Socio-Emotional Development: Early Childhood to Adolescence PDF

Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Social and emotional development means how children start to understand who they are, what they are feeling, and what to expect when interacting with others...

Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Social and emotional development means how children start to understand who they are, what they are feeling, and what to expect when interacting with others. It is the development of being able to form and sustain positive relationships, experience, manage and express emotions, and explore and engage with the environment. Crying, smiling, and laughing are early signs of emotion. Other indices are facial expressions, motor activity, body language, and physiological changes. Brain development is closely linked with emotional development. Self-conscious and self-evaluative emotions arise after the development of self-awareness. Personality – the relatively consistent blend of emotions, temperament, thought, and behavior that makes a person unique. From infancy on, personality development is intertwined with social relationships. Temperament – characteristic disposition or style of approaching and reacting to situations. Three main types of temperament: 1. Easy children – generally happy, rhythmic in biological functioning, and accepting of new experiences. 2. Difficult children – more irritable and harder to please, irregular in biological rhythms, and more intense in expressing emotion. 3. Slow-to-warm-up children – mild but slow to adapt to new people and situations. Temperamental patterns appear to be largely inborn and to have a biological basis. They are generally stable but can be modified by experience. The goodness of fit between a child’s temperament and environmental demands aids adjustment. Cross-cultural differences in temperament may reflect child-raising practices. Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda THE MOTHER’S ROLE An experiment was made by Harry Harlow and his colleagues. Rhesus monkeys were separated from their mothers 6 to 12 hours after birth. The infant monkeys were put into cages with one or 2 kinds of surrogate mothers: a.) A plain cylindrical wire-mesh form and b.) Form covered with terry cloth. Some monkeys were fed from bottles connected to the wire mothers, others were fed by the warm, cuddly cloth mothers. When the monkeys were allowed to spend time with either kind of mother, they all spent more time clinging to the surrogate mothers, even if they were being fed only by the wire surrogates. In an unfamiliar room, the babies raised by cloth surrogates showed more natural interest in exploring than those raised by wire surrogates. Apparently, the monkeys also remembered the cloth surrogates better. After a year’s separation, the cloth-raised monkeys eagerly ran to embrace the terry-cloth forms, whereas the wire-raised monkeys showed no interest in the wire forms. None of the monkeys in either group grew up normally and none were able to nurture their own offspring. A dummy mother would not provide the same kinds of stimulation and opportunities for positive development as a live mother. These experiments show that feeding is not the only or even the most important, thing babies get from their mothers. Mothering includes the comfort of close bodily contact and, at least, in monkeys, the satisfaction of an innate need to cling. Human infants need a mother who responds warmly and promptly to the infant. THE FATHER’S ROLE Fatherhood is a social construction. Fathering roles differ in various cultures. The role may be taken or shared by someone other than the biological father. In some societies, fathers are more involved in their younger children’s lives – economically, emotionally and in time spent – than in others. Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESCHOOLER We hear a lot of parents and teachers and preschool administrators say that attending preschool is more for “socialization” than for formal academic learning. By the end of toddlerhood, preschoolers come out with a clear sense that they are a separate and distinct person. With their ability to make representations, they can now think and reflect about themselves. Self-concept refers to the way one sees oneself, a general view about one's abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. It is a sense of self and an evaluative mental picture of one’s abilities and traits. The preschooler's self-concept mainly focuses on observable characteristics and his/her usual beliefs, emotions, and attitudes. One will hear a preschooler say, “Kaya ko na!” (I can do it) “Ako lang nagsuot ng shoes ko.” (I wore my shoes all by myself). An important aspect of self-concept is self-esteem, which specifically refers to one's judgments about one's worth. Preschoolers are naturally positive. Usually, they will tend to evaluate their skills high and underestimate the tasks. They are confident to try again even if they don't succeed with something. However, they may become negative because of repeated frustration and disapproval. Preschoolers need a lot of patience and encouragement from adults. Most young children wildly overestimate their abilities. Their self-esteem is not based on reality. One reason for this is that self-esteem is, in part, the result of feedback received from other people, and adults tend to give positive and uncritical feedback. Children believe they are either all good or all bad (unidimensional). In middle childhood, self-esteem will become more realistic. Children whose self-esteem is contingent on success tend to be demoralized when they fail. Often these children attribute failure to their deficiencies, which they believe they are unable to change. Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda Children with noncontingent self-esteem, in contrast, tend to attribute failure or disappointment to factors outside themselves or to the need to try harder. If initially unsuccessful or rejected, they persevere, trying new strategies until they find one that works. