Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Main Campus, Sumacab Este, Cabanatuan City
College Of Education

Part 5: THE SCHOOL YEARS

CHAPTER XIII:
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Submitted by:

HEIDI LASCA
BSIE III-A

Submitted to:

NAME
Subject Teacher
 Part 5: THE SCHOOL YEARS
CHAPTER XIII: PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

School-age children increasingly come to define who they are in terms of others, are
more independent, and begin spending more and more time with their peers. In his
psychoanalytic theory, Erickson called this stage a time of industry versus inferiority.

13.1 AN EXPANDING SOCIAL WORLD

Relationships are the core of social-emotional development. A child’s ability to establish

and keep relationships is a very important aspect of their development. This is primarily seen in a
child’s ability to make and keep friends. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
friendships allow children to “broaden their horizons beyond the family unit, begin to experience
the outside world, form a self-image, and develop a social support system.”

The Ability to Manage Emotions

As children grow, they learn how to regulate their emotions and feelings. The emotional
surges we see in young children, such as crying when separating from their family or hitting
when they become frustrated, will begin to lessen as the children age. School-age children will
begin to have a better understanding of what emotions are and will be able to discuss how they
are feeling. Feeling of sympathy and empathy for others will also begin to develop.

The Social World Expands

School and social interaction play an important role during this time of a child’s life. A
child's social world expands considerably as they enter school and gain new friendships with
peers. Through social interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their
accomplishments and abilities.

During the earlier stages, a child’s interactions centered primarily on caregivers, family
members, and others in their immediate household. As the school years begin, the realm of social
influence increases dramatically.

Friends and classmates play a role in how children progress through the industry versus
inferiority stage. Through proficiency at play and schoolwork, children are able to develop a
sense of competence and pride in their abilities. By feeling competent and capable, children are
able to also form a strong self-concept.

During social interactions with peers, some children may discover that their abilities are
better than those of their friends or that their talents are highly prized by others. This can lead to
feelings of confidence. In other cases, kids may discover that they are not quite as capable as the
other kids, which can result in feelings of inadequacy.
Schoolwork Helps Build Competency and Confidence

At earlier stages of development, children were largely able to engage in activities for fun
and to receive praise and attention. Once school begins, actual performance and skill are
evaluated. Grades and feedback from educators encourage kids to pay more attention to the
actual quality of their work.

During the industry versus inferiority stage, children become capable of performing
increasingly complex tasks. As a result, they strive to master new skills. Children who are
encouraged and commended by parents and teachers develop a feeling of competence and belief
in their abilities. Those who receive little or no encouragement from parents, teachers, or peers
will doubt their ability to be successful.

Children who struggle to develop this sense of competence may emerge from this stage
with feelings of failure and inferiority. This can set the stage for later problems in development.
People who don't feel competent in their ability to succeed may be less likely to try new things
and more likely to assume that their efforts will not measure up under scrutiny.

The Events of This Stage Can Help Build or Undermine Self-Confidence

According to Erikson, this stage is vital in developing self-confidence. During school and
other social activities, children receive praise and attention for performing various tasks such as
reading, writing, drawing, and solving problems.

Kids who do well in school are more likely to develop a sense of competence and
confidence. They feel good about themselves and their ability to succeed.

Children who struggle with schoolwork may have a harder time developing these feelings
of sureness. Instead, they may be left with feelings of inadequacy and inferiority.

How Can Parents and Teachers Foster Success During the Industry vs. Inferiority Stage?

At this stage, it is important for both parents and teachers to offer support and
encouragement. However, adults should be careful not to equate achievement with acceptance
and love. Unconditional love and support from adults can help all children through this stage, but
particularly those who may struggle with feelings of inferiority.

Children who are overpraised, on the other hand, might develop a sense of arrogance.
Clearly, balance plays a major role at this point in development.

