Personality and Social Development FINAL EXAM

What characterizes aggressive rejected children?

Low self control, aggressive, shows behavior problems

What characterizes non-aggressive rejected children?

Withdrawn, lack of social skills, timid

What are characteristics of popular children?

Engage in prosocial behavior, help set group norms

What skills predict higher peer status?

Ability to initiate interaction, communicate, respond socially and cooperate

What are the 5 peer statues categories?

Popular, rejected, neglected, average, contorvrsial

How is peer status measured?

With sociometric techniques, children identify who they like and dislike

Who influences adolescents more on lifestyle choices, peers or parents?

Peers have a stronger influence

How do peers act as socializers?

Peers serve as models, provide reinforcement, offer standards, give a sense of belonging

How do peer relationships change in adolescence?

Gender segregation decreases, dating appears, peers help youth explore identity

What gender pattern is typical in childhood play?

Children usually choose same gender play partners

What happens to peer companionship during school years?

Companionship with same age peers increase

How do peer preferences change as children grow?

Children increasingly prefer peers over adults as interaction partners

How do toddlers interact with peers?

Toddlers take turns and roles, share meaning, engage in mutual pretend play

How do infants interact with peers?

Infants interact through vocalizing, looking and touching

What makes peer interactions unique?

Peer interactions are more free and equal than interactions with adults, helping children develop social competence

What characterizes controversial children?

They are liked and disliked by many

What characterizes neglected children?

Shy, anxious, quiet, less talkative

What is social-cognitive information-processing theory?

1.) Notice cues

2.) interpret them

3.) choose goals

4.) choose strategies

5.) act

Do children always act thoughtfully in social situations?

No, sometimes behavior is impulsive or automatic

How do parents promote peer acceptance?

By serving as partners, social coaches, and provide peer opportunities

Is social status stable over time?

Yes, especially for rejected children

What are risks of being unpopular?

Short term: loneliness, low self-esteem, long-term depression

How could having one friend help unpopular children?

Reduce loneliness

Can coaching help children improve social skills?

Yes, both researchers and peers can help

What traits do popular/socially successful children share?

More positive goals, confidence, persistence, flexibility, and fit in better

What makes interactions between friends different from non-friends?

Friends communicate more clearly, disclose more, share info, find common ground, resolve conflict better

How do friendships change with age?

Goals and expectations become more complex and emotionally based

How many close friends do children typically have?

Only a few close friends

Goals and expectations of friendships

change with age

Are boys or girls same-gendered friendships less fragile?

Boys are less fragile because they are often embedded in a larger group of relationships

Friendships can provide:

support, intimacy and guidance, but some friendships encourage deviant behavior such as cheating, fighting and drug use

Withdrawn/ Aggressive children:

have friends with similar characteristics

Romantic Relationships in Adolescence:

Important and distinctive form of social relationship

Middle Childhood:

children form cliques, which enhance their well-being, and ability to cope with stress

In high school:

peers believe children "belong to a specific crowd"

A Gang:

A group of adolescents or adults who form an allegiance for a common purpose

Organized Gang:

often involved in criminal activity

Do single-gender schools or co-educational schools perform better?

they perform equally

Small classrooms:

More teacher child contact, children are better behaved, interact more with their peers, and are less likely to be victimized

Students in open classrooms:

have more more variety in social contacts, more positive attitudes in school, and show more self-reliance

Cooperative learning techniques:

involves small groups of students working together and has positive effects on children's social development including their feelings of concern towards peers and willingness to help one another

Peer tutoring:

An older, more experienced student tutors a younger child benefiting both the tutor and the child

What type of children do teachers have less positive expectations for?

Poor and minority children

Close teacher/child relationships:

high levels of school adjustment and are likely to be accepted by peers

Parents involvement in school:

children tend to do better

Children from integrated schools:

feel safer and more satisfied and develop more positive interracial attitudes than children from segregated schools

Children in high-quality after school programs:

have better emotional adjustment, better peer relationships, better conflict resolution skills, and less delinquency than latchkey children

Latchkey Children:

Child who returns from school to an empty home because their parent or parents are away at work, or a child who is often left at home with little parental supervision.

