1. Review the Brief Chapter Summary.
2. Answer and submit the Learning Objectives. Write the question and then the answer.
3. Complete and submit the Learning Activity. Write the question and then the answer.
BRIEF CHAPTER SUMMARY
Erikson's stage of initiative versus guilt offers an overview of the personality changes of early childhood. During the
preschool years, children's self-concepts begin to take shape. Their self-esteem is high, supporting their enthusiasm
for mastering new skills. Preschoolers' growing self-understanding includes awareness of the I-self and me-self,
which forms the basis of self-concept. Self-esteem emerges and differentiates, and children gain in understanding of
emotion, emotional self-regulation, capacity to experience self-conscious emotions, and capacity for empathy and
sympathy. Cognition, language, and warm, sensitive parenting support these developments.
During the preschool years, peers provide an important context for the development of a wide range of social
skills. Peer interaction increases, cooperative play becomes common, and children form first friendships.
Preschoolers learn to use their new social problem-solving skills to resolve conflicts. Peer relations are influenced by
parental encouragement and the quality of sibling ties.
Three approaches to understanding early childhood morality - psychoanalytic, social learning, and cognitive developmental -
emphasize different aspects of moral functioning. Although most researchers reject Freud's account
of conscience development, the power of inductive discipline is recognized. Social learning theorists believe that
children learn to act morally through modeling, while the cognitive-developmental perspective regards children as
active thinkers about social rules. A hostile family atmosphere, poor parenting practices, and heavy viewing of violent
television and other media promote childhood aggression, which can develop into serious antisocial activity.
Gender typing develops rapidly over the preschool years. Heredity contributes to gender-typed behavior, but
environmental forces - parents, siblings, teachers, peers, media, and the broader social environment - also play
powerful roles. Neither cognitive-developmental theory nor social learning theory provide a complete account of the
development of gender identity. Gender schema theory is an information-processing approach that shows how
environmental pressures and children;s cognition combine to affect gender-role development.
Compared to children of authoritarian and permissive parents, children whose parents use an authoritative style
are most likely to be well-adjusted and socially mature. Warmth, explanations, and reasonable demands for mature
behavior account for the effectiveness of the authoritative style. Child-rearing beliefs and practices vary in different
ethnic groups, so child-rearing styles should always be viewed in light of cultural values and the circumstances in
which parents and children live.
Child maltreatment, including both abuse and neglect, is the combined result of factors within the family, the
community, and the broader culture. Interventions at all of these levels are essential for preventing it.
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
10.1 Describe Erikson -Õs initiative versus guilt stage, noting the personality changes that take place during this
stage. (p. 366)
10.2 Discuss preschoolers -Õ self-concepts and the development of autobiographical memory and self-esteem.
(pp. 366Ð369)
10.3 Identify changes in understanding and expressing emotion during early childhood, citing factors that
influence those changes. (pp. 369Ð372)
10.4 Discuss the development of self-conscious emotions, empathy, and sympathy during early childhood, noting
how parenting and temperament affect emotional development in these areas. (pp. 372Ð373)
10.5 Describe advances in peer sociability over the preschool years, with particular attention to Parten -Õs play
types, and discuss cultural variations in peer sociability. (pp. 374Ð376)
10.6 Describe the quality of preschoolers -Õ first friendships, noting how parents and siblings influence early peer
relations, and discuss the emergence of social problem solving during early childhood. (pp. 376Ð379)
10.7 Compare the central features of psychoanalytic, social learning, and cognitive-developmental approaches to
moral development. (pp. 380Ð386)
10.8 Trace milestones in preschoolers -Õ moral understanding, highlighting the importance of social experience.
(p. 386)
10.9 Describe the development of aggression in early childhood, including family and media influences, and cite
ways to control aggressive behavior. (pp. 386Ð391)
10.10 Describe preschoolers -Õ gender-stereotyped beliefs and behaviors, and discuss genetic and environmental
influences on gender-role development. (pp. 391Ð395)
10.11 Describe and evaluate the major theories of gender identity development, and cite ways to reduce gender
stereotyping in young children. (pp. 395Ð398)
10.12 Describe the three features that distinguish major styles of child rearing. Compare each style, indicating
which is most effective, and discuss cultural variations in child-rearing beliefs and practices. (pp. 398Ð401)
10.13 Describe the multiple origins of child maltreatment, its consequences for development, and prevention
strategies. (pp. 401Ð405)
LEARNING ACTIVITY 10.8: Evaluating Gender-Stereotyping in Children -Õs Cartoons and Storybooks (pp. 391Ð394)
You are to watch several children -Õs cartoons and/or obtain two or three children -Õs picture and beginning-reader
books. Using examples from the cartoons and books, describe how males and females are represented.
1. Are characters portrayed in gender-stereotyped roles?
2. Are males and females equally represented in exciting plot activities?
3. Are the behaviors, attitudes, and characteristics of male and female characters strongly gender stereotyped?
4. Are newer cartoons and books less gender-stereotyped than those from a decade or more ago? Explain.