This document summarizes a presentation on socioemotional development in middle and late childhood. It covers four main topics: 1) the nature of emotional and personality development, including self-concept, moral development, and gender differences; 2) changes in parenting and families such as decreased parent involvement and increased numbers of stepfamilies and latchkey children; 3) changes in peer relationships such as the increasing importance of peers, different peer statuses (popular, rejected), and risks of bullying; and 4) aspects of schools and their importance for socioemotional development.

1. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 1
John W. Santrock
Socioemotional Development
in Middle and Late Childhood
13

2. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 2
Socioemotional Development
in Middle and Late Childhood
• What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality
Development in Middle and Late Childhood?
• What Are Some Changes in Parenting and
Families in Middle and Late Childhood?
• What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships
in Middle and Late Childhood?
• What Are Some Important Aspects of Schools?

3. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 3
The Self
• Development of self-understanding
– Children increasingly describe themselves
with physiological characteristics and traits
– Self-understanding includes social
references and comparisons
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

4. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 4
The Self
• Understanding others
– Perspective taking increases with age
• Judging others’ intentions, purposes, actions
• Important in social attitudes and behaviors
• Increased skepticism of others’ claims with age
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

5. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 5
The Self
• Self-esteem
Global evaluations
of the self
Self-worth
Self-image
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?
• Self-concept
Domain-specific
evaluations of the
self

6. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 6
The Self
• Self-esteem and self-concept
– Variations related to development
– High self-esteem linked to higher initiative
– Concerns: too much or undeserved praises
• inflated self-esteem
• Inability to accept criticism and competition
• Most research is correlational
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

7. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 7
The Self
• Increasing Children’s Self-Esteem
– Identify causes of low self-esteem
– Provide emotional support and social
approval
– Help children to achieve
– Encourage coping skills
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

8. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 8
The Self
• Self-regulation
– Increased capacity with age, development
• Erikson’s Industry versus Inferiority
– Encouragement increases child’s sense of
industry; criticism results in inferiority
– Develop sense of competence or
incompetence in attempt to master skills
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

9. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 9
Emotional Development
• Increased ability to
understand complex
emotions
• Increased understanding
that more than one emotion
can be experienced in a
situation
• Self-initiated strategies for
redirecting feelings
• More fully take into
account events leading
to emotional reactions
• Improved ability to
suppress or conceal
negative emotional
reactions
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

10. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 10
Emotional Development
• Emotional intelligence
– Ability to monitor feelings and emotions of
oneself and others
– Four main areas
• Developing emotional self-awareness
• Managing emotions (self-control)
• Reading emotions (perspective taking)
• Handling emotions (resolve problems)
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

11. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 11
Emotional Development
• Coping with Stress
– Use of alternative cognitive strategies
increase with age, maturity
• Intentional thought shifting
• Reframing or changing one’s view
• Context or environment may overwhelm coping
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

12. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 12
Emotional Development
• Helping children cope with stress
– Reassure safety and security
– Allow retelling of events; be patient listener
– Encourage discussion of disturbing feelings
– Help make sense of what has happened
– Protect child from re-exposure and trauma
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

13. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 13
Moral Development
• Piaget’s morality
– Heteronomous: unchangeable rules
– Autonomous: consider intentions and
consequences of people
• Kohlberg’s theory
– Three levels, six stages of moral reasoning
– Stage change based on perspective taking
opportunities and experienced conflict
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

14. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 14
Moral Development
• Kohlberg’s theory
– Based primarily on
moral reasoning;
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?
Level Stage Description
Preconventional
Reasoning:
external rewards or
punishment
1 Heteronomous morality: moral thinking tied
to punishment
2 Individualism, instrumental purpose, and
exchange: persons pursue own interests
Conventional
Reasoning:
intermediate
internalization
3 Mutual interpersonal expectations,
relationships, and interpersonal conformity:
moral standards seen as ‘good’ or ‘bad’
4 Social systems morality: based on
understanding of social order, law, etc.
Postconventional
Reasoning:
morality fully
internalized
5 Social contract: individual and human rights
6 Universal ethical principles: conscience

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Slide 15
Moral Development
• Kohlberg’s Beliefs
– Levels and stages occurred in sequence
– Cognitive development does not ensure
moral reasoning development
– Peer interaction stimulates moral reasoning
– Universal support found for first four stages
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

16. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 16
Moral Development
• Kohlberg’s Critics
– Not enough emphasis on moral behavior
– Culture and Moral Development
– Dismissed family processes importance
– Gender-biased: males use justice view,
females use caregiver perspective
– Social conventional reasoning; rules for
social control differ from moral rules
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

17. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 17
Moral Development
• Prosocial moral behavior
– More emphasis on behavior development
– Empathy, altruism behaviors
– Empathy and adult encouragement fosters
obligation to share
• Definitions of ‘fairness’ change with age
• Give-and-take of peer interactions affects most
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

18. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 18
Moral Development
• Moral personality
– Three components
• Moral identity (view of self)
• Moral character (behavior shown to others)
• Moral exemplars (model for others)
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

19. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 19
Gender
• Gender stereotypes
– Broad categories of beliefs, impressions
• Traditionally: males dominant, females nurturant
• Some influence by culture and religion
– Some social inequalities have diminished
– As sexual equality increases, gender
stereotypes and behaviors may diminish
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

20. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 20
Gender
• Gender difference and similarities
– Average differences: not all females or males
– Even in differences, there is large overlap
– Differences may be biological, sociocultural,
or both
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

21. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 21What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?
Gender
• Physical development
– Men taller, shorter life expectancy, more
likely to develop physical/mental disorders
– Females have more fat, hormone growth
stops at puberty
– Female brains smaller and more folds,
larger corpus callosum
– Hypothalamus and area of parietal lobe are
larger in men

22. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 22What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?
Gender
• Cognitive Development
– Early research: females had better verbal
skills, males better math and visuospatial
skills
– Later research suggests differences slight
– Differences persist on standardized test
scores of children; suspect other factors

23. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 23What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?
Gender
• Socioemotional Development
– Boys more physically aggressive; affected
by biology and environment
• Girls equally or more verbally aggressive
• Relational aggression
– Communication differs
• Others talk to boys and girls differently
• Rapport and Report Talk

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Slide 24
Gender
Report talk
• Favored by males
• Provides information
• Public speaking
such as jokes and
storytelling
Rapport talk
• Favored by females
• For conversation,
establishing
connections, and
negotiating
relationships
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

25. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 25
Gender
• Socioemotional Development
– Communication
• Girls use more affiliative speech; boys use
more self-assertive speech
• Differences affected by
– Group size
– Speaking with peers or adults
– Familiarity
– Age
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

26. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 26
Gender
• Emotion
– Boys hide more negative emotions, girls
show less disappointment
– Girls experience more intense emotions in
adolescence
– Males show less self-regulation, more
likely to have behavior problems
– Girls engage in more prosocial behaviors
in childhood and adolescence
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

27. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 27
Gender
• Gender role classification
– Androgyny: possessing both positive
feminine and masculine characteristics
– Sandra Bem: androgynous persons
• More flexible, competent, mentally healthy
• Classification affected by context
– Despite societal changes, traditional
raising of boys continues
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

28. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 28
androgynous feminine
masculine undifferentiated
Feminine
MasculineHigh
Low
Low
High
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?
Gender-Role Classification

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Slide 29
Gender
• Gender in context
– Gender stereotypes usually expressed
as personality traits
– Gender behavior affected by context
– Gender roles prescribed in many cultures
• Division of labor
• Childrearing and socialization
What Is the Nature of Emotional and Personality Development in Middle and Late Childhood?

30. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 30
Developmental Changes
in Parenting
• Parent-child interactions: decrease as
children get older
– Autonomy and parental regulation
– School-related and out-of-school matters
– Discipline
– Co-regulation: gradual process
What Are Some Changes in Parenting and Families in Middle and Late Childhood?

31. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 31
Stepfamilies
• Divorce and remarriage common
– Higher divorce rate in remarriages
– Remarried parents face unique tasks
• Strengthen and define new relationships
• Renegotiate divorced biological parental roles
– Three common types of stepfamilies
• Stepfather, stepmother, and blended
What Are Some Changes in Parenting and Families in Middle and Late Childhood?

32. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 32
Latchkey Children
• Both parents work outside home
• Largely unsupervised; experiences vary
– 2 to 4 hours on school days
– Much more during summer months
– Risks to child
• Grow up too fast, too many responsibilities
• Easier to get into trouble, negative behaviors
– Out-of-school care exists, more needed
What Are Some Changes in Parenting and Families in Middle and Late Childhood?

33. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 33
Gay Male and Lesbian Parents
• Families with children created by
– Heterosexual parent identifies as gay male
or lesbian after birth of children
– Donor insemination
– Adoption
• Custody arrangements can vary
– Few, if any, differences between children
raised in heterosexual and gay/lesbian
families
What Are Some Changes in Parenting and Families in Middle and Late Childhood?

34. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 34
Developmental Changes
What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?
• Peers become more important
– Peer interaction increases for recreation,
group identification, and friendships
– Peer competence impacts on future
– Size of group increases and adult
supervision decreases with age
– Same-sex group preferences until age 12

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Slide 35
Peer Statuses
Rejected
Frequently nominated as someone’s
best friend and as being dislikedControversial
Average
Popular
Infrequently nominated as a best
friend; actively disliked by peers
Receive average number of positive
and negative nominations from peers
Frequently nominated as a best friend;
rarely disliked by peers
Neglected
Infrequently nominated as a best
friend but not disliked by peers
What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?

36. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 36
Peer Status
What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?
• Skills of popular children
– Give out reinforcements, act naturally
– Listen carefully, keep open communication
– Are happy, control negative emotions
– Show enthusiasm, concern for others

37. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 37
Peer Status
What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?
• Behaviors of rejected children
– Less classroom participation
– Negative attitudes on school attendance
– More often report being lonely
– Aggressive peer-rejected boys
• Impulsive, problems being attentive, disruptive
• Emotionally reactive, slow to calm down
• Have fewer social skills to make friends

38. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 38
Social Cognition
What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?
• Thoughts about social matters
• Thoughts about peers is important for
understanding peer relationships
• Interpreting intentions determines
response and appropriateness
• Social knowledge creates social bonds

39. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 39
Bullying
• Verbal or physical behavior intended
to disturb someone less powerful
– Most likely affected are males and
younger middle school students
– Targeted children unlikely to retaliate
– Bullies more likely to have lower grades,
smoke or drink alcohol
– Victims suffer many other effects
What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?

40. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 40
Bullying Behavior Among U.S. Youth
Subject of sexual comments or gestures
Belittled about religion or race
Subject of rumors
Hit, slapped, or pushed
Belittled about looks or speech
Males
5 250 10 15 20
Percent experiencing bullying
Females
Fig. 13.6

41. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 41
Friends
Not all friendships
and not all friends
are equal
What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?
• Friendships serve six functions
– Companionship
– Stimulation
– Physical support
– Ego support
– Social comparison
– Affection and intimacy

42. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 42
Friends
What Changes Characterize Peer Relationships in Middle and Late Childhood?
• Intimacy in friendship
• Self-disclosure
• Sharing of private thoughts
• May not appear until adolescence
• Friendless students
• Showed less prosocial behaviors
• More emotionally depressed
• Had lower grades

43. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 43
Contemporary Approaches
to Student Learning
• Controversy over best instructional
approach
– Constructivist: learner-centered
– Direct instruction: teacher-centered
• Criticized as rote memory, teaching irrelevant
material, and creates passive learners
What Are Some Important Aspects of Schools?

44. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 44
Contemporary Approaches to Student
Learning and Assessment
Constructivist
Direct
instruction
Emphasizes the child’s active construction
of knowledge/understanding with teacher
guidance. Child encouraged to discover,
reflect, critically think. Emphasis on
collaboration and opportunities.
Characterized by teacher direction and
control, mastery of academic material,
high expectations for students’ progress,
and maximum time spent on learning
What Are Some Important Aspects of Schools?

45. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 45
Contemporary Approaches
to Student Learning
• Accountability
– Demanded by public and government
– State-mandated tests more powerful role
– No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act critics
• Single score from single test as indicator
• Tests don’t measure creativity, other skills
• Teaching to the test
What Are Some Important Aspects of Schools?

46. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 46
Socioeconomic Status
and Ethnicity
• Education of students from low-income
– Schools:
• More students with low achievement test scores
• Low graduation rates
• Low numbers attend college
• More inexperienced teachers
• More rote memory encouraged
• Old and crumbling buildings and classrooms
What Are Some Important Aspects of Schools?

47. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 47
Socioeconomic Status
and Ethnicity
• Ethnicity in schools
– Large inner city school districts attended by
• 1/3 of all African American and Latino students
• 22% of all Asian students
• 5% of all white students
– School segregation exists; effects of SES
and ethnicity intertwined
– Schools grossly underfunded, lack adequate
opportunities for effective learning
What Are Some Important Aspects of Schools?

48. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 48
Improving Ethnically
Diverse Schools
– Turn the class into a jigsaw classroom
– Use technology to foster cooperation
– Encourage positive personal contact
– Encourage perspective taking
– Help critical thinking, emotional intelligence
– Reduce bias
– View school and community as team
– Be a competent cultural mediator
What Are Some Important Aspects of Schools?

49. © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Slide 49
The End
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