13.2 MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Moral development involves children learning how to tell the difference between right
and wrong; to use this knowledge to arrive at appropriate decisions when faced with complicated
choices; and to have the strength and independence to act in accordance with that right decision
(to "do the right thing") despite the fact that it may not be a convenient thing to do. As with other
components of development, morality is shaped by multiple factors. Children's interpersonal
experiences with family, peers, and other adults, as well as their maturing physical, cognitive,
emotional and social skills combine to influence moral development.

Piaget's Theory of Moral Development

According to Piaget's original formulation, children between the ages of 5 and 10 years
see the world through the lens of a "heteronomous" (other-directed) morality. In this moral
understanding, rules handed down by authority figures (such as parents, teachers and government
leaders) are seen as absolute and unbreakable. Basically, children accept that authority figures
have godlike powers, and are able to make rules that last forever, do not change, and must be
followed. Children's reasoning regarding why these rules should be followed is generally based
squarely upon their appreciation of consequences associated with breaking the rules. As breaking
the rules tends to lead to negative personal consequences, most children follow the rules as a way
to avoid being punished.

Children's appreciation of morality changes towards the end of middle childhood as a

result of their recently developed ability to view situations from other people's perspectives. As
children develop the ability to put themselves into someone else's shoes, their appreciation of
morality becomes more autonomous (self-directed) and less black and white and absolutist in
nature. Piaget called this expanded appreciation a "morality of cooperation". Starting at about
age 10 or 11 and continuing through adolescence, children will have generally begun to view
moral rules as socially-agreed upon guidelines designed to benefit the group. Children using this
frame of reference still feel that it is important to follow rules, but these rules are viewed as
complex, somewhat negotiable guidelines that are meant to improve everyone's lives. Children
realize that making choices about following the rules should be based on something more than
fear of negative personal consequences or desire for individual gain. Decisions affect everyone;
and can benefit and/or hurt everyone.

Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development

According to Kohlberg, children early in their middle childhood stage of development

will typically display "Pre-conventional" moral reasoning. Children displaying pre-conventional
moral reasoning have internalized basic culturally prescribed rules governing right and wrong
behavior. For instance, they will appreciate that it is considered immoral to steal from others;
that you must earn or be given things and not simply take them. Children will tend to live in
accordance with these rules but primarily for selfish reasons, as a way of avoiding punishment
and obtaining praise for themselves. At this point in time, they will appreciate their ability to
make different kinds of choices, and also the reality of consequences associated with those
choices. They realize that morally good behaviors attract praise and positive regard from peers
and adults, while morally bad choices bring about unpleasant consequences and negative regard.
They act accordingly, in a hedonistic manner so as to maximize their personal pleasant
consequences.
13.3 THE PEER GROUP

Peers play important roles in children’s lives at much earlier points in development than
we might have thought. Experiences in the first two or three years of life have implications for
children’s acceptance by their classmates in nursery school and the later school years. Children
who are competent with peers at an early age, and those who show pro-social behavior, are
particularly likely to be accepted by their peers.

It is evident that aggressive school-age children are often rejected by their peers, although
aggression does not always preclude peer acceptance. It is therefore clear that peer relations pose
special challenges to children with disorders and others who lack the emotional, cognitive and
behavioral skills that underlie harmonious interaction. The risk for children with early behavioral
and emotional problems is exacerbated by the peer rejection they experience. Conversely, early
friendships and positive relations with peer groups appear to protect children against later
psychological problems.

13.4 FAMILIES IN SCHOOL YEARS

Genes affect temperament as well as ability peers are vital and schools and cultures
influence what, and how much, children learn parental practices make a difference in how
children develop...or do they? Some developmental researchers have expressed doubts,
suggesting that genes, peers, and communities are so powerful that there may be little room left.

