Social and Personality Development in Preschoolers

Initiative-versus-Guilt Stage (Erikson)

Erikson's stage (age 3-6) where children balance desires for independence with guilt arising from failures, highly influenced by parental reactions.

Development of Self-Concept

Preschoolers' beliefs about what they are like as individuals, often exhibiting an optimistic view and not yet engaging in self-comparison.

Self-Recognition

A child's ability, typically by age 2, to recognize themselves in mirrors and photographs, forming a foundation for self-concept.

Concrete Descriptions

How preschoolers generally describe themselves, primarily using observable traits like physical characteristics and preferences, tied to immediate experiences.

Racial dissonance

A phenomenon where some minority race preschoolers prefer features or values associated with the majority race.

Social Learning Approaches to Gender

A perspective positing that gender identity is learned through observing others (e.g., in media, parental guidance, family dynamics).

Study of Transgender Children (Dr. Olson)

A study focusing on 3-12 year old transgender children whose gender identity is affirmed by parents, finding typical preferences and strong self-assertion of their gender identity.

Development of Close Friendships

Friendships that begin around age 3, initially based on shared activities, and evolve to be stable and meaningful beyond just play for older preschoolers.

Communication Development

A benefit of friendship where children practice verbal and non-verbal communication through interaction during play.

Conflict Resolution

A benefit of friendship where children learn negotiation skills and how to resolve disagreements with peers.

Empathy

A benefit of friendship where children enhance their ability to recognize and respond to the emotions of others.

functional play

A type of play at age 3 characterized by simple, repetitive actions or active engagement for its own sake.

constructive play

A type of play at age 4 involving manipulating objects to create something.

Parallel Play

A type of peer play where children play similarly with similar toys but do not interact with each other.

Onlooker Play

A type of peer play where children observe others playing but do not join in.

Associative Play

A type of peer play where children interact by sharing or borrowing toys or chatting, but without necessarily doing the same activity.

Cooperative Play

A type of peer play where children play together, interact, and collaborate to complete play tasks.

Nature of Pretend Play

A form of play (make-believe) involving imagination to create scenarios, roles, and objects that may not physically exist, acting out roles, and using objects symbolically.

Cognitive Benefits of Pretend Play

Benefits including enhanced problem-solving skills, creativity, communication abilities, vocabulary, and conversational skills.

Pretend Play in Children with Autism

Children with ASD typically engage less in pretend play, but interventions can improve their social skills and language use through promoting it.

Authoritarian Parenting

A parenting style characterized by being controlling, punitive, and rigid, valuing obedience from children.

Permissive Parenting

A parenting style characterized by lax and inconsistent feedback and little control over children's actions.

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style characterized by being firm with clear, consistent limits while also being warm and supportive.

Uninvolved Parenting

A parenting style characterized by little to no interest in children, leading to disrupted emotional and cognitive development.

Chinese Parenting

A parenting style focused on respect for authority, academic achievement, and discipline, influenced by Confucian traditions and emphasizing firm behavioral control (chiao shun).

chiao shun

A concept in Chinese parenting emphasizing firm behavioral control by parents, grounded in Confucian traditions.

Swedish Parenting

A parenting style that encourages children to explore their environment freely and with minimal supervision.

Negative Outcomes of Corporal Punishment

Effects including increased anxiety, low self-esteem, reduced trust, poor communication, no long-term positive behavioral effects, and increased aggression.