Chapter 8: The Preschool Years

1. Chapter 8: ThePreschool Years Module 3 Social and Personality Developmentin the Preschool Years

2. FORMING A SENSE OF SELF

3. Psychosocial Development: Resolving the Conflicts • INITIATIVE = desire to act independently from parents and becoming autonomous • GUILT = guilt of unintended consequences resulting in shame and self-doubt • 3 to 6 years 175

4. Definition - Identity - Set of beliefs about what we are like as individuals Self- Concept 176

5. Preschooler Self-Concept • Not “accurate” • More optimistic • Overestimates of abilities 176

6. Cultural Influence • View of self culturally bound • Collectivist Orientation: Asian • Individualistic Orientation: Western • View of self family tied • View of self individually directed 176

7. Psychosocial Development • Becoming their own person • Making own decisions • Shaping kind of person they are becoming 175

8. Developing Racial and Ethnic AwarenessDevelopmental Diversity • Racial and ethnic identity begins to formalize • Differences in skin color noticed early in life • Cultural meaning attached to differences comes later 176

9. Developmental Diversity • By age 3-4 years many preschoolers: • Differentiate races • Mirror social attitudes 176

10. Race Dissonance • Minority children indicate preferences for majority values or people • Result of powerful influence of dominant white culture • NOT disparagement of own racial characteristics 176

11. Gender Identity • Sense of being male or female • Well established by preschool years • By age 2 years: • Consistently label themselves and others as male and female 177

12. Gender Constancy • Kohlberg (1966) • By age 4-5, children develop understanding of gender constancy • Belief that people are permanently males or females because of fixed, unchangeable biological factors • Gender schemas occur well before gender constancy is understood 177

13. Gender and Play • Differences noted in play of male and female preschoolers • Males: • More rough and tumble play • Same sex playmate preference around 3 • Females: • Organized games and role playing • Same sex playmate preference around 2 177

14. Gender Expectations • Expectations about gender-appropriate behavior more rigid and gender-stereotyped than adults up to 5 years • Gender outweighs ethnic variables 177

15. Snips, and snails…. • Preschoolers expect boys to demonstrate: • Competence • Independence • Forcefulness • Competitiveness 177

16. Sugar and spice... • Preschoolers expect girls to demonstrate: • Warmth • Expressiveness • Nurturance • Submissiveness 177

17. Biological Inborn, genetic factors produce gender differences Social learning Gender related behavior learned from observations of others’ behaviors Cognitive Gender schemes form lens through which world is viewed Theoretical Perspectives on Gender 177

18. Social Learning Perspective on Gender • Gender related behaviors and expectations learned from observing others • Books, media, television perpetuate gender related behavior and expectations 178

19. Cognitive Perspective on Gender • Gender schema or cognitive framework organizes relevant gender information • Preschoolers begin developing “rules” about what is right and inappropriate for males and females 178

20. Bem There…Done That • Sandra Bem and androgynous children • Encouraged to follow gender roles that encompass characteristics thought typical of both sexes • Male-appropriate and female-appropriate traits 179

21. Review and Apply REVIEW • According to Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, preschool-age children move from the autonomy-versus-shame-and-doubt stage to the initiative-versus-guilt stage. • During the preschool years, children develop their self-concepts, beliefs about themselves that they derive from their own perceptions, their parents’ behaviors, and society. • Racial and ethnic awareness begins to form in the preschool years. 179

22. Review and Apply APPLY • What sorts of activities might you encourage a preschool boy to undertake to encourage him to adopt a less stereotypical gender schema? 179

23. FRIENDS AND FAMILY: PRESCHOOLERS’ SOCIAL LIVES

24. Preschoolers’ Social Lives • Increased interactions with the world at large • Peers with special qualities • Relationships based on companionship, play, entertainment • Friendship focused on completion of shared activities 180

25. A Friend Indeed…You Can’t Come to my Birthday Party! • View of friendship evolves with age and older preschoolers • See friendship as continuing state and stable relationship • Begin to understand concepts such as trust, support, shared interest 180

26. Playing by the Rules: The Work of Play • Children are interested in maintaining smooth social relationships with friends • Children try to avoid and/or solve disagreements 180

27. Learning to Play… Playing to Learn • Play is critical to the overall development of young children • Changes over time • Becomes more sophisticated, interactive, cooperative • Gradually more dependent on social and cognitive skills 180

28. How can adults help?

29. Categorizing Play • Functional play: simple, repetitive activities typical of 3-year-olds that may involve objects or repetitive muscular movements • Constructive play:activities in which children manipulate objects to produce or build something 180

