a focus on efforts to attain competence in meeting the challenges presented by parents, peers, school, and the complexities of the world

Industry vs. Inferiority Children really begin to learn and play by rules Concern for how things work, how things are made, and what things actually do Children who are encouraged to make things, do things or build things will develop a sense of industry

Erikson cont’d Parents who see their child as mischievous or as messy will help the child develop a sense of inferiority School plays a critical role during this period-friends and teachers play an integral role in development It is in this stage that lifelong academic failure can begin

Social Comparison When children begin to compare themselves to others their age sports academics physical attributes

Downward social comparison – makes child feel better to compare themselves to those who are less able (although children with a negative cognition about the world may set impossible standards)

Social comparison and self-esteem Which student do you think will have higher self-esteem – higher achieving students or lower achieving students?

Understanding the Self As children become older, they view themselves in terms of psychological attributes in addition to their physical attributes Children’s self-concept becomes divided into personal and academic spheres

Looking Inward: Development of the Self

Self-Esteem – an individual’s overall and specific positive and negative self-evaluation Self-esteem drops around 12 and picks up again in late teens (puberty? Hypothetical thinking? High school transition?) If self-esteem is low in middle childhood, the result can be a cycle of failure

A Cycle of Low Self-Esteem

Success Cycle

Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development Latent Stage – At this point in time, Freud believed that sexual desires would be sublimated and would reemerge in the teenage years Child is identifying with same sex parent Love for opposite sex parent is repressed

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning Level 1 – Preconventional Stage – child’s moral reasoning is based on external authority Stage 1 – Punishment orientation – based on being or not being punished (ages 1 to 5) Stage 2 – Naïve Reward Orientation – based on receiving or not receiving a reward (age 5 to 10)

Level 2 – Conventional Level – child sees rules as necessary for maintaining order. Stage 3 – Good boy/good girl-seeks approval and avoids disapproval from others (8 to 12 years old) Stage 4 – Authority Orientation – morals based on society’s rules which should be obeyed. Rules are very rigid (around 10 to 14 years old)

Gilligan – Moral Development Looked at moral development of girls- Felt that Kohlberg viewed the same ways as boys Realizes that all should have fun Does things that she likes Does things that others like

Friendship in Middle Childhood Stage 1 – Basing friendship on others’ behavior – 4 to 7 years old Stage 2 – Basing friendship on trust – 8 to 10 years old Stage 3 – Basing friendship on psychological closeness – 11 to 15 years old

What Makes A Child Popular? Status- the relative position of a person ascribed by other members of a group Social competence – the social skills that allow children to understand others’ cues and emotions Social problem solving – the use of strategies for solving social conflicts that appease everyone in the group

Bullying Bullying victims are often passive, cry easily, and lack social skills. Bullies often come from abusive homes, watch more violent TV, misbehave more at home and school, and they often lie their way out of things.

Psychology of the bully They have a strong need to dominate and subdue other students and to get their own way Are impulsive and are easily angered Are often defiant and aggressive toward adults, including parents and teachers Show little empathy toward students who are victimized

Psychology of victims The typical passive or submissive victims, generally have some of the following characteristics: Are cautious, sensitive, quiet, withdrawn and shy Are often anxious, insecure, unhappy and have low self-esteem Are depressed and engage in suicidal ideation much more often than their peers Often do not have a single good friend and relate better to adults than to peers If they are boys, they may be physically weaker than their peers

Family Life During Childhood Co-regulation – joint control of children’s behavior exercised by the parents and the children themselves-beginning of a ‘mind of their own’ Children spend significantly less time with their parents during middle childhood. Children with both parents working fare quite well. As long as parents are loving and sensitive to their children’s needs, the children can be well adjusted.

How Children Spend Time

Divorce Both children and parents may show psychological maladjustment for 6 months to a few years following divorce. Children may experience anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, or phobias. By the age of 10, children feel the pressure to choose sides and experience some divided loyalty. In some cases, the divorce produces a more positive effect since the children are no longer subject to the high conflict that existed in the intact relationship.

Single Mothers