Week 9 - Socioemotional Dev & Health Middle Childhood PDF

Social & Emotional Development and Health in Middle Childhood PSY 323 – Professor Agbayani Erikson Psychosocial Stages: Industry vs. Inferiority Stage ○ Ages ~6 to 12 ○ Children attempting to meet challenges presented by parents, peers, school, the modern world overall...

Social & Emotional Development and Health in Middle Childhood PSY 323 – Professor Agbayani Erikson Psychosocial Stages: Industry vs. Inferiority Stage ○ Ages ~6 to 12 ○ Children attempting to meet challenges presented by parents, peers, school, the modern world overall ○ Children in middle childhood want to be competent human beings! ○ Difficulties lead to feelings of failure and inadequacy – if not supported, children may not develop high self esteem Industry vs. Inferiority Stage: Shifts in Self-Understanding ○ Their cognitive skills are improving – can have more complex ideas of the self 6-year old: “I’m a fast runner and good at drawing” 11-year old: “I’m pretty smart, outgoing, and helpful to my friends.” ○ Understand they can be good at some things and not others  Shifts in Self-Understanding General Self-Concept Physical Self- Emotional Academic Self- Social Self- Concept Self-Concept Concept Concept Physica Physical Emotional English History Math Science Peers Family l Ability Appearance States Self-Esteem ○ An individual’s self-evaluation based on our “ideal selves” ○ More emotionally oriented/based on comparison, not based on objective ability ○ Increasingly differentiated – higher for some areas and lower in others (e.g., academic vs social) Social Comparison ○ The desire to evaluate one’s own behavior, abilities, expertise, and opinions by comparing to others ○ If there are no concrete, objective measures of ability, we turn to social reality to evaluate ourselves Change & Stability in Self-Esteem Generally, overall self-esteem increases during middle childhood, with a brief decline around age 12 ○ Most likely due to transition to middle/junior high school Some children have chronically low self-esteem ○ May become enmeshed in a cycle of failure that grows difficult to break ○ Parents can help break the cycle of failure by promoting their child’s self-esteem Self-Esteem is different from Self-Efficacy Self-efficacy: belief that you are capable of a specific task or of reaching a specific goal ○ More general than self-esteem, carries through multiple domains Does not depend on social comparison like self-esteem does Self-Esteem is different from Self-Efficacy Related to motivation – if a child believes themselves capable of a task, they’re more likely to attempt it Scaffolding is key, allows children to develop competence Friendship in Middle Childhood Increasingly important role during middle childhood Friends influence development in several ways: ○ Foster intellectual growth by increasing range of experiences ○ Provide emotional support → respond more effectively to stress Friendship in Middle Childhood ○ Make children less likely to be the target of aggression ○ Teach children how to manage and control their emotions, interpret their own emotional experiences Relationships with family One of the biggest challenges for children and parents is negotiating control Co-regulation: ○ A period in which parents and children jointly control children’s behavior ○ Parents provide broad, general guidelines, but children have control over everyday behavior Relationships with family ○ What type of parenting style have we discussed as being ideal/most effective? Other older individuals can display “parenting” styles too (older siblings, grandparents, etc) Relationships with family Children spend significantly less time with parents than in earlier years ○ Parents remain a major influence Sometimes children increasingly need to self-care (e.g., if adults in the home work full-time or have other commitments) Children who let themselves into their homes after school and wait until their caretakers return were previously known as “latchkey children” Relationships with family Around 12 to 14% of children between the ages of 5 and 12 spend some time alone after school Previously, there was concern about lack of supervision and the emotional cost ○ New view says a few hours alone may provide a helpful period of decompression ○ May also help develop a sense of autonomy ○ Research has found few differences between self-care children and those who go home to parents Childhood Disorders & Disabilities Autism – from the Autism Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/about-autism/ (see webpage for full text) “Every autistic person experiences autism differently, but there are some things that many of us have in common. 1. We think differently. 2. We process our senses differently. 3. We move differently. 4. We communicate differently. 5. We socialize differently. 6. We might need help with daily living.” Autism Neurodevelopmental condition 556% increase in autism diagnoses AND required/recommended vaccines from 1991- 1997 So do vaccinations cause autism? NO! NOPE!!! DEFINITELY NOT!!!!!!!!!! Third variable problem (age) Autism Etiology (contributing factors/causes) Very complex!! But research suggests more emphasis on inherited factors/individual differences Genes Prenatal events/teratogens Brain development ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): characterized by restlessness, inattentiveness, and impulsivity 11% of male children, 4% of female children Like autism, the etiology is quite complicated ○ Under-diagnosis/over-diagnosis & medication rates are currently being researched Hidden Disabilities What is a hidden or invisible disability? Hidden disabilities are physical or mental impairments (impact daily functions) that are not readily apparent to others What types of hidden disabilities exist? Physical Mobility related Psychiatric Social Neurological Autoimmune disease What are examples of hidden disabilities? Autism spectrum disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Seizure disorder Brain injury resulting from stroke Chronic pain Repetitive stress injury Sleep disorder Can you think of any that could be added? How common are hidden disabilities? Up to 80% of all disabilities are “invisible” About 10% of Americans have an invisible disability Many hidden disabilities are learning disabilities About 96% of people with chronic medical conditions show no outward signs What are some impacts on elementary school students? May hinder ability to: Go to school Socialize Access services/places Individuals have reported experiencing the following in childhood: Discrimination Assumptions Stigmatization, judgment or hostility Diminished self-esteem What are some impacts on elementary school students? Stigmatization is the primary difference between visible and invisible disabilities – children begin grouping others based on outward features The appearance of “healthy” or “able-bodied” often leads to scrutiny about disability status What are some impacts on elementary school students? Other children or adults may: Have a disbelief that someone who “looks normal” has a disability Expect they can function like everyone else Make negative judgments Harass, call names or bully What are some impacts on elementary school students? A learned fear of stigma means that children may grow to prefer not to talk about their disabilities