Chapter 8: Middle Childhood

HN 144: Human BehaviorHN 144: Human Behavior

Instructor: Jamie C. Sherman, MAInstructor: Jamie C. Sherman, MA

Middle childhood is ages 6-12 Erickson’s stage? Industry vs. Inferiority Focus on developing rules, ensuring fairness,

and creating penalties for rule-breaking! Successful adaptation to friendships and peer

groups are major developmental task for this age group!

Chapter 8: Middle Childhood

Biophysical Growth and Development

Boys and girls exhibit slow but consistent growth pattern

Girls retain fat tissue longer; boys develop muscle tissue more quickly

Continued development in large and small muscle groups enhances coordination, agility, and smoothness

Boys develop better gross motor development, girls develop better fine motor skills


Biophysical Strengths, Hazards, and Risks

Major developments occur in both cognitive and physical capacities

Advanced reasoning, increased vocabulary, and interest in reading develops

Environmental conditions can once again impact development; poverty and lack of food can be damaging

Physical activity can drop off significantly during childhood/adolescence causing obesity

Why overweight? Lack of knowledge, athletics become more competitive, parents stop signing up children for activities, academic demands take over, etc.


Cognitive Development and Information Processing

Piaget says concrete operational thought! This means that thought is governed by rules of logic

Children now becoming less egocentric, can show reversible thought, and conservation skills

Information processing is also relevant to a child’s social relationships

Skill deficits in how children process information may influence behavior interactions

IQ tests measured by dividing mental age/chronological age and multiplying by 100

Multiple types of IQ tests available (such as Stanford-Binet)

Concerns with IQ tests include: labeling and classifying children as well as cultural biases


Communication

Period of linguistic refinement Communication becomes increasingly important for

the social life of children; therefore deficits in communication have social consequences (speech disorders like stuttering, ones associated with other disabilities, etc)

The controversy over bilingual education (students tend to outperform but most people feel English is the most important language)

Language abilities can be influenced by cultural experiences


Attitudes and Emotions

Emotional development becomes prominent, esp. in regards to social interactions

Middle-age children are often seen as more irritable, cranky, and more easily provoked

Emotional competence includes: experiencing emotions, expressing emotions, and understanding emotions


Social Cognition and Regulation

Social role-taking is the reduction of egocentric thought

Role-taking ability-to see things from another person’s perspective-changes around 12 years of age (child can think of him/herself AND someone else)

A child’s interpersonal awareness, involvements in friendships and peer groups can be seen as a series of steps that a child progresses through

Peer relationships/friendships can help children adjust to other difficulties throughout life


Psychological Strengths, Hazards, and Risks

One of the most important strengths during this time is development of self-esteem/self-worth

How other people see them and how they see themselves develops into their thoughts/feelings about who they are (but can also depend on the situation)

ADHD affects 8-10% of children (3 boys for every 1 girl), impacts attention and activity levels

Cause ADHD is most likely imbalance in brain’s neurotransmitters

Can treat with medication but may also need combination of behavioral treatment/interventions


Groups, Families, Communities, and Support Systems

Children now prefer to spend time with peers, can lead to development of cliques

Friendships provide for unique learning of critical social skills, children who are rejected by peers are at risk for adjustment problems

Although children of this age prefer to spend time with friends, its important that parents still provide for a safe, authoritative structure

DISCIPLINE! Power-assertive-physical discipline, threat of punishment

(tends to increase aggressive tendencies) Love withdrawal-withdrawing love when a child’s behavior is

inappropriate (can create fear) Induction-use of explanation and rationality in attempting to

influence child’s reactions (helps to develop internal moral standards, helps children to exercise self-control)


School!

Major socializing agent As much as 10% of children experience school phobia

(anxiety and fear related to school) PL 94-142 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

is the amended Pl94-142)-addresses educational rights of students with disabilities, also addressed transition services

Under this law, children must be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary team to develop objectives and create an IEP that is specific to that particular child’s needs

Many professionals within the school are involved in the IEP process


Multicultural and Gender Considerations

Racial identity begins to form in middle childhood Families who identify with their ethnic roots are

more likely to teach their children about their ethnic background

Rites of passage and mentoring programs are helping young African-American men cope with the difficulties they face from stereotyping and other societal pressures. These programs reinforce values such as self-respect, responsibility, and dedication to family, community, and one another

Children also begin sex-typed behavior and become aware of sex-role stereotypes


Social Strengths, Hazards, and Risks

Neighborhoods and communities provide social context for child’s development

Witnessing violence in the harm can lead to negative effects-children may repeat same patterns

Bullying occurs most frequently between the 6th and 8th grades, depression and anxiety are factors

Divorce rates impact children-girls tend to fare better following divorce

Five factors help adjustment to divorce-financial support, adequate parenting by the custodial parents, emotional support from the noncustodial parent, additional social support, and a minimum of stressors


Seminar 5 complete! Any questions?


Documents

Chapter 8: Middle Childhood