Social and Personality Development in Early

ChildhoodSlideShare Assignment

PSY-1170By: Janay Damen

Attachment

Attachment quality predicts behavior in young children. Securely attached children show

fewer behavioral problems. Securely attached 4-5 year olds are

more likely to have positive relationships with their preschool teachers (DeMulder et al., 2000).

Insecurely attached children display more anger & aggression towards peers and adults in social situations.

Family relationships are one of the most influential factors in early childhood development.

Parenting StylesAuthoritarian: High levels of control, low

levels of warmth and

communication

Permissive: High nurturance, low

maturity demands, control &

communication

Uninvolved: low in nurturance, maturity demands, control & communication

Authoritative: High in nurturance, maturity demands, control & communication

Parenting Styles Continued…Authoritarian: Children in these types of families typically do not perform as well in school, have lower self-esteem & are typically less socially skilled than other children. Permissive: These children underperform slightly in school during adolescence, and are likely to be more aggressive & somewhat immature. They are less likely to take responsibility & are less independent than other children.

Uninvolved: These children show disturbances in their social relationships for many years. They tend to be more impulsive & antisocial, less competent with their peers & much less achievement oriented in school.Authoritative: These children typically show higher self-esteem & are more independent. They are more likely to comply with parental requests & may also show more altruistic behavior. They are self confident & achievement oriented in school & often get better grades than other children.

The four aspects of family functioning described by developmentalist Diana Baumrind:

1) Warmth & Nurturance2) Clarity & Consistency of rules3) Level of expectations (maturity demands)4) Communication between parent and child

Family Structure Lone parenthood of children aged 4-11

was associated with double the rates of emotional disorders, conduct disorders, hyperactivity, failing a grade and problems with relationships (Landy & Tam, 1998).

Studies show that there is no significant differences in sexual orientation & identity, self-esteem, adjustment or qualities of social relationships between children raised by same-sex parents and children raised by heterosexual parents (Patterson, 2006, 2009).

Divorce Children typically exhibit declines in school performance, and show more aggressive, defiant, negative or depressed behaviour in the years following a divorce (Greene et al., 2006).

Children with divorced or separated parents have a higher prevalence of: Anxiety Emotional Disorders Hyperactivity Inattention Physical Addiction(Human Resources Development Canada, 2001).

Relating to Peers Through Play

Cooperative Play: 3-4 years old. Working together to accomplish a goal.

Associative Play: 18 months. Pursue individual activities but also engage in

spontaneous social interactions.

Parallel Play: 14-18 months. Sometimes cooperating, but mostly

playing side by side.

Solitary Play: Children of every age spend some of their time playing

alone.

Aggression and Family Environment

Aggressive behavior tends to run in families.

Most children become less aggressive during their preschool years.

Children who were frequently punished at 2-3 years of age were found to be significantly more aggressive than other children.

Children who’s parents punished them frequently also showed higher levels of anxiety.

(Statistics Canada, 2005).

Prosocial Behaviour and Friendships

Prosocial behaviour is behaviour intended to help another person.

Altruistic behaviour is first noted in children at about 2 or 3 years of age. Children will often share a toy, offer to help another child who is feeling sick, or try to comfort another child who is crying or upset.

At about 18 months of age, some toddlers show playmate preferences or individual friendships.

By age 3, only 20% have a stable playmate.

By age 4, more than half of children spend at least 30% of their time with another child.

Gender Development

2 years of age:Most children can correctly label themselves as boys or girls.

2 ½ - 3 years of age:Most children can correctly label others as male or female.

4 years of age:Most children understand that gender stays the same and does not change.

Sex-Typed Behaviour

18-24 months of age:Children begin to show

preferences for sex-stereotyped toys. This is months before they can positively identify their own

gender.

3 years of age:Children show a preference for same-sex friends & are more

sociable towards children of the same sex.

Sex-typed behaviour describes the different patterns of behaviour displayed by boys and girls.

This topic is relevant to me personally because I find it very interesting, and I can use this knowledge to examine my own behavior as a child. I definitely think that I was raised in a loving and nurturing home environment, but this information has helped me to understand more about the reasons why I am the way I am.

This information will be useful to me in my personal life because I aim to become a Registered Nurse; so knowing about how children develop their social skills and personalities may help me to provide better care for them in my future practice.

References

Boyd, D., Johnson, P., & Bee, H. (2015). Lifespan Development.

(5th ed.). New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education, Inc.