3.6 Social-Emotional Development Across the Lifespan

Ecological systems theory

explores how the social environment influences development. The five systems in this theory are:

Microsystem (groups that have direct contact with the individual) ex. friends, family, classmates, teachers

the feedback, support, and conflict that an individual experiences here have a major impact on the individual’s attitudes, beliefs, self esteem, behavior, and emotional well being

Mesosystem (the relationships between groups in the microsystem) the connections between the different people and places that are part of your daily life ex. the relationship between your parents and your friends, parents don’t approve and they may try to limit the time you have with that friend or make negative comments, which reduces the time you have with that friend, increases the tension at home, and could influence how you perceive your friends or family

Exosystem (indirect factors/influences in an individual’s life) environments or settings that an individual isn’t directly part of but still are impacted by ex. local gov cuts fund for education resulting in your district cutting funds, limiting your opportunities.You’re not part of the government or the school board but their decisions impact you ex. your parents and their workplace, they’re stressed so when they go home they are negative to you

Macrosystem(cultural events that affect the individuals and others around them) the big picture system, includes society, societal values, laws, customs, and cultural beliefs

influences all of the other systems, the cultural values of the society that an individual is part of end up shaping the different institutions and people in the previous systems

Chronosystem (the individual’s current stage of life). More abstract as it deals with time, specifically with the changes that occur throughout an individual’s life and the timeframe in which an individual lives in ex. parents getting divorced would change a person’s family dynamics ex. life transitions like middle school to high school put individuals in new environments and change their their social dynamics and influence their friendships and opportunities

Authoritarian parenting style

coercive,they impose rules and expect obedience. They produce children with less social skill and self esteem, and a brain that overreacts when they make mistakes

statements like “Don’t stay out late or you’ll be grounded”

“Why? Because I said so”

Authoritative parenting style

confrontive, they are both demanding and responsive. They exert control by setting rules, but especially with older children, they encourage open discussion and allow exceptions. They produce children with the highest self esteem, self reliance, self regulation, and social competence

Permissive parenting style

unrestraining, they make few demands, set few limits, and use little punishment. They produce children who are more aggressive and immature

Negligent parenting style

uninvolved, they are neither demanding nor responsive. They are careless,inattentive, and do not seek to have a close relationship with their children. They produce children with poor academic and social outcomes

Secure attachment style

demonstrated by infants who comfortably explore environments in the presence of their caregiver

show only temporary distress when the caregiver leaves, and find comfort in the caregiver’s return

Insecure attachment styles

demonstrated by infants who display either a clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that resists closeness, also disorganized attachment

anxious attachment- overly dependent on their parent and show extreme distress when separated

avoidant attachment- tend to avoid or ignore their parents or caregivers, showing little emotion when their parent leaves or returns to them

disorganized attachment- often experienced inconsistent or possibly even frightening caregiving, display confusing or contradictory behaviors and can result in the child having emotional or behavioral problems

Temperament

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

child’s personality traits, like easy going, shy or angered easily

related to how children attach to caregivers

kids with easy temperaments are calm and adaptable, resulting in them forming secure attachments more easily

kids with difficult temperaments have larger emotional reactions and are possibly harder to soothe, possibly indicating that they are more prone to insecure attachments

Separation anxiety

when children express heightened anxiety or fear when away from a caregiver or in the presence of a stranger.

because caregivers don’t just give basic needs like food and water, but also comfort

important of comfort highlight in the monkey study

Studies with monkeys

baby monkeys had a mom made of wires that gave food, and another mom made of cloth

found that monkeys only went to wire mom for food and immediately back to cloth mom for comfort, also when scared they would immediately go to cloth mom

demonstrates the importance of comfort over food in attachment

How peer relationships develop over time

Children engage with peers via play(parallel/playing next to each other rather than directly with each other and pretend)

Adolescents gradually rely more on peer relationships as they age. As adolescents interact with peers, they demonstrate a type of egocentrism that is often demonstrated via the imaginary audience and the personal fable

egocentrism- focused on their own perspective

imaginary audience- think everyone is watching and judging them, putting themselves at the center of attention

personal fable- the belief that an individual’s experiences are unique and that no one else can fully understand what they’re going through

How adults develop socially over time

Culture plays a role in determining when adulthood begins and when major life events occur (social clock). Some cultures allow for a time of emerging adulthood as a transition from adolescence to adulthood

Social clock- the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage,parenthood, and retirement

Emerging adulthood- when many in Western cultures are no longer adolescents but have not yet achieved full independence as adults

Relationships with other adults result in adults forming families or family-like relationships that should provide mutual support and care. Childhood attachment styles can affect how adults form attachments to other adults.

Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development

Infancy-issue: Trust vs mistrust

Toddler hood(1-3)-issue: Autonomy vs shame and doubt

Preschool(3-6)-issue: Initiative vs guilt

Elementary school(6 to puberty)-issue: Competence vs inferiority

Adolescence(teen to 20s)-issue: Identity vs role confusion

Young adulthood(20s to early 40s)-issue: Intimacy vs isolation

Middle adulthood(40s to 60s)-issue: Generativity vs stagnation

Late adulthood(late 60s and up)-issue: Integrity vs despair

The stage theory of psychosocial development, which was a reconceptualization of the psychosexual theory, proposes that people must resolve psychosocial conflicts at each stage of the lifespan

Adverse Childhood Experiences(ACE)

ACEs- stressful or traumatic events that occur during a person’s childhood, such as abuse or neglect

The experience of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has effects on relationships people form throughout the lifespan. Sociocultural differences exist in what is considered an ACE and how ACEs affect outcomes people may experience

Stages of Identity

achievement, diffusion, foreclosure, and moratorium

Foreclosure- high degree of commitment to a particular identity or idea

Diffusion- has not committed to a set idea or identity and has not explored any possibilities, often resulting in a lack of direction

Moratorium- actively exploring their identity and possible options, however, they do not have a commitment to one particular identity or idea just yet

Achievement- has a set identity and has explored their options, means the individual was able to come to their own conclusion about their identity and not rely on someone else’s

Adolescents develop a sense of identity for who they will be as an adult through the processes of achievement, diffusion, foreclosure, and moratorium. Identity development also includes processes for developing identities such as racial/ethnic identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious identity, occupational identity, and familial identity, often through considering possible selves.