Ch 7 - Middle Childhood (6-11yrs)

Obesity

in children, defined as having a BMI exceeding 21

Overweight

in children, defined as having a BMI exceeding 18

Highest in affluent countries, highest in low and middle income families; unhealthy diet/inaccess to healthy food; decline in physical activity; increase in screen time; genetics

Causes of rising obesity rates

Social exclusion, higher rate of bullying, emotional/behavioral problems, type 2 diabetes, adult obesity

Effects of obesity on children’s development

Concrete operations stage

in Piaget's theory, the cognitive stage in which children become capable of using mental operations; in ages 7-11 years

Seriation

the ability to arrange things in a logical order (e.g., shortest to longest, thinnest to thickest, lightest to darkest)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

diagnosis that includes problems of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness

Intelligence

capacity for acquiring knowledge, reasoning, and solving problems

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)

widely used intelligence test for children ages 6 to 16; 5th edition assesses verbal comprehension, visual spatial, fluid reasoning, processing speed, working memory indexes

Intelligence quotient

score of mental ability as assessed by intelligence tests, calculated relative to the performance of other people the same age

Intellectual disability

level of cognitive abilities of persons who score 70 or below on IQ tests

Gifted

in IQ test performance, persons who score 130 or above

Flynn effect

steep rise in the median IQ score in Western countries during the 20th century, named after James Flynn, who first identified it

Multilingualism

Ability to use more than one language

Better metalinguistic skills; higher cognitive abilities; more neurons and synapses

Benefits of multilingualism

Self concept

people's view and evaluation of themselves; changes from physical to psychological and external to internal in middle childhood

Bullying

pattern of maltreatment of peers, including aggression, repetition, and power imbalance; can be physical, verbal, or relational aggression

Rejection/bullying by higher-status peers; harsh or physically abusive parents; resentment by others due to bullying behavior

Risks for becoming a bully

Rejection; low self esteem and social skills; higher emotional response

Risks for being bullied