30. Building…inside and out! • By age four, children engage in constructive play that: • Tests developing cognitive skills • Practices motor skills • Facilitates problem solving • Teaches cooperation 180

31. Social Aspects of PlayParten (1932) Parallel Play • Children play with similar toys, in a similar manner, but do not interact with each other 181

32. Social Aspects of PlayParten (1932) Onlooker Play • Children simply watch each other play 181

33. Social Aspects of PlayParten (1932) Solitary Play • Children play by themselves 181

34. Social Aspects of PlayParten (1932) Associative Play • Children interact with one another in groups of two or more • Children share or borrow toys or materials, but do not do the same thing 181

35. Social Aspects of PlayParten (1932) Cooperative Play • Children play with one another, take turns, play games, and devise contests 181

36. The Smallest Great Pretenders • Nature of pretend, or make-believe, play changes during the preschool period: • Becomes increasingly unrealistic and more imaginative • Change from using only realistic objects to using less concrete ones 181

37. What are you thinking, anyway? Preschoolers’ Theory of Mind • Related to: • Brain maturation • Hormonal changes • Developing language • Opportunities for social interaction and pretend play • Cultural background 181

38. Preschoolers’ Family Lives • Increased number of single parent headed families • Still most children do not experience upheaval and turmoil • Strong, positive relationships within families encourage relationships with other children 182

39. AUTHORITARIAN Exhibit controlling, rigid, cold style Value strict, unquestioning obedience AUTHORITATIVE Set firm, clear, consistent limits Allow disagreement and use reasoning, explanations, consequences Supportive parenting Effective Parenting: Teaching Desired Behavior Types of Parenting and Discipline Patterns (Baumrind, 1980) 182

40. UNINVOLVED Uninvolved in children’s lives Set few limits PERMISSIVE Involved with children Place little or no limits or control on children’s behavior Effective Parenting: Teaching Desired Behavior Types of Parenting and Discipline Patterns (Baumrind, 1980) 183

41. Power Assertion, Induction, and Withdrawal of Love Power Assertion: intended to stop undesirable behavior though physical or verbal enforcement of parental control; includes demands, threats, withdrawal of privileges, spankings. Generally induces fear. Least effective. Induction:encourage desirable behavior (or discourage undesirable behavior) by reasoning with child; includes setting limits, demonstrating logical consequences, explaining, discussion, getting ideas from child about what is fair. Most effective.

42. Power Assertion, Induction, and Withdrawal of Love Withdrawal of Love:may include ignoring, isolating, showing dislike for child. Psychological Aggression • Verbal attacks that may result in psychological harm; yelling, screaming, swearing, threatening to spank, threatening to kick out of house. Occurs in at least 2/10 households, likely 4-5/10 • 20% parents of toddlers engage in • 50% among parents of teens

43. Parenting Styles Authoritarian • High on control but low on responsiveness • Characterized by low warmth • Little positive involvement with their children • Set rigid rules • Discipline harshly • Expect obey because of parental authority

44. Parenting Styles Authoritative • Show warm, responsive involvement • Set appropriate and clear standards • Communicate openly • Provide rationale for rules • Show respect for children’s rights and opinions • Encourage autonomy and independence, resulting in social competence

45. Parenting Styles Permissive-Indulgent • Highly warm and responsive • Place few demands or expectations • Rules that exist are not clearly communicated or enforced so children left to make own decisions and regulate own behavior

46. Parenting Styles Permissive-Indifferent • Leave children alone to make their own decisions and control own behavior • Place few demands, neglectful • Appearing emotionally detached, show little or no involvement in their children’s lives

47. Consequences of Parenting Styles (Baumrind) Authoritative: Self-reliance Social responsibility Higher levels of achievement Authoritarian: Social incompetence Anxiety about social comparison Failure to show initiative Poor communication skills Lower school performance Lower self-esteem

48. Consequences of Parenting Styles (Baumrind) Permissive-indulgent: • Expect to get their own way • Show little respect for others • Never learn to control their own behavior • Lower school performance Permissive-Indifferent: • Social incompetence • Lack of self-control • Lower school performance However, no one right way to raise children. Cause-effect not demonstrated

49. Restrictive, punitive style; parents exhort child to follow their directions and respect their work and effort Authoritarian Encourages children to be independent but still places limits and controls on their actions Authoritative Neglectful Parent very uninvolved in child’s life Parents very involved with children, place few demands/controls on them Indulgent Parenting Baumrind’s Parenting Styles

50. Does parental discipline style result in differences in child behavior?