Shared and Non-shared Environment

1. Shared environment

Household influences that are the same for two people, such as children reared
together

2. Non-shared environment

When siblings have different friends and different teachers

Family Function and Dysfunction

Family structure

The legal and genetic relationship (nuclear, extended, step) among relatives in the same
home.
Family Function

The way a family works to meet the needs of its members...children need families to
provide basic material necessities, encourage learning, develop self-respect, nurture friendships,
and foster harmony and stability,

School-age children thrive if their families function for them in five ways:

 Provide basic necessities

 Encourage learning
 Develop self-respect
 Nurture peer relationships
 Ensure harmony and stability

The Family Influence on Children's Morals

In the formation of children's morals no outside influence is greater than that of the
family. Through punishment, reinforcement and both direct and indirect teaching, families instill
morals in children, and help them to develop beliefs that reflect the values of their culture.
Although families' contributions to children's moral development is broad, there are particular
ways in which morals are most effectively conveyed and learned

Fairness

The notion of what is fair is one of the central moral lessons that children learn in the
family context. Families set boundaries on the distribution of resources, such as food and living
spaces, and allow members different privileges based on age, gender and employment. The way
in which a family determines what is fair affects children's development of ideas about rights and
entitlements, and also influences their notions of sharing, reciprocity and respect.

Justice

Families establish rules for right and wrong behavior, which are maintained through
positive reinforcement and punishment. Positive reinforcement is the reward for good behavior,
and helps children learn that certain actions are encouraged above others. Punishment, by
contrast, helps to deter children from engaging in bad behaviors, and from an early age helps
children to understand that actions have consequences. This system additionally helps children to
make decisions about how to act, as they begin to consider the outcomes of their own behavior.

Social Roles

In the family environment, children come to consider their actions not only in terms of
justice, but also in terms of emotional needs. Children learn the value of social support from their
families, and develop motivations based on kindness, generosity and empathy, rather than on
only personal needs and desires. By learning to care for the interests and well-being of their
family, children develop concern for society as a whole.

Personal Balance

Through understanding principles of fairness, justice and social responsibilities, children

learn to find a balance between their own needs and wants and the interests of the greater social
environment. By placing limits on their own individual desires, children benefit from a greater
sense of love, security and shared identity. At the same time, this connectedness helps children to
refine their own moral system by providing them with a reference for understanding right and
wrong.

13.5 Coping with Problems

When faced with a difficult or challenging situation, child may feel angry, worried or
perhaps distressed. It can be hard for them to think clearly at these times, and it makes
communication and cooperation difficult. If the child is experiencing a strong emotion, it’s
important to acknowledge it and be nearby to support the child.

Psychoanalytic Theory

It stresses that school age children are eager to learn about their expanding social
universe

Latency

Freud’s terms for middle childhood, during which children’s emotional drives and
psychosocial needs are quiet (latent). Freud thought that sexual conflicts from earlier stages are
only temporarily submerged, to burst forth again at puberty.

Industry versus Inferiority

The fourth of Erikson’s eight psychosexual developmental crises, during which children
attempt to master many skills, developing a sense of themselves as either industrious or inferior,
competent or incompetent

Self-Concept

Social comparison, effortful control, loyalty, and appreciation of peers and parents
typically capture the nature of school-age children.

Self-criticism and self-consciousness tend to rise from ages 6 to12, as self-esteem dips for
children who live with unusual stresses
  If children are already stressed, they tend to have lower academic achievement
 Ccultural differences make self-esteem more complex
 Many cultures expect children to be modest

Coping and Overcoming

The school-age child’s expanding social world and developing cognition can bring
disturbing problems.

Resilience and Stress

Resilience: the capacity to develop optimally by adapting positively to significant

adversity

 resilience is dynamic, not a stable trait

 resilience is a positive adaptation to stress
 adversity must be significant

References:

Cherry, Kendra (2018). Industry vs. Inferiority in Psychosocial Development. Retrieved from
https://www.verywellmind.com/industry-versus-inferiority-2795736 on November 26, 2018 at
11:23 p.m.

https://www.rcgates.com/psyc/c13_add.html

https://www.risas.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=37692&cn=1272

https://education.gov.gy/web/index.php/parenting-tips/item/1702-the-family-influence-on-
children-s-morals

https://studylib.net/doc/15506430/part-iv-the-school-years--psychosocial-development-chapte...