Chapter 10 Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood Copyright © 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Exploring.

Chapter 10Emotional and Social

Development in Middle Childhood

Copyright © 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Erikson’s Theory:Industry vs. Inferiority

Industry Developing a sense

of competence at useful skills and tasks

School provides many opportunities

Inferiority Pessimism and lack of

confidence in own ability to do things well

Negative responses from family, teachers, and peers can contribute to negative feelings


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Changes in Self-Concept During Middle Childhood

More balanced, fewer all-or-none descriptions

Social comparisons Real vs. ideal self References social

groups Cultural variations

© Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock


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Hierarchical Structure of Self-Esteem in Middle Childhood

Figure 10.1

(Photos from left to right: © Mary Kate Denny/PhotoEdit; © Tom Pannell/Corbis; © Mitch Wojnarowicz/The Image Works; Radius Images/Photolibrary)


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Influences on Self-Esteem

Culture Lower for Chinese

and Japanese Higher for African

American Higher if ethnicity and

SES match others Gender

Only slightly higher for boys.



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Role of Parentingin Self-Esteem

Authoritative style is best Risks of controlling parenting: low self-

esteem, aggression, and antisocial behavior

Risks of indulgent parenting: unrealistically high self-esteem, lashing out at challenges to overblown self-images

Encourage worthwhile goal-setting to boost self-esteem


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Achievement-Related Attributions

Reason for Success Reason for Failure

Mastery-oriented Ability Controllable factors that

can be overcome by effort

Learned helplessness

External factors

Ability, which cannotbe changed by effort


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Influences on Learned-Helpless Attributions

Parents believe child incapable make trait statements

Gender differences SES, ethnic differences


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© tmcphotos/Shutterstock

Emotional Developmentin Middle Childhood

Self-conscious emotions: governed by personal responsibility

Emotional understanding: explains emotion using internal states understands mixed emotions empathy increases

Emotional self-regulation: motivated by self-esteem and peer approval emotional self-efficacy


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Coping Strategies

Problem-Centered Coping Appraise situation

as changeable Identify difficulty Decide what to do

Emotion-Centered Coping Use when problem-

centered coping does not work

Internal, private, and aimed at controlling distress when little can be done about outcome


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Changes inMoral Understanding

Flexible moral rules: lying not always bad/truthfulness not

always good considers prosocial and antisocial

intentions Clarifies link between moral imperatives

and social conventions: considers people’s intentions and the

contexts of their actions Cultural similarities/differences


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Understanding Individual Rights

Challenges adult authority within personal domain

Views denials of personal choice as wrong

Places limits on personal choice, typically decidingin favor of kindness and fairness



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Understanding Diversity and Inequality

By the early school years associates power, privilege

with white people assigns stereotyped traits to

minorities With age, overt prejudice

declines: focuses on inner traits subtle prejudice may persist© Notte Lourens/Shutterstock


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Individual Factors Contributing to Prejudice

Fixed view of personality traits

Overly highself-esteem

Social world in which people are sorted into groups© Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock


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Reducing Prejudice

Long-term intergroup contact: neighborhoods schools communities

Fostering belief in changeability of human traits

Volunteering© Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock


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Peer Groups

Organize on basis of proximity, similarity

Peer culture: vocabulary, dress

code, gathering place can involve relational

aggression and exclusion

© Blend Images/Shutterstock


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Friendship inMiddle Childhood

Personal qualities, trust become important

More selective in choosing friends: tends to select friends similar to self

Friendships fairly stable, can last several years

Type of friends affects development: aggressive friends often magnify antisocial

acts


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Categories of Peer Acceptance

Popular popular-prosocial popular-antisocial

Rejected rejected-aggressive rejected-withdrawn

Controversial

Neglected


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Bullies and Victims

Bullies Most are boys Physically, verbally,

relationally aggressive

Socially prominent, powerful

Victims Passive when active

behavior expected Lack defenders Inhibited temperament Physically frail Overly protective,

controlling parents


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Helping Rejected Children

Coach positive social skills.

Promote perspective taking and social problem solving.

Alter peers’ negative opinions.

Intervene in negative parenting practices.

© Dawn Shearer-Simonetti/Shutterstock


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Gender Typing inMiddle Childhood

Gender stereotypes: extended to include personalities and

school subjects more flexible views of what males and

females can do Gender identity (third–sixth grade):

boys’ “masculine” identification strengthens girls become more androgynous


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Gender Identity

Self-evaluationsaffect adjustment: gender typicality gender contentedness felt pressure to

conform to gender roles

© Elaine Willcock/Shutterstock


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Family Relationships

Parents: coregulation

Siblings: rivalry companionship

and assistance parental encouragement

of warm sibling tiesis vital

© Andresr/Shutterstock


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Only Children

High in self-esteem, achievement motivation

Closer relationshipswith parents: greater pressure

for mastery Peer acceptance tends

to be less favorable: lack of practice in conflict

resolution

© tokyoimagegroups/Shutterstock


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International Divorce Rates

Figure 10.2 (Adapted from U.S. Census Bureau, 2012b.)


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Consequences of Parental Divorce

Immediate Drop in income Parental stress,

disorganizedhome life

Child reactionsvary with age, sex, temperament

Long-Term Improved adjustment

after two years Multiple divorces

associated with greater adjustment difficulties

Father’s involvement and effective coparenting improve adjustment


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Helping Families Through Divorce

Shield children from conflict. Provide continuity in daily life. Explain the divorce. Emphasize permanence of

situation. Sympathize with children’s

feelings. Use authoritative parenting. Promote relationship with

both parents. © Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock


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Blended Families

Mother–Stepfather Most common Boys tend to adjust

quickly Girls often adapt less

favorably Older children and

adolescents of both sexes display more adjustment problems

Father–Stepmother Often leads to reduced

father–child contact Children in father

custody often react negatively

Girls and stepmothers slow to get along at first, gradually adapt favorably


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Maternal Employment andChild Development

Benefits: higher self-esteem positive family and peer

relations fewer gender stereotypes better grades more father involvement

Drawbacks: heavy employment demands

associated with ineffective parenting

© c12/Shutterstock


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Fears and Anxieties in Middle Childhood

Common fears include poor academic performance peer rejection personal harm threats to parents’ health frightening media events

School phobia: 5–7 years: maternal separation 11–13: particular aspects of school

Harsh living conditions promote severe anxieties


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Ethnic and Political Violence Chronically dangerous

environments: loss of sense of safety desensitization to violence impaired moral reasoning pessimistic view of future

Parents, communities, schools must provide reassurance, security, intervention: preserve physical, psychological,

educational well-being

© ZouZou/Shutterstock


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Child Sexual Abuse

Characteristics of victims

More often girls Most cases reported in middle

childhood

Characteristics of abusers

Usually male Usually a parent or known by parent Internet and mobile phones used to

commit abuse

Consequences Emotional, physical, and behavioral

reactions May persist for years

Prevention and treatment

Prevention: education Treatment: long-term therapy


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Factors Related to Resilience

Personal characteristics: easy temperament mastery orientation

Warm parental relationship

Supportive adult outside family

Community resources

© Sascha Burkard/Shutterstock


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Chapter 10 Emotional and Social Development in Middle Childhood Copyright © 2014, 2011, 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Exploring.

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