Children with a good mentor:

fewer behavioral problems, higher self-esteem and a more positive attitude towards school

Screen Media:

increases until adolescence

Boys are more likely to: (programs/tv)

prefer action-adventure and sports programs

Girls are more likely to: (programs/tv)

prefer social-dramas and soap operas

Example of programs that teach social rules and expectations:

Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers

Negative effects of screen media and video games:

Biasing children's perception (children who are extensive viewers tend to overestimate the degree of danger and crime in the world and underestimate people's trustworthiness)

Screen media can lead to:

children having lower social interactions and activities such as sports and clubs

Screen media's portrayal of minorities:

often supports ethnic stereotypes

Exposure to violent screen media leads to:

desensitization and increased aggression

Exposure to sexually suggestive media leads to:

more acceptance of sexuality, earlier sexual activity and higher rates of pregnancy

Screen media increases:

Sexualization of women

Who's more likely to access more sexual material and be a heavy gamer, boys or girls?

Boys

Magic window thinking:

When a very young child cannot distinguish the difference between fantasy or reality and tv shows or video games

Smart phones and social media can influence risks such as:

sexual communication, cyber-bullying, lurking and seeking risky social support

What is gender typing?

The process by which children learn the values and behaviors considered appropriate for males and females in their culture

What are gender stereotypes?

Beliefs about what males and females are supposed to be like, reflected in gender roles

What is gender identity?

A child's personal sense of being male or female

When do gender role preferences begin?

In early stages of life

What developmental differences are seen between boys and girls at birth?

Girls are more neurologically advanced (Early verbal skills) Boys have more muscular development (show more aggression)

Is there more similarities or differences between the sexes?

There is more similarities

When do children show gender-typed preferences?

As early as 1 years old

Why might girls conform less strictly to gender roles?

Because parents and teachers pressure boys more to follow into the masculine role (girls may imitate male roles do to a higher perceived status)

What predicts adult behavior?

Gender-typed interests starting in elementary school

When do gender roles often intensify?

In adolescence and again in parenthood

What are common gender role stereotypes?

Males: independent, assertive, competitive

Females: passive, sensitive, supportive

What does evolutionary theory suggest about gender differences?

They arise from different reproductive strategies used by males and females

How do hormones influence gender?

hormones shape biological predisposition prenatally and puberty activates these tendencies

How do male and female brains differ?

Female brains are more active in social regions and less lateralized making them more flexible in gender behavior

What do genetic studies show about gender-typing?

Over 1,000 genes differ in expression between male and female brains; Genetics contribute to gender-typed behavior

What does Kohlberg's theory say about gender-typing?

Children must understand gender consistency before showing strong gender-typed behavior

What does gender-schema theory propose?

children need only basic gender knowledge to form mental schemas that guide gender-typed choices

Which has more research support, Kohlberg or Gender-Schema Theory?

Gender-Schema Theory

What does it mean to be gender-schematic vs multi-schematic?

Gender-Schematic: strongly guided by gender rules

Multi-Schematic: More flexible and less stereotyped driven

What is Social-Cognitive Theory of gender development?

Bandura's idea that children learn gender roles through modeling reinforcement and observation

how do parents influence gender typing?

by shaping environments, toys, clothes , freedoms, and through different treatment of boys and girls

how do parents treat boys vs girls?

Boys: seen as stronger, get rougher play, more autonomy

Girl: more protection, less independence

which parent is stricter about gender roles?

Fathers

how do siblings influence gender roles?

older siblings act as models, shaing younger siblings gender behavior

Does being raised by lesbian parents effect gender roles?

no , research shows no impairments to gender role development

how does media influence gender typing?

tv/books show characters and stereotypic gender roles; heavy viewing increases stereotype thinking

do tv programs reduce gender stereotypes?

they can but effects and short lived and small

how do peers influence gender roles?

model behaviors, enforce stereotypes, discourge violations, and provide gender typed play experiences

how do teachers influence gender typing?

they act in gender stereotypic ways and criticize boys more

what is androgyny?

having a combination of masculine and feminine traits

how do androgens children behave?

they make less stereotyped choices and typically have higher self esteem.

what is the focus of moral development theories by piaget and kholberg?

they explain how moral reasoning develops through stages as childrens cognitive abilities grow

what characterizes piagets premoral stage of moral development?

young children show little concern for rules and do not yet understand them as guiding behavior

what is the moral realism stage according to piaget?

children believe rules are fixed and unchangable, judge right/wrong based on consequences, and believe in imitate justice (wrong doing leads to punishment)

what defines piagets moral reciprocity stage?

children understand rules are created by people, recognize intentions behind actions, and view rules as flexible if agreed upon

what major criticism were about piaget theory?

he underestimated children's abilities as young children can distinguish intentions vs consequences when tasks are simplified

what are the three levels of kohlbergs moral development?

pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional

what happens in pre-conventional level? stages 1-2

stage 1: obedience to avoid punishment

stage 2: acting to gain rewards or personal benefit