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND GENDER TYPING As the preschooler's ability to create schemas develops, they become capable of gender typing, the process of forming gender roles, gender-based preferences, and behaviors accepted by society. They come to form gender stereotypes. Preschoolers begin to associate things like toys, tools, games, clothes, jobs, colors, or even behaviors as being "only for boys” or “only for girls.” Consequently, they form their own gender identity, the view of oneself as being masculine of feminine. Gender typing and gender identity are influenced by environmental factors such as the family, teachers, peers, and the mass media. Differences in parental expectations and behavior towards daughters and sons affect gender typing and gender identity. More often, boys are expected to show more emotional control and be more competitive while girls are expected to be warm and soft, and demure. Parents also expect their children to play with toys that are "right" for their gender. The expectations of other people in the preschoolers’ lives also influence their gender schema. This includes their relatives, teachers, classmates, and other playmates. Preschool teachers should think thoroughly on how to present notions of what boys and girls can do especially in the discussion about occupations or community helpers. PARTEN’S STAGES OF PLAY Play is the main agenda of the preschool years. Play has a social dimension. As the preschooler develops, and social interaction with playmates increases. Mildred Parten, in the 1930s did a study on children's play behavior which led to Parten's stages of play. Since then, numerous studies have followed using these stages as the framework. The stages describe the play development of children and the gradual increase of social interaction as they go through these stages. Play becomes an Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda important venue for the child’s development of social skills like entering or joining a play situation, taking turns, sharing, helping, saying sorry, and working together. 1. Unoccupied behavior – The child appears not to be playing but directs his attention to anything that interests him. 2. Onlooker behavior – The child spends time watching others play. He may talk to them but does not enter into play with them. 3. Solitary Independent Play – The child starts to play on his own. He seems not to notice other children playing nearby.\ 4. Parallel Play – The child plays with toys similar to those near him, but only plays beside and not with them. No interaction takes place. 5. Associative Play – The child plays with others. There is interaction among them, but no task assignment, rules, and organization are agreed upon. 6. Cooperative – The child plays with others bound by some agreed-upon rules and roles. The goal is maybe to make something, play a game, or act out something. BAUMRIND’S MODEL OF PARENTING STYLES ❑ Authoritarian parenting – emphasizes control and obedience. ❑ Permissive parenting – emphasizes self-expression and self-regulation. ❑ Authoritative parenting – blends respect for a child’s individuality with an effort to instill social values. Eleanor Maccoby and John Martin added a 4th parenting style: ❑ Neglectful or uninvolved – describes parents who, sometimes because of stress or depression, focus on their needs rather than those of the child. Baumrind’s critics have pointed out that the benefits of authoritative parenting have repeatedly been supported. It has provoked controversy because it seems to suggest that there is one “right” way to raise children. It is impossible to know whether the children Baumrind studied were, in fact, raised in a particular style. Baumrind did not consider innate factors (temperament) that might have affected children’s competence and exerted an influence on parents. Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda LATE ADOLESCENCE At this period of socio-emotional development, children are spending less time in the home. The bulk of their time is spent outside the home, either alone or with other children, rather than with adults. Older children have already familiarized themselves with other children. They are already used to interacting with different ages and gender. For many of them, these social networks are not only sources of social support but also different forms of learning. Another milestone in this stage is the development of the children's emotional intelligence (EQ), which involves the ability to monitor feelings of oneself and others to guide and motivate behavior. Emotional Intelligence has four main areas: § Developing emotional self-awareness § Managing emotions (self-control) § Reading emotions (perspective taking) § Handling emotions (resolve problems) For children, good peer relationships are very important. The approval and belongingness they receive contribute to the stability and security of their emotional development. Peer size also increases and less supervision by adults is required. At this stage, children prefer to belong to same-sex peer groups. There are five types of peer status: ○ Popular – frequently nominated as the bestfriend and one who is rarely disliked by peers. ○ Average – receive an average number of positive and negative nominations from peers. ○ Neglected - very seldom' nominated as best friend but is not really disliked ○ Rejected - infrequently nominated as a best friend but one who is also disliked by peers. Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda ○ Controversial – frequently nominated as a best friend but at the same time is disliked by peers liked. Sexual orientation appears to be influenced by an interaction of biological and environmental factors and is at least partly genetic. Sexual orientation – Focus on consistent sexual, romantic, and affectionate interest, either heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. Because of a lack of social acceptance, the course of homosexual identity and relationship development may vary. Teenage sexual activity involves risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Adolescents at greatest risk are those who begin sexual activity early, have multiple partners, do not use contraceptives, and are ill-informed about sex. STIs are infections and diseases spread by sexual contact. Regular condom use is the best safeguard for sexually active teens. Condoms have been in use for at least 400 years. Comprehensive sex education programs delay sexual initiation and encourage contraceptive use. Abstinence-only programs have not been as effective. STIs are most likely to develop undetected in girls. Teenage pregnancy and birth rates in the United States have declined. Teenage childbearing often has negative outcomes. Teenage mothers and their families tend to suffer ill health and financial hardship, and the children often suffer from ineffective parenting. RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY, PEERS, AND ADULT SOCIETY Although relationships between adolescents and their parents are not always easy, full-scale adolescent rebellion is unusual. For the majority of teens, adolescence is a fairly smooth transition. For the minority who seem more deeply troubled, it can predict a difficult adulthood. Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda Adolescent rebellion – Pattern of emotional turmoil, characteristic of a minority of adolescents, that may involve conflict with family, alienation from adult society, reckless behavior, and rejection of adult values. Adolescents spend an increasing amount of time with peers, but relationships with parents continue to be influential. Individuation – Adolescents’ struggle for autonomy and personal identity. Conflict with parents tends to be greatest during early adolescence. Authoritative parenting is associated with the most positive outcomes. Effects of family structure and maternal employment on adolescents’ development may depend on such factors as economic resources, the quality of the home environment, and how closely parents monitor adolescents’ whereabouts. Relationships with siblings tend to become more distant during adolescence, and the balance of power between older and younger siblings becomes more equal. The influence of the peer group is strongest in early adolescence. The structure of the peer group becomes more elaborate, involving cliques and crowds as well as friendships. Friendships, especially among girls, become more intimate, stable, and supportive in adolescence. Social media and electronic communication can be used in positive ways to establish social connections and increase intimacy, but they can also lead to negative effects, such as addiction-like behaviors or bullying. Romantic relationships meet a variety of needs and develop with age and experience. Influences on Physical Development There are several external factors that may contribute to the physical development of a person, regardless of his/her stage. I. Parental Contribution Since parents are the immediate environment of the developing child, their impact is considered immeasurable, most especially during the early stage of life. The parenting beliefs are usually translated into practice and may affect the range of opportunities provided to the child. In fact, Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda in the 2004 UNICEF report on the importance of caregiver-child interaction, they placed the caregiver, in most cases, the parents, as the central component in the child’s general survival. The difference in the physical activities that males and females may be exposed to is anchored to the collective gender belief system of a specific culture. Boys, for example, may be allowed to engage more in physical activities while young girls have limited to almost no opportunities for such. Because of this, the physical progress becomes more prominent, aside from the basic biological differences that exist between them already. In many instances, adolescent boys are given more flexibility in their sexual attitudes and behavior than girls. The above premise is very much evident among Filipino parents. While some young parents practice a more liberated approach in child rearing, many are still conservative in terms of subscribing to the cultural expectations and beliefs about the physical development of children. The perception that children are weak and incapable of handling themselves is often used as a basis to restrict children from engaging to activities that may promote physical development. II. Psychosocial Opportunities Social interaction, whether of the same age or not, can actually provide assistance in increasing opportunities for physical development. Among these opportunities is the amount of play engagement children are provided. Aside from the social benefits of play, it is also a venue that allows them to exercise muscles and can have a direct impact in their weight. Plays that require running will make use of the gross muscles while those that require dealing with small toys or activities can lead to developing the fine motor ones. During adolescence, social connections are venues of learning how to deal with physical changes that are taking place. III. Physical Environment Physical environment refers to the non-social aspects of one’s environment, such as but not limited to, the place where one lives and the accompanying materials within it. Space, for instance, is significantly important for one to have more opportunities for movement. Children who live with limited space may not warrant activities that require gross motor movements. Considering that changes in the living spaces people (i.e. condominiums) where spaces both outside and inside the house is not very generous, physical activities become optional instead of a constantly available opportunity. Another concern is the availability of digital gadgets like tablets that lessen physical engagement. A long number of hours of engagement to such does not only have an impact on social connection but can also delay physical development. Filipino local games have been less played by the current generation Human Development Functioning Prepared by: Ms. Mary Claudine N. Pineda due to the alternative digital activities. Across stages, fewer physical activities can possibly lead to weight issues. In addition to space available is the issue of air pollution and garbage which significantly contribute in the health condition of people regardless of age. Children can easily acquire respiratory-related concerns due to early exposure to pollution. The vast amount of garbage people are producing and the mismanagement of waste disposal make children more susceptible to acquiring illnesses such as diarrhea and dengue especially those who have weaker immune systems. These illnesses can cause serious long-term health problems if not given proper immediate medical attention IV. Nutritional Knowledge and Practices Knowledge and practices about the nutritional components of what one is eating can have short and long-term effects. Parents of younger children are easily swayed by the promotion of media advertisements with regard to their advantages than pursuing natural-based diets. For example, instead of infants being fed by vegetables when introducing solid foods, some may prefer commercial infant foods which have preservatives. Interestingly, the quality of food one eats is also relative to where people live. Those who reside in agricultural places or those who have opportunities for planting have a higher tendency to eat natural and healthy food compared to those who have access to canned and instant food. THE ROLE OF CAREGIVERS IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESCHOOLER Optimum physical development of children is largely influenced by the supportive caregivers (parents and teachers) who provide a stimulating environment and age-appropriate activities for the children. They should be provided with ample opportunities at home and in school for physical exercises and sports. They should be given good nutrition and once they have more control over their eating habits, provide them with healthier food choices. They should maintain a daily sleep schedule and consistent bedtime routine.