19.1: Social Emotional Theories of Development
- Page ID
- 225557
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Summarize social emotional theories (as previously shared in the text) as they relate specifically to development in middle childhood.
Erikson's Industry vs. Inferiority
Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is one of the most widely used frameworks for understanding the social and emotional growth of children. In middle childhood, children navigate the fourth stage of Erikson’s model: Industry vs. Inferiority (Erikson, 1963). During this stage, children strive to demonstrate competence in valued skills and tasks, especially in school settings. Success leads to a sense of industry and confidence, while repeated failure or lack of encouragement can foster feelings of inferiority. This stage emphasizes the importance of supportive environments that enable children to experience mastery and receive recognition for their efforts.
Example: A child who is praised for their ability to solve math problems is likely to feel industrious, whereas a child who consistently struggles without support may begin to feel inferior compared to peers.
Social Learning Theory
Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory emphasizes the role of observational learning, modeling, and reinforcement in social development (Bandura, 1977). During middle childhood, peer relationships become increasingly important, and children often look to peers and adults as models for appropriate emotional expression and cooperative behavior. Self-efficacy, or one’s belief in one's competence, also becomes increasingly important in guiding behavior and emotional well-being (Bandura, 1986).
Example: A child might learn to manage frustration by observing a classmate use deep breathing techniques during a difficult task.
Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Process cycle representative of social learning theory. AI-generated image by Heather Carter is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Theory of Moral Development
Lawrence Kohlberg built upon Piaget’s work to describe the stages of moral reasoning development. Most children in middle childhood are in the conventional level of moral development, particularly the “good boy/good girl” orientation, where behaviors are guided by the desire to gain approval and maintain social order (Kohlberg, 1981). This stage is critical in understanding how children learn to navigate friendships, fairness, and social rules.
Example: A child may return a lost item to a peer because they understand it is the "right" thing to do and want to be seen as a good person.
References, Contributors and Attributions
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.
Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., Mincic, M. S., Kalb, S. C., Way, E., & Wyatt, T. (2012). Social-emotional learning profiles of preschoolers’ early school success: A person-centered approach. Learning and Individual Differences, 22(2), 178–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2011.05.001
Erikson, E. H. (1963). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
Kohlberg, L. (1981). The philosophy of moral development: Moral stages and the idea of justice. Harper & Row.