Middle Childhood Flashcards
Developmental Themes of Middle Childhood
Middle Childhood, ages 6-12, is characterized by a child culture characterized by rules, reciprocity and fairness. Erikson described middle childhood as Industry vs. Inferiority. As children make the transition from early to middle childhood, their capacity to play games unfolds. Their focus is on developing rules, ensuring fairness, and creating sanctions for rule breaking. Successful adaptation to friendships and peer groups is a major developmental task for this age group.
Erikson’s Industry vs. Inferiority
Children in this stage develop competence in intellectual, social physical skills. Children who fail to gain this sense of competence may develop feelings of inferiority.
Piaget’s Concrete Operational Stage
Stage where a series of operations or mental actions are reversible and are characterized by rules of logic. The child’s thinking is limited to real objects. Child at this stage cannot use logic of formal operations to compare the ideal with the actual or to think hypothetically. This stage is characterized by becoming less egocentric.
Peer Group Roles
Groups of age-mates that are durable and involve interactions based on an established set of social relationships. These groups have shared values and goals. Often children in cliques are identified by their social prejudices, speech and/or clothing styles. Within the group, each individual will have a certain role or status.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Describes qualities such as understanding one’s own feelings, empathy for the feelings of others, and regulating emotions in ways that enhance life.
Behavior Modification
Based on behavioral principles: reinforcement, punishment, extinction, differential reinforcement, stimulus control.
Growth and Physical Development
Continues steadily but may vary among children of same age; fine and gross motor skills advance; very susceptible to injuries, especially during sports; asthma and obesity are prevalent;
Self-esteem
confidence in one’s own worth or abilities; self-respect
Self-competence
refers to perceptions of ability in broad academic areas, such as how good of a student one is in general; may also refer to perceived ability in subject areas as a whole
Peer rejection
Happens to children who are rejected by their peers; many children from non dominant groups experience this because of language differences, misunderstandings of cultural traditions and distinct cultural rules
metalinguistic awareness
refers to language abilities, playing with language, making up languages; the ability to go beyond the information - extrapolate; around 10 can understand a phrase like “green with envy”; appreciate humor
methods of discipline
controls how children operate in the world
methods of discipline: love withdrawal
breaking of connection: creates fear, relates to abandonment
methods of discipline: power assertion
physical punishment, threat of punishment, physical attempts to control behavior; increases children’s aggresive tendencies; provides a model for aggressive behavior; creates low self-worth;
methods of discipline: induction
involves use of explanation and rationality in attempting to influence the child’s actions; helps the child develop an understanding of why he or she should act in the requested manner; helps children develop internal moral standards; helps them gain experience in exercising self-control and learn to display more consideration and generosity toward others when compared with children who have been disciplined with power assertion techniques
