SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Self-Concept: One’s perceptions of one’s unique attributes or traits.

Looking-Glass Self:

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Must first achieve self recognition before developing a sense of who or what you are (i.e. rouge on nose!)

Theory of Mind – coherent understanding of your own and others’ rich mental lives.

* desire theory of mind* belief-desire theory

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Developmental Changes in Self Descriptions

Mention DECREASES with age for:

• actions (e.g. “I can play Twinkle, Twinkle.”)

• likes/dislikes (e.g. “I love pizza.”)• physical characteristics (e.g. “I

have curly red hair.”)• body image (e.g. “I’m short.”)• gender (e.g. “I’m a girl.”)• possessions (e.g. “I have a gerbil.”)• citizenship/territory (e.g. “I’m an

American.”, “I live on Birch Street.”)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Developmental Changes in Self Descriptions

Mention INCREASES with age for:• age category “I’m almost 18.”• family role “I’m the youngest child”.• interpersonal style “I’m very talkative.”• sense of determination “I’m pretty

ambitious and work hard.”• sense of unity “I’m kind of mixed

up right now.”• psychic style “I’m a moody person, but really curious about things.”• ideology/personal beliefs “I’m not

a Republican/Democrat, etc.”

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem: One’s evaluation of one’s worth as a person based on an assessment of the qualities that make up the self-concept.

Origins of Self Esteem

1. 2.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

What Do Low-Self-Esteem Children Need/Want from Adults?

Smith and Smoll (1990) studied 542 Little League players (all boys, 11.12 years) and 51 coaches.

• 14-item measure of self esteem

• 10 questions on attitude towards baseball (home interview)

• Coaches behavior 3+ games observed and coded

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

What Do Low-Self-Esteem Children Need/Want from Adults?

Coaches behaviors that were coded:

Coaches Reactive Behaviors• Reinforcement• Nonreinforcement• Mistake-contingent

encouragement• Mistake-contingent technical

instruction• Punishment• Punitive technical instruction• Ignoring mistakes• Keeping control

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

What Do Low-Self-Esteem Children Need/Want from Adults?

Coaches behaviors that were coded:

Coaches Reactive Behaviors

Coaches Spontaneous Behaviors• General technical instruction• General encouragement• Organization• General communication

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

What Do Low-Self-Esteem Children Need/Want from Adults?

Results:

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

What Can We Do to Enhance the Self-Esteem of Children Who

Don’t Have a Very High Evaluation of Themselves?

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

What Can We Do to Enhance the Self-Esteem of Children Who

Don’t Have a Very High Evaluation of Themselves?

(Based on the research of Smith & Smoll as well as Harter, Stipek, Dweck and their colleagues 1985, 1987)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Achievement

Intrinsic Orientation:

Extrinsic Orientation:

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Achievement

Mastery Orientation:

Learned helplessness:

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Home and Family Influences on Mastery Motivation and

Achievement

• Child is securely attached

• Parents provide intellectually stimulating environment

• Parents reinforce self-reliant behavior

• Parents set high standards and encourage children to do well

(CONTINUED….)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Home and Family Influences on Mastery Motivation and

Achievement

• Parents reward successes and are not overly critical of failures

• Parents are warm and accepting, but set standards, monitor progress, & provide guidance.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Weiner’s Attribution Theory

High Achievers• Attribute successes to stable,

internal causes (high ability)• Attribute failures to unstable

factors (insufficient effort, bad luck)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Weiner’s Attribution Theory

High Achievers• Attribute successes to

• Attribute failures to

Low Achievers• Attribute successes to

• Attribute failures to

Fostering a Mastery Pattern of Achievement and Preventing

Learned Helplessness

1. Praise successes and attribute to ability.

2. Attribute failures to lack of effort.

3. Provide failure and success experiences and emphasize the need to try harder after failures.

4. Set individual learning goals that emphasize improvement rather than competitive performance goals.

5. View mistakes as something to learn from rather than a sign of insufficient ability.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTJ. Marcia’s Identity Statuses

Identity Diffusion

No No

Foreclosure No Yes

Moratorium Yes No

Identity Achieved

Yes Yes

Status Search Commitment

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTInfluences on Identity Formation

1. Cognitive Influences

1. Parenting Influences

1. Scholastic Influences

1. Social-cultural Influences