W7 NOTES

Children's Social Self-Concept and Internalizing Problems: The Influence of Peers and Teachers. Developmental Pathways:  Peer rejection leads to declines in social self‐concept.  Impeded social self‐concept predicts the development of internalizing problems.  Partial support found for a protective role of individual support from teachers. Social Self-Concept and Internalizing Behavior:  Peer rejection negatively impacts social self-concept.  Poor social self-concept predicts internalizing problems. Teacher Support:  Individual support from teachers can buffer the effects of peer rejection on social self-concept.  Medium-high to high levels of teacher support protect against the adverse effects of peer rejection. Study Methodology:  Full autoregressive cross-lagged study design.  Data collected across Grades 2 and 3.  Models tested for sex, intervention status, and time effects.  Multilevel analyses used to examine teacher support moderation. Key Findings:  Peer rejection influences social self-concept, which in turn affects internalizing problems.  Individual teacher support may mitigate the negative impact of peer rejection on social self-concept.  Social self-concept acts as a mediator between peer rejection and internalizing problems. Limitations:  Relatively low reliability of social self-concept at Wave 1.  Sample represents an "advantaged" population.  Inability to establish causality due to study design.  Focus limited to peer rejection, other peer problems not considered. INDIVIDUALISM–COLLECTIVISM Meaning of Individualism-Collectivism:  Culture-Dependent Nature:  Corrective to universal significance of individuality.  Bipolar Dimension:  Societies arranged based on personal vs. group goal priority. Origins:  Introduction by Hofstede:  Detailed analysis of 40 national cultures.  Sociological Dimension:  Characterizes societies, not personalities. Current Status:  Continued Interest:  Stimulates cross-cultural psychology research.  Refinement Proposals:  Questioning bipolarity and proposing further differentiation. Refinement Issues:  Polar Opposites or Mixture?  Cultures exhibit signs of both individualism and collectivism.  Need for Differentiation:  Introduction of vertical-horizontal scheme for nuanced categorization.  Levels of Analysis:  Distinction between cultural and individual levels. Functional Interrelation:

 Impact on Socialization Practices:  Influence on child rearing practices in different cultures.  Examples:  Contrasting child rearing practices between Japan and the West.  Differences in nursery orientation between Asian and American cultures.  Varied descriptions of children by Kenyan and American mothers. INTERNALIZATION and: COMPLIANCE Meaning of Socialization:  Primary Goal:  Adoption of community values, standards, and conduct rules.  Progression:  Transition from external control to self-control.  Internalization Definition:  Acquisition of externally laid standards and values as one's own. Compliance in Socialization:  Definition:  Willingness to obey another person's request.  Developmental Role:  Necessary antecedent to internalization. Origins of Standards Transmission:  Didactic Transmission:  Parents teach children acceptable behavior.  Psychoanalytic Theory:  Children internalize parents' commands to resolve conflict. Critique and Refinement:  Complexity of Internalization:  More nuanced process than previously thought.  Bidirectional Socialization:  Children actively process parental messages and adapt them. Developmental Course:  Types of Compliance:  Situational vs. Committed compliance.  Relationship with Internalization:  Committed compliance as a precursor to internalization. View on Non-Compliance:  Positive Functionality:  Expression of autonomy and development of assertiveness strategies. National Institute of Justice Summary of School Safety Statistics - July 2017  School Safety Statistics Overview:  A comprehensive analysis of data related to school safety, encompassing various dimensions such as violence, bullying, and safety measures implemented in schools across the United States.  Key Findings:  Highlighted trends and patterns gleaned from the collected data, shedding light on the prevalence of school-related violence, the frequency and types of bullying incidents, and the efficacy of safety measures.  Violence Trends:

PEER GROUP STATUS and: SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING MODEL  Interpersonal Relationships Classification:  Interpersonal relationships are categorized as vertical or horizontal.  Vertical relationships involve unequal power dynamics (e.g., parent-child), while horizontal relationships are egalitarian (e.g., same-age peers).  Importance of Horizontal Relationships:  Traditionally, vertical relationships received more attention in child development research.  Recently, horizontal relationships have been recognized as crucial for socialization, potentially more influential than vertical relationships.  Peer Group Status:  Peer group status refers to a child's social standing within a group.  It includes characteristics like acceptance, rejection, popularity, and isolation. ORIGINS  Historical Background:  Early study of peer relations was limited despite pioneers like Parten (1932) and Moreno (1934).  Moreno's sociometry laid groundwork for understanding group dynamics, later applied to studying children's peer status.  Dimensions of Peer Status:  Initial focus was on liking and disliking.  Later, Coie et al. (1982) proposed a five-category model, including accepted, rejected, neglected, controversial, and average. CURRENT STATUS  Refinement of Categorization System:  Recent research reveals acceptance and rejection as distinct dimensions, each associated with different behaviors and antecedent conditions.  Further subdivisions, like rejected-aggressive and rejected-withdrawn, have been proposed.  Social Withdrawal:  Social withdrawal is consistent solitary behavior in peer encounters.  Linked to temperament and may lead to difficulties in social integration.  Consequences of Peer Status:  Accepted and neglected children are more likely to be well-adjusted.  Rejected children, especially rejected-aggressive, are at higher risk of socio-emotional problems.  Social Information Processing Model:  Dodge (1986) proposed a model to analyze cognitive mechanisms in social interaction.  Steps include encoding cues, interpreting them, selecting responses, and evaluating their effectiveness.  Importance of Understanding Peer Relationships:  Peer status serves as an indicator of future socio-emotional adjustment.  Investigation into mental processes during peer interaction can inform intervention strategies.

