family, self, and peers Flashcards
conception of self
conceptual system made up of one’s thoughts and attitudes about one’s self, including:
- gender, appearance, possessions, values, beliefs, preferences, etc
Self in age 3 to 4
understanding in terms of concrete, observable
characteristics related to physical attributes, activities, abilities, & psychological traits
– unrealistically positive
– sense of self over time: coincides with first
autobiographical memories
Self in middle to late primary school
Conceptions of self begin to become integrated and more broadly encompassing
- older children rely on objective performance
Self in early adolescents
- thinking about the self is characterized by a form of egocentrism called the personal fable
- This kind of egocentrism causes many adolescents to be preoccupied with what others think of them
- The imaginary audience refers to the belief that everyone is focused on the adolescent’s appearance and behavior
Self in middle teens
adolescents often begin to agonize over the contradictions in their behavior and characteristics
Self in late adolescence and early adulthood
- Self becomes both more integrated and less
determined by what others think - Reflect internalized personal values, beliefs, and standards
- Adult support important in helping adolescents understand the complexity of personalities
Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development
- basic trust vs.mistrust (yr1)
- autonomy vs. shame and doubt (1-3.5 yrs)
- initiative vs guilt (4-6 yrs)
- industry vs. inferiority (6 to puberty)
- identity vs. role confusion (adolescence-early adulthood)
Erikson’s S1: basic trust vs.mistrust (yr1)
focuses on developing trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and affection. A lack of these can lead to mistrust
Erikson’s S2: autonomy vs. shame and doubt (1-3.5 yrs)
Children develop a sense of personal control over physical skills and a sense of independence.
Erikson’s S3: initiative vs guilt (4-6 yrs)
asserting control and power over the environment. Children who succeed feel capable and able to lead others; those who fail may feel guilty about their needs and desires
Erikson’s S3: industry vs. inferiority (6 to puberty)
Children need to cope with new social and academic demands. Success leads to a sense of competence, while failure results in feelings of inferiority
Erikson’s S5: identity vs. role confusion (adolescence-early adulthood)
developing a sense of self and personal identity. Success leads to identity achievement, while failure results in role confusion and a weak sense of self
identity confusion
incomplete and sometimes incoherent sense of self, with resulting feelings of isolation and depression
identity diffusion
i can’t figure it out, i’ll just forget about it —> no progress towards resolving contradiction of itself
identity foreclosure
can arise if adolescent prematurely commit themselves to an identity without adequately considering their choices
- e.g. parents want kid to be doctor when they grow up, and kid just accepts it and becomes doctor because of parents
negative identity
identity that represent opposite of what is valued by people around the adolescent
psychosocial moratorium
a time-out period during which adolescent is not expected to take on adult roles and can pursue activities that lead to self-discovery
influences on identity formation
- approach parents take with their children (e.g. parenting style)
- individual’s own behavior (e.g. drug use undermines teens’ abilities to develop healthy identities)
- larger social context (e.g. SES)
- historical context (e.g. equal rights movement, religious rules/ expectations)
function of families
- survival of offspring
- economic function
- cultural training
ways parents socialize their children:
- parents as direct instructors: telling your kid how to tie shoelaces, ride a bike, etc
- parents as indirect socializers: not directly telling your kid what or how to do something, rather kid learns from parents actions
- e.g. if a kid lives in a household where dad always expects that wife serves food and cleans dishes, the kid will learn that this is ‘okay’ - parents as social managers: parents controls kids time, so parents control what the kid is exposed to and relationships they develop, etc.
- e.g. allowing your kid to spend time and have play-dates with kids that have good values
critical axis that parents vary along:
supportiveness and demandingness
authorative parents (characteristics of parent and child)
high in demandingness and high in supportiveness
typical parent characteristics:
- set clear standards and limits for their children and firm about enforcing them
- allow children considerable autonomy within those limits
- are attentive and responsive to their children’s concerns and needs, respect and consider their child’s perspective
typical child characteristics:
- competent
- self-assured
- popular
- high in coping skills
- low in antisocial behaviors in childhood
- in adolescence: high in social and academic competence, positive behavior, low in problem behavior
authoritarian parents (characteristics of parent and child)
high in demandingness and low in supportiveness
typical parent characteristics:
- non-responsive to their children’s needs
- enforce their demands through the exercise of parental power and use of threats and punishment
- are oriented toward obedience and authority
- expect children to comply without question or explanation
typical child’s characteristics:
- low in social and academic competence in childhood and adolescence
- as children they tend to be unhappy/unfriendly, with boys affected more negatively than girls in early childhood
- low in self-confidence
permissive parents (characteristics of parent and child)
low in demandingness and high in supportiveness
typical parent characteristics:
- highly responsive to their children’s needs
- low demanding
- don’t require that their children regulate themselves or act in appropriate or mature ways
typical child characteristics:
- as children, they tend to be impulsive, lacking in self control, and low in school achievement
- as adolescents, they engage in more school misconduct and drug use than do those with authoritative parents
