EARLY CHILDHOOD: PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT Flashcards
(38 cards)
Importance of Psychological development
Emotional development of self-regulation skills highly important in early childhood, especially in preparation for school
Developments in emotional self-regulation and understanding during the preschool period
2 to 3 years
Sympathy is displayed towards others in distress; child discusses emotions and their causes, and self-evaluative emotions (shame, guilt, pride) appear.
Developments in emotional self-regulation and understanding during the preschool period
3 to 6 years
Child understands the likely causes and consequences of many basic emotions; controls feelings for social reasons and is aware of basic emotional display rules (e.g. not rejoicing when an opponent loses).
Social Cognition
- Social cognition – individual’s understanding of human behaviour, human psychology and other elements of social life
Theory of mind
- Theory of mind – understanding of people’s mental states and the influences of thoughts, feelings and intentions on behaviour
Social cognition and theory of mind
- Children come to understand their own and others’ minds by formulating an implicit ‘theory’ of the mind
- The ability to employ this understanding to anticipate the behaviour of others
- The ability to attribute beliefs and desires to oneself and others and to understand that others have desires and beliefs that are different from one’s own
False Belief Tasks
- Deceptive box test (e.g. smarties task)
- Unexpected transfer test (e.g. Salley-Anne task)
- Between the age of 3-4 children start to understand that another person can have a false belief and can thus anticipate their behaviour
- By age 5-6 most children readily
Defining play
- Intrinsically motivated
- Process-oriented
- Creative and non-literal
- Governed by implicit rules
- Spontaneous and self-initiated
- Free from major emotional distress
Parten’s categories of play: Unoccupied play
The child wanders about, watching whatever is of momentary interest, but does not come involved in any activity.
Parten’s categories of play: Solitary Play
The child plays alone with different toys with no direct or indirect awareness of or involvement with other children, even if nearby.
Parten’s categories of play: Onlooker play
The child watches others play without actually entering into the activities; is clearly involved with what is happening and is usually within speaking distance of the participants.
Parten’s categories of play: Parallel play
Involves two or more children playing side by side in close proximity and with an awareness of each other’s presence often with the same toy or enjoying a similar activity; but do not talk or interact except in very minimal ways.
Parten’s categories of play: Associative play
Children engage in common activity and talk about it with each other, but do not assign tasks or roles to particular individuals and are not very clear about their goals.
Parten’s categories of play: Cooperative play
Children consciously form into groups to make something, attain a goal, or dramatise a situation; one or two children organise and direct the activity, with other children assuming different roles and responsibilities.
GRUSEC AND LYTTON’S TYPOLOGY: Functional play
Simple, repetitive movements, sometimes with objects or own body. For example, shovelling sand, pushing a toy, jumping up and down
GRUSEC AND LYTTON’S TYPOLOGY: Constructive Play
Manipulation of objects in order to construct something. For example, building with blocks
GRUSEC AND LYTTON’S TYPOLOGY: Pretend Play
Substitutes make-believe, imaginary and dramatic situations for real ones. For example, playing ‘house’ or ‘Superheroes’
GRUSEC AND LYTTON’S TYPOLOGY: Games with rules
Play is more formal and is governed with fixed rules. For example, hopscotch or hide-and-seek
Pretend Play
o Cognition, conservation
o Creativity and cognitive flexibility
o Theory of mind
o Emotional understanding and self-regulation skills
o Learning of social roles (including gender roles)
Physical Play (rough and tumble play)
o Practicing physical and motor skills
o Social dominance hierarchies
To develop fine and gross motor coordination
- Ride-on toys that are stable, e.g. tricycles or push-along toys
- Swing sets or trampolines with safety borders and soft-surrounds
- Large outdoor building blocks for making forts, castles.
- Water table and sandpit for sand and water play
- Finger painting materials and play dough
To release emotions and express feelings
- Act out feelings by role playing with puppets or stuffed toys
- Give children a safe space to run wild. Jumping, rolling and laughing help release emotions
- Encourage children to express their feelings through painting and drawing
To enhance imagination and creativity
- Read books and make up stories
- Play dress-ups with a box of old clothes and props, including crazy hats
- Play with miniature animals or fantasy figures
- Try something children have never done before, like a bushwalk or museum visit
To encourage language, thinking and memory
- Play simple board games based on chance, such as snakes and ladders
- Ask riddles and make up word games such as rhyming games
- Play simple memory card games
