CH 10: Emotional + Social Development in Middle Childhood

erikson's theory: industry vs inferiority

the psychological conflict of middle childhood which is resolved positively when children develop a sense of competence at useful skills + tasks

beginning of schooling marks the transition to what

middle childhood

inferiority

pessimism in children who lack confidence in their ability to do things well

social comparisons

judgments of one's own appearance, abilities, + behavior in relation to those of others

self-esteem

-declines over the 1st few yrs of elementary school

-increases from 4th grade on

-gender-stereotyped expectations affect self-esteem

-achievement fosters self-esteem

attributions

our common, everyday explanations for the causes of behavior

mastory-oriented attributions

crediting one's successes to ability

-a characteristic one can improve through trying hard + can count on when facing new challenges

-they attribute failure to factors that can be changed or controlled, such as insufficient effort or a very difficult task

learned helplessness

children attribute their failures, not their successes, to ability

-when they succeed, they conclude that external factors, such as luck, are responsible

-unlike their mastery-oriented counterparts, they believe that ability is fixed + cannot be improved by trying hard

attribution retraining

encourages learned helpless children to believe that they can overcome failure by exerting more effort

self-conscious emotions

-pride + guilt become clearly governed by personal responsibility

problem-centered coping

children appraise the situation as changeable, identify the difficulty, +decide what to do about it

emotion-centered coping

internal, private, + aimed at controlling distress when little can be done about an outcome

emotional self-efficacy

a feeling of being in control of one's emotional experience

in-group favoritism

children prefer their own group, generalizing from self to similar others

out-group prejudice

requires a more challenging social comparison b/w in-group + out-group

out-group favoritism

children assign positive characteristics to the privileged white majority + negative characteristics to their own group

factors that determine the extent to which children hold racial + ethnic biases

-a fixed view of personality traits

-overly high self-esteem

-a social world in which ppl are sorted into groups

intergroup contact

racially + ethnically dif children have equal status, work toward common goals, + become personally acquainted

-long-term contact + collaboration among neighborhood, school, + community groups--> best way to reduce prejudice

peer groups

collectives that generate unique values + standards for behavior + a social structure of leaders + followers

-organize on the basis of proximity (being in the same classroom) + similarity in sex, ethnicity, academic achievement, popularity, + aggression

friendships

a mutually agreed-on relationship

-trust is a friendship's defining feature

peer acceptance

refers to likability - the extent to which a child is viewed by a group of agemates, such as class mates, as a worthy social partner

social prominence

children's judgements of the peers most of their classmates admire

-4 categories

~popular children - are well-liked

~rejected children - are disliked

~controversial children - are liked and disliked

~neglected children - seldom mentioned, either positively or negatively

popular-prosocial children

combine academic + social competence

popular-antisocial children

athletically skilled but poor students who cause trouble + defy adult authority + relationally aggressive boys + girls who enhance their own status by ignoring, excluding, + spreading rumors about other children

-includes "tough boys"

rejected-aggressive children

show high rates of conflict, physical + relational aggression, + hyperactive, inattentive, + impulsive behavior

rejected-withdrawn children

passive + socially awkward

peer victimization

certain children become targets of verbal + physical attacks or other forms of abuse

androgynous

when a child describes themselves as having some "other-gender" characteristics

gender typicality

the degree to which the child feels he or she "fits in" w/ others of the same gender

gender contentedness

the degree to which the child feels comfortable w/ his/her gender assignment

felt pressure to conform to gender roles

the degree to which the child feels parents + peers disapprove of his/her gender-related traits

coregulation

a form of supervision in which parents exercise general oversight while letting children take charge of moment-by-moment decision making

only children

-higher self-esteem

-do better in school

-attain high levels of education

^all compared to children w/ siblings

divorce

-high maternal stress, depression, + anxiety

-mother's decline in well-being

divorce mediation

a series of meetings b/w divorcing adults + a trained professional aimed at reducing family conflict, including legal battles over property division + child custody

joint custody

grants parents an equal say in important decisions about the child's upbringing

cohabit

share a sexual relationship + a residence w/ a partner outside of marriage

blended (reconstituted) family

parent, stepparent, + children form a new family

-most common form is mother-stepfather family

self-care children

children who regularly look after themselves for some period of time after school

-increases w/ age + SES

common fears

poor academic performance, peer rejection, possibility of personal harm (being harmed or shot), threats to parent's health, + media events

-shaped in part by the child's culture

phobia

an intense, unmanageable fear; (5%) of school aged children

characteristics of abusers + victims (child abuse)

-girls are most often the victims

-abuser is usually male --> father or someone the parent knows well

-linked to poverty + marital instability