PRESCHOOLER SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEV

Chapter 13

HALLMARKS

• Increased desire to socialize• Improved socialization skills: compromise,

empathy, negotiation, other’s point of view & motivation, more verbal

• SUCCESSFUL FRIENDSHIPS IN PRESCHOOL MAY BE THE SINGLE MOST POWERFUL PREDICTOR OF ADULT HAPPINESS

EMOTIONAL GROWTH

• Erikson: – Stage 1: trust v mistrust– Stage 2: autonomy v shame and doubt– Stage 3: Initiative v guilt

• Kids should be in not overly critical environments that encourage risk taking, creativity, process (v product)

• (Guilt/accountability can lead child to take responsibility for own behavior)

SOCIAL INITIATIVE

• An eagerness to engage with friends, family

INITIATIVE & CULTURE

• Initiative isn’t a universal value– Obedience– Enmeshment– Females

INITIATIVE MAY BE EXPRESSED ONLY IN SOME CONTEXTS

SELF-CONCEPT

• A person’s “theory of self”• Especially in youth, self-concept is dev• Positive self-concept for children is based

on trying (more than on results)• Success for a preschooler:

– Make an effort– Get positive responses from peers and adults– Follow the rules

SOCIAL COMPETENCE

• Being liked and effective social interaction

• Social competence is culturally defined

• Adults must help kids acquire these skills over time

PEER STATUS

• Peer view of a child’s social competence

• Popular: use language effectively socially

• See chart p 292

• Rejected: antisocial behaviors such as aggression-intent to harm (proactive/reactive)

• See Chart p 294

• Inability to accurately interpret social cues– May have punitive parents– May have negative temperament

• Neglected: ignored; prefer to be alone

• Cautious, timid

• May be situational ex. loner at school but not at home

• See chart p. 296

FRIENDSHIP

• Having even 1 friend is important:– Prevents isolation– Dev play competencies– Most kids have at least 1 friend

SOCIAL PARTICIPATION

• A developmental skill:

• unoccupied--little awareness of surroundings

• onlooker--interested in contact, observer

• parallel--side by side but rarely converses

• associative--different themes but converses

• cooperative play (4-5 yrs)--shared goal

AGGRESSION

• Any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm or threaten (see chart p 303)

• Physical: bite, hit, push, kick• Verbal: tease, threaten, taunt, call names• Aggression is culturally defined• Feelings of recipient need be considered• NOT aggression: rough and tumble, being

assertive, conflict, argument, teasing (friendly)

• Reactive aggression:

• Proactive aggression:socially most detrimental– Instrumental: there is a goal (get the toy)– Bullying: no clear goal (hostile)

VICTIM

• Depressed, whines, anxious, withdrawn, cries, not assertive

• Victims attract aggression because crying makes the aggressor feel more powerful

CAUSES OF AGGRESSION

• MATURATIONISTS: born that way• PSYCHOANALISTS:aggressive drives can

be modified by experience• BEHAVIORISTS: aggression is modeled

by people and media (and result is you get rewarded)

• SOCIOCULTURAL: scaffolding in ZPD

• COGNITIVE: kids can think about and change behaviors

• ECOLOGICAL: systems cause aggression-Poverty, violent media, etc.

EACH MODEL CAN GIVE US IDEAS FOR ELIMINATING AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS IN KIDS IN OUR CARE

See case studies

SOCIAL BEHAVIORS & CULTURE

• Altruism & empathy; kids who live in extended families and who contribute to family tasks seem to score highest

• Cooperation: seems to be fostered by collectivism

• Play: differs between cultures: type, amount

• See chart p. 307

• Shyness: is valued more in some cultures

• Rough play and teasing: are valued only in some cultures

• Peer acceptance: is not usually related to ethnicity in young children

• I’M CHOCOLATE, YOU’RE VANILLA, by Marguerite Wright

SOURCES OF VARIATION IN SOCIAL COMPETENCE

• Poverty, as it is a reflection of – Poor parenting– Domestic violence– Abuse– Mental health disorders

• Siblings: a mixed “picture”• Most conflict exists between sibs of same sex and

similar age• Sibling relationships have great importance

throughout our lives• Sibling relationships are useful in teaching social

lessons• Single kids may be intellectually, linguistically

advanced and more creative

CHILD CARE

• Good quality child care seems to be good for kids

• Poor quality child care is not good for kids

• More than 1/2 the child care in Alameda county was rated fair to poor in a recent study

GENDER AND SOCIAL DEV

• By 18 months kids are playing with sex-stereotyped toys

• By 2 yrs they are playing with same sex peers

• Differences in boy/girl play styles appear to be universal

POSSIBLE CAUSES

• Modeling from adults and media

• Cognitive dev of sex role definitions

• Should caregivers try to expand on sex role definitions? It is our choice!

SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS

• Observable handicaps are less likely to lead to peer rejection because they are easier to understand than non-observable handicaps

• Adults should encourage play between handicapped kids and peers through

• Physical accessibility• Choice of toys • Modeling, guiding and teaching by adults

FACILITATING FRIENDSHIPS

• Watch for “authentic” compatible kids

• Orchestrate one-on-one play

• Encourage group play

• Encourage play outside classroom