Chapter 10: psychosocial development in childhood (3-6 years)

Question 1

what is the self concept? (2)

Answer 1

• self definition (describe themselves, external and physical characteristics, unrealistically positive)
• self esteem (judgement on their self worth, positive bias)

Question 2

how to regulate self control? (2)

Answer 2

• emotional regulation: control feelings and guide a behaviour to one’s expectations
• understanding emotions: improves, social and complex emotions, facial/voice/body

Question 3

what are the four main aspects of gender (4) and one sex difference (1)

Answer 3

gender: social role, behaviour, identity, continuum
sex: biological features (genitalia, chromosomes, hormones, binary vs intersex)

Question 4

how are biological theories and gender development linked? (4)

Answer 4

heredity, evolutionary psychologists (survival), sex hormones, intersex and transgender (biology and identity are not the same thing)

Question 5

how are cognitives theories and gender development linked? (2)

Answer 5

• Kohlberg’s theory: gender identity develops gradually
• gender-schema theory (role of male and female in culture is starting to form)

Question 6

what are the 3 stages of gender identity?

Answer 6

2 years: labelling
3 years: stability
3-7 years: consistency (gender consistency)

Question 7

learning theories and gender development (2)

Answer 7

• social cognitive theory: model gender roles after others (family, other adults, peers, culture)
• operant conditioning: reinforcement following gender-typed behaviour

Question 8

Freud’s psychosexual theory

Answer 8

stage 3: phallic
- adoption of characteristic values behaviour of the SAME SEX parent
- must repressed sexual desire for opposite sex parent and identify with the same sex parent

Question 9

what are the two dimensions of child rearing?

Answer 9

• warm and cold dimension (positive): affectionate, caring, less physical discipline, etc.
• restrictive and permissive dimension (negative): few feelings of affection, complain about the child’s behaviour

Question 10

name four parenting styles

Answer 10

authoritative, authoritarian, permissive-indulgent, rejecting-neglecting

Question 11

how do parents enforce restrictions; discipline? (2)

Answer 11

• operant conditioning techniques: reinforcement vs punishment
• factors to consider: age, punishment, preventative measures, etc.

Question 12

what are three other factors influencing parenting styles?

Answer 12

• situation
• child’s temperament
• divorce

Question 13

what are three prosocial and altruistic behaviour? (3)

Answer 13

• empathy
• perspective-taking
• factors such as biological maturation of brain areas, cognitive development)

Question 14

what are three facts about aggression? (3)

Answer 14

• developmental pattern
• instrumental aggression and gender differences
• aggressive behaviour is consistent over time: temperament, self-regulation

Question 15

what are four facts on fearfulness? (4)

Answer 15

• peaks around 4 yo
• common fears: animals, dark, storms, doctors, imaginary creatures
• causes:
  1. cognitive theory: appearance-reality
  2. social cognitive theory: hearing/seeing others’ fear
  3. classically conditioned fears (ex. needles)
  4. biological anxiety: some fears are more innate
• helpful vs unhelpful parenting