Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Chapter 10 Social and Personality Development in the Preschool Years Child Development, 3/e by Robert Feldman Created by Barbara H. Bratsch

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall How do preschool-age children develop a concept of themselves? How do children develop their sense of racial identity and gender? In what sorts of social relationships do preschool-age children engage? What sorts of disciplinary styles do parents employ, and what effects do they have? How do children develop a moral sense? How does aggression develop in preschool-age children?

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Erik Erikson Psychosocial development - according to Erikson, development that encompasses changes both in the understandings individuals have of themselves as members of society and in their comprehension of the meaning of others’ behavior Initiative – vs – guilt stage – the period during which children aged 3 to 6 years experience conflict between independence of action and the sometimes negative results of that action

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Self-Concept in the Preschool Years Self-Concept – a person’s identity or set of beliefs about what one is like as an individual Collectivistic Orientation – a philosophy that promotes the notion of interdependence Individualistic Orientation – a philosophy that emphasizes personal identity and the uniqueness of the individual

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Gender Identity Gender Identity – the perception of oneself as male or female Identification – the process in which children attempt to be similar to their parent of the same sex, incorporating the parent’s attitudes and values. Gender Schema – a cognitive framework that organizes information relevant to gender Gender Constancy – the fact that people are permanently males or females, depending on fixed, unchangeable biological factors Androgynous – encompassing characteristics thought typical of both sexes

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Preschoolers’ Social Lives Functional play – play that involves simple, repetitive activities typical of 3-year-olds Constructive play- play in which children manipulate objects to produce or build something Parallel play – action in which children play with similar toys, in a similar manner, but do not interact with one another Onlooker play – action in which children simply watch others at play but do not actually participate themselves Associative play – play in which two or more children interact by sharing or borrowing toys or materials, although they do not do the same thing Cooperative play – play in which children genuinely interact with one another, taking turns, playing games, or devising contests

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Preschoolers’ Social Lives

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Parental Discipline Styles Authoritarian – parents who are controlling, punitive, rigid and cold and whose word is law; they value strict, unquestioning obedience from their children and do not tolerate expressions of disagreement Permissive – parents who provide lax and inconsistent feedback and require little of their children Authoritative parents – parents who are firm, setting clear and consistent limits, but try to reason with their children, explaining why they should behave in a particular way Uninvolved parents – parents who show virtually no interest in their children, displaying indifferent, rejecting behavior

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Moral Development Moral development refers to the maturation of people’s sense of justice, of what is right and wrong, and their behavior in connection with such issues Heteronomous morality – the stage of moral development in which rules are seen as invariant and unchangeable Immanent justice – the notion that rules that are broken earn immediate punishment Prosocial behavior – helping behavior that benefits others

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Abstract modeling – the process in which modeling paves the way for the development of more general rules and principles Empathy – the understanding of what another individual feels. Empathy continues to grow through the preschool years

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Aggression and Violence in Preschoolers Aggression is intentional harm or injury to another person Emotional self-regulation is the capability to adjust one’s emotions to a desired state and level of intensity Relational aggression – nonphysical aggression that is intended to hurt another person’s psychological well- being

Feldman Child Development, 3/e ©2004 Prentice Hall Televised Acts of Violence