TC Developmental
Psychology
Chapter 11 – Development of the Self-Concept
A) Development of the Self-Concept
1)
You know those social network profiles that ask you to tell something about yourself? Are those easy or
difficult for you?
a)
Basically you are attempting to define your “self.”
b)
Self = the combination of physical
and psychological attributes that is unique to each
individual.
2)
Activity: Do the Self Concept Inventory, Part 1.
3)
When did your sense of self develop (and does it change)?
a)
Apparently even newborn infants have the ability to distinguish self from the surrounding
environment…
1-
Playing a recording of a baby crying causes the newborn to become distressed; but
playing a recording of them crying does not cause them to
become distressed.
b)
Approximately age 2 months infants seem to show some limited sense of personal agency.
1-
Personal agency = the recognition
that one can be the cause of an event (ie: string tied
to baby’s leg and mobile allowing them to control the
movement).
c)
Approximately age 5 months infants seem to treat their own faces as familiar (video shown of child and
a peer).
d)
Approximately age 18 months children have self-recognition (says “me” looking at a pic of self).
e)
Ages 3-5 years when asked to describe themselves children tend to talk mostly about their physical attributes.
f)
In middle childhood, the self-descriptions begin to include enduring inner qualities (traits, values, beliefs).
g)
In adolescence, the youth uses more psychological
terms in describing themselves and they also sense
they are not the same person in all situations
(hence begins the search for the “real me.”)
4)
Cultural Variation on Self Concept
a)
Individualistic (USA) vs. Collectivist (Asian) societies
b)
Activity: P.420 (6 questions – line up across
the room)
1-
#2,4,6 are more individualistic notions
2-
#1,3,5 are more collectivistic notions
5)
The Evaluative Component of Self
a)
The evaluative aspect of self is called Self
Esteem.
b)
Self Concept (SC) & Self Esteem (SE) are distinct concepts:
1-
SC refers to how a child views his/her qualities.
2- SE refers to the
child’s satisfaction with those qualities.
c) Bowlby: Insecurely-attached
children tend to rate themselves less favorably than securely-attached
children.
d) Ages 4-7: show
inflated self-perceptions (rates self positively in all domains)
…
Ages 8: appraisals begin to more closely
reflect other peoples
evaluations of them.
Adolescence: self-esteem can become
undermined.
1)
Academic
Self-Concept
a)
Achievement
Motivation
= a willingness to strive to succeed at challenging tasks and to meet high
standards of accomplishment.
b)
Mastery Motivation = an inborn motive
to explore, understand, and control’s ones environment.
c)
Influences
on the above …
1-
Quality
of attachment
2-
The
home environment
3-
Child
rearing
4-
Peer
group influences
5-
Cultural
influences
d)
Resulting
two types of children …
1-
Mastery
orientation (externalize the blame for their failures)
2-
Learned-helplessness
orientation (internalize the blame for their failures)
a-
Parents
& teachers often foster this when they praise for success and criticize
failure (ie: report card).
2)
Adolescence
& Identity Formation
a)
Erik
Erikson (1963) – Identity vs Role Confusion
b)
James
Marcia (1980) – Expanded Identity Status (P.439)
TC
Developmental Psychology
Chapter 12 – Sex Difference & Gender Role
A) There
are differences…
1) We
know that there are obvious physical differences between male and
female, but are we equally aware that there are psychological differences.
a) Watch video: Men & Women’s Brains (on blog)
2) Definitions:
a) Sex = a person’s
biological identity, based in chromosomes.
b) Gender =
a person’s social and cultural identity as male or female.
c) Gender Typing =
the process by which a child becomes aware of his or her gender and acquires
motives, values, and behaviors considered appropriate for members of that sex.
d) Gender-Role Standard =
a behavior, value, or motive that members of a society consider more typical or
appropriate for members of one sex.
1- Expressive Role =
a social prescription (basically based on child-bearing) usually directed
towards females, that one should be cooperative, kind, nurturant, and sensitive
to the needs of others.
2- Instrumental Role =
a social prescription, usually directed towards males, that one should be
dominant, independent, assertive, competitive, and goal oriented.
3- The
reality is, based on research, that males and females are far more similar
psychologically than they are different (ie: USA females & math /
Israeli females & math … shows the cultural bias).
4-
Gender-Role
Stereotypes are
well ingrained cognitive schemes that we use to interpret and often distort the
behavior of males and females.
e) Gender Intensification =
a magnification of sex differences early in adolescence, associated with
increased pressure to conform to traditional gender roles.
3) An
Overview of Gender Typing
a) See
Table 12.3 on P. 473
b) See
Table 12.4 on P. 486
c) Watch video: Hey Doc, Some Boys are Born Girls