SOCIAL COMPETENCE MEANING  Definition Complexity:  Social competence, a widely used concept, lacks a unified definition.  Various definitions include attainment of social goals, effective interpersonal interaction, and culturally appropriate behavior.  Often equated with social maturity and adequacy of performance.  Divergence in Definitions:  The multitude of definitions reflects theoretical differences and value judgments.  Common operational definition emphasizes peer acceptance, favoring extraverted behavior over introverted.  Holistic Definition:  Social competence encompasses effectiveness in interaction, considering age, culture, situation, and goals. ORIGINS  Recognition of Importance:  Mid-20th century studies linked interpersonal skills to mental health indicators.  Early differentiation between proficient and deficient relationships in childhood led to the concept's emergence.  Early Conceptualization:  Initial studies explored social competence in terms of skills and functional outcomes.  Two approaches emerged: skill-based lists and outcome-focused functional criteria. CURRENT STATUS  Conceptual Disagreement:  Despite continued research, no consensus exists on operational definitions.  Theoretical models have not gained widespread acceptance.  Investigation Efforts:  Studies examine the relationship between peer acceptance, specific social skills, and overall social competence.  Moderately correlated skills suggest a lack of unity in social competence as a concept.  Associations with Other Characteristics:  Linked to temperament, emotional competence, coping strategies, and problem-solving skills.  Understanding the association with other characteristics remains a challenge.  Intervention Approaches:  Various intervention programs target deficient social skills, often using peer acceptance as a criterion.  The social information processing model identifies specific difficulties in interpersonal interaction and tailors training accordingly.

Lumen Life Span Development: Module 6: Middle Childhood - Psychosocial Development Self-Concept:  Middle childhood sees a shift towards a more realistic self-concept.  Influenced by peers, family, and media, children develop perceptions of their strengths and weaknesses. The Tweens:  Tweens, aged 8 to 12, are targeted by advertisers and heavily influenced by media portrayal of appearance and sexuality.  Products and messages aimed at tweens often emphasize independence and coolness, impacting their self- perception. Sexual Abuse:  Childhood sexual abuse profoundly affects self-concept and emotional well-being.  Victims face confusion, shame, and low self-esteem, with long-term impacts on mental health and relationships. Industry vs. Inferiority:  Erikson's theory highlights the importance of success in middle childhood activities to build confidence.  Failure to achieve leads to feelings of inferiority, shaping future self-esteem and motivation. Peer Relationships:  Peer acceptance plays a significant role in self-esteem during middle childhood.  Different peer groups, such as popular-prosocial and aggressive-rejected, influence children's behavior and adjustment. Family Life:  Middle childhood sees a shift towards spending more time with peers and less with parents.  Parenting styles vary, with authoritarian styles more common in certain cultural groups, impacting child confidence and happiness. Lumen Lifespan Development: Module 7: Adolescence - Social Development Identity Formation:  Erikson's concept of identity versus role confusion highlights adolescents' quest to answer "Who am I?" and "Who do I want to be?"  Adolescents navigate between parental expectations and peer influences to form their identities. Parent-Child Relationships:

 While peer relationships gain significance, positive parent-child relationships remain crucial for adolescents' well-being.  Adolescents seek independence but often maintain positive feelings towards their parents. Peer Interactions:  Adolescents spend more time with peers, shaping their social behavior and attitudes.  Peer groups influence behavior through homophily and deviant peer contagion, impacting adolescents' decisions and risk-taking behaviors. Crowds and Cliques:  Adolescents form crowds, reflecting shared reputations and identities, influencing social status and behavior.  Cliques, smaller groups with frequent interactions, contribute to adolescents' social development and sense of belonging. Romantic Relationships:  Adolescence marks the emergence of romantic relationships, often within mixed-sex peer groups.  Romantic relationships contribute to identity formation and emotional adjustment during adolescence. Identity Formation:  Theories like Erikson's and Marcia's highlight identity formation as central to adolescent development.  Identity statuses range from foreclosure to identity achievement, influenced by exploration and commitments. Aggression and Antisocial Behavior:  Models distinguish between early and late starters of antisocial behavior, affected by parenting and peer influences.  Adolescents may desist from antisocial behavior as they mature and encounter alternative opportunities. Anxiety and Depression:  Gender differences emerge in rates of anxiety and depression during adolescence, influenced by interpersonal relationships and social contexts.  Family adversity and maladaptive social relationships contribute to the stability of anxiety and depression over time. Academic Achievement:  Academic success during adolescence is influenced by familial, intrapersonal, and institutional factors.  High achievement sets the stage for future educational and occupational opportunities. Diversity:  Adolescents' experiences vary based on factors such as culture, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status.  Genetic variations and gene-environment interactions contribute to individual differences in adolescent development.