Day 12 - School Age Psychosocial 4-20-16

O. García ~ Spring 2016 1

Note: Schedule of classes for Fall 2016 now available.

Registration begins in 2 weeks

Psychosocial development during middle childhood

• Your progress on school age observation project due next week.

• Plan ahead for the last research project: Adolescent Development

Today’s class Find a partner (someone new):

Think back to your own middle childhood

(7 to 11 years old) v How did your friendships change from time you

were 7 to the time you were 11? v What kinds of activities did you do with friends? v How much adult supervision was there? v What did you learn from friends that you could

not learn from adults? v What was considered important by you and your

peers?

“Getting along with peers is especially crucial during middle childhood” (Berger, p. 395)

Do you agree? Why? If not, why not?

The culture of children: a particular set of rules and rituals passed down from older to younger children

§  How does one fit in with peers ? Ø  Adjust behavior Ø  Negotiate, share and compromise Ø  Rules, clothes, language, secrets

§  Are appearances and social comparisons important? How?

§  What can be positive and negative influences ?

§  What are the challenges for immigrant children or social minority children ?

Social acceptance

u Some children are popular, some are ignored, and some are unpopular.

u Why? Ø  Are there cultural influences?

◆  During your own school years, what do you recall about social acceptance or rejection? ✦  What factors contributed to

being liked or disliked? ✦  How might you guide a child who is

unpopular – or, alternatively, a child to shuns another?

Friendships ■  Friendships are highly valued during middle childhood.

■  Most ten-year-olds have one “best” friend.

■  Older children tend to choose friends whose interests, values, and backgrounds are similar to their own.

Was this true for you? Reflect on your own experience.

Day 12 - School Age Psychosocial 4-20-16

O. García ~ Spring 2016 2

■  Bullying involves repeated, systematic efforts to inflict harm.

■  This includes physical attack, taunting, teasing, name-calling.

What factors contribute to the development of a bully? Look it up – p. 432

Contributing factors to bullying include: Ø Inborn brain abnormalities or genetic impulses Ø Insecure attachment Ø Stressful home life Ø Hostile siblings Ø Lack of knowledge & experience of how to control aggressive impulses

Bullying Bullying: what needs to change? ■  What does not work? ■  What works?

Look it up – p. 433 ■  Everyone must change, not just

the bullies ■  The entire culture of the school

needs to be evaluated, changed, re-evaluated.

The influence and the role of family

Ø How do relationships change between children and parents during school age?

Ø How much influence do you think that parents have on the social skills and personality of their children? (see pp. 416-417)

Families and

Children

■  Research shows the various types of families among U.S. children, known as family structures.What are some common family structures? (p. 420)

■  More important than who lives with a child is family function (i.e. family dynamics), for example? ◆  the way a family works to meet

needs of a child ◆  the way people in the family care

for one another

§  What are the most important things that every school-age child needs from family? p. 418

The Nature of the Child § During the middle years, what factors contribute to a positive sense of self?

§ Think about it.What helped you develop positive aspects of your self-image?

A positive sense of self is related to: 1. Academic

competence 2. Social acceptance

by peers 3. Social support

from parents and teachers.

Skills and self-concept are reciprocal

Day 12 - School Age Psychosocial 4-20-16

O. García ~ Spring 2016 3

Success in school fosters self-esteem and feelings of industry and productivity (as opposed to a sense of inferiority)

Academic learning and achievement According to Erikson... There is a “conflict” that the individual must resolve during middle childhood… ■  Industry vs. inferiority is Erikson’s fourth stage of psychosocial crises, in which children see themselves as competent or incompetent.

During middle childhood, kids develop a more complex self-concept, including more self-

criticism and self-consciousness.

Positive self-concept é ê

é undertakes new activities and tasks ê é learns more; gains, more experience

é ê undertakes more activities

Negative self-concept é frequent failure (criticism, exclusion, or abuse)

ê é feelings of

inferiority ê é less initiative, less exploration é ê less experience, é learns less, knows less

Between ages 6 and 11, what might be indicators

of psychosocial maturation? i.e. what might you reasonably expect of a child?

Ref. p. 410

Coping with life: Resilience What is resilience? Resilience is the capacity to develop optimally by adapting positively to significant adversity.

◆  It is a dynamic trait, varying with time

◆  It is not the absence of pathology, but a positive adaptation to stress

◆  The stress may vary in significance ✦  Children can be affected by stress that is cumulative

(e.g., “daily hassles”) ✦  How the child interprets the stress is important ✦  Daily routines are key in coping with stress

Example: after-school activities

Day 12 - School Age Psychosocial 4-20-16

O. García ~ Spring 2016 4

Thinking about your school-age observation

What aspects of what we studied tonight relate to your observation of school age children in an elementary

school classroom?

5-minute write Based on what you learned tonight: What are some specific steps that parents and teachers can take to foster positive personality development in school-age children?

Planning ahead for the last research

project: adolescence

Ø Option: observation or interview Ø Will explain next week … BUT

§  If interview – must obtain permission from teen’s parent

§  If observation – must select a junior high or high school and ask permission now to visit and observe during the week of April 25 and no later than May 4.