PSY250: Middle Childhood Psychosocial

Erikson’s Theory

industry vs. inferiority; children try to master many skills and they either feel competent or incompetent as they develop a sense of themselves

Freud’s Latency Stage

believed that not much of interest occurs during middle childhood development

self-concept

one’s knowledge of who they are, more developed in middle childhood and includes interests, traits, and social groups

Group Socialization Theory (Judith Rich Harris)

believed that the role of parents in their children’s lives has been greatly exaggerated, and the peer group actually plays a more significant role in shaping adult personality characteristics

family structures

nuclear, blended, or single parent/extended family

outcomes of nuclear family

lower stress, more stable environment

outcomes of blended family

stepparents or step siblings can sometimes cause conflict between family members and therefore introduce higher stress

outcomes of single parent/extended family

usually means lower income and therefore higher stress

factors that affect family functioning

low income and high stress

family stress model

the effect of any risk factor depends on whether or not it increases stress in the family

parentification

a situation where a child takes on the role of a caregiver, either by filling the role of caregiver for their siblings or a parent or being used as a confidant for one or both parents

the peer group

believed to have more impact on adult personality characteristics than parents

popularity in early elementary school

kids are kind, trustworthy, and cooperative

popularity in late elementary school

kids are cool, athletic, arrogant, dominant, and aggressive

types of unpopular children

neglected, withdrawn rejected, and aggressive rejected

social cognition

the ability to understand the causes and consequences of behavior and adjust one’s behavior accordingly, and predicts acceptance and rejection

bullying

repeated, systematic attacks on those who are unlikely or unable to defend themselves

roles associated with bullying

bully, victim, bully-victim, enforcers, defenders, and outsiders

types of bullying

physical, verbal, relational, retaliation, and cyberbullying

bullying interventions

multifaceted approaches that involve positive reinforcement for prosocial behavior, continued communication with paretns and caregivers, and bystander intervention

Kohlberg’s stages of moral development

preconventional, conventional, and postconventional

preconventional moral development

avoid punishments and get rewards, little kids think that if you get in trouble for doing something, then what you did was bad or wrong

conventional moral development

more emphasis on social rules, school aged kids believe that if it breaks a law or rule, then it is bad or wrong

postconventional moral development

focus on ideals, adolescents and beyond consider the greater good and if the ends justify the means to determine if something is bad or wrong