Module 11 : Social

Development

Student Objectives:
To learn about the major influences on a child’s social
development
To understand when children begin to understand
themselves
To learn how culture can affect a child’s social
development
To understand how social value and social development is
related
To learn how older children socially develop

11.1 Introduction
Social development is another important
aspect of Child Psychology

To fully understand social development, you must learn about

the knowledge, values, and skills that enable a child to
relate to other people effectively. This is a learned behavior
that is taught indirectly through the social relationships a
child has with their friends, family, and those around them.
This module will give you a solid overview of social
development in children, and you will find out what influences
a child’s social development, how to teach social development,
and how to support it in children of all ages.
11.2 Major Influences on the Social
Development of Children
The first and foremost influence on the social development of
a child is their parent or carer.

However, there are many other influences that children have

when it comes to their social environment. Examples of
influences on a child’s social development include:

Cultural values
Community connections
The media
School
Peers
Religious organizations
Sporting groups
Social groups

The most important aspects of social development, family,

peers, and school, are generally experienced daily by a child,
and it is with these three groups that children learn about
the world and social rules. Additionally, there are other
social networks, such as social groups, extended family, or
even neighbors, who also influence the social development of a
child. Through these connections and relationships with
others, children will build a sense of where they fit in with
the world as a whole, as well as develop a sense of who they
are.

FACT
There are a lot of things families can do to support the
social development of children in the home. One such thing is
modeling both consideration and respect so that children learn
how to respect others in social situations.

Source: CPD

11.3 Trends in the Development of a

Child’s Sense of Self
The beliefs, ideas, and knowledge that a
child has about who they are, what they can
or cannot do, and where they fit into the
community help to create the understanding
of who they are.

Children base their sense of self on the feedback that they

get from other people.

For example, a child in elementary school will build their

sense of self by the interaction with their peers and through
the feedback they receive from their teachers. Developmental
patterns in the way a child describes themselves are typically
related to the way their brains learn to think and how they
understand and manage their behavior and emotions.
Children often have a very high opinion of themselves, and the
following information will show how their social development
changes over time:

Preschool
In preschool, a child often uses physical appearance, their
favorite activities, and their family context to describe
their sense of self. They also want to show off these things
to others, as they are proud of themselves and their
abilities.

Elementary School
During elementary school, a child starts comparing themselves
to others. For instance, they will look at their own maths
scores and compare them to their classmates. In fact, they
determine their own abilities by ranking their own performance
against those of their peers.

Secondary School
By the time a child enters high school, they can evaluate
their qualities, and understand that the characteristics of
their personalities can be inconsistent. They can also
integrate what they know about themselves in their full sense
of self.

It is quite essential for a child’s efforts and strengths to

be recognized to support the development of positive self-
esteem. This will also motivate children to be fully engaged
in both their sense of learning and in their relationship.
Children who do not have a positive self-concept often have
emotional and behavioral issues.

11.4 Culture and the Effect on

Self-Concept
Children who have a strong cultural identity
often have an enhanced self-concept and a
sense of belonging.

A child’s identity is nurtured when learning about their

cultural traditions, and when others around them show respect
for these values. Teaching children to appreciate and respect
differences between one culture to another is extremely
important for social development.

Children who are part of a cultural minority group will often

encounter differences between the expectations and rules at
their school with those at home. When the differences between
cultures are not acknowledged, or when the culture a child
identifies with is minimized or ignored, a child could be
negatively affected.
These children might be subject to discrimination and
stereotyping based on their religion, appearance, ethnicity,
social class, and more. Bullying and discrimination can have a
devastating effect on children, not only mentally, but in
regards to their self-esteem. It is so important for carers,
parents, and school staff to take action against bullying and
discrimination by reporting and speaking up about these
incidents.

11.5 Social Value and Social

Development
The ability for a child to understand other
people develops over a period of time.

Young children are self-focused and tend to play beside their

peers instead of with their peers. However, things change, and
as a child enters elementary school, they begin to realize
that their fellow students see the world differently. As a
child begins to develop thinking skills, they learn to
appreciate the different ways of looking at life’s situations.

Teaching a child to put themselves in another person’s shoes

will help them relate to others and to better manage conflict.
It also helps to promote respect, fairness and caring.
Research also shows that children who have been taught to
value other people are much more likely to accept others as
they grow into adults.
Research has also shown that a person’s social behavior
reflects the attitudes they hold about themselves. Children
must take into account the feelings of others, as well as
their perspectives and expectations, in order to understand
social values. Children also make ethical judgments by putting
themselves in the situations of others, especially when they
are encouraged to reflect on their moral and social values.
Families and teachers can work together to encourage children
to learn to act on specific values such as responsibility,
respect, cooperation, honesty, caring for others, and
accepting that we are not all the same.

11.6 Key Points for Supporting the

Social Development of Children
As was mentioned, the family is the most
influential aspect of a child’s social
development.

Families can support the social development of children by

modeling consideration and respect and then encouraging
children to be as considerate and respectful in their own
relationships.

Here are some things that can help to support the social
development of children:

Providing care and support by understanding a child’s

needs. Showing the child that someone is willing to
listen to them and take their feelings into
consideration
Helping children to develop their social skills by
offering to coach and to teach them to solve any social
difficulties they might encounter
Supervising and supporting children in social settings
Discussing moral issues with children, and then asking
them for their opinions about these issues, as well as
their reasons for choosing those opinions
Asking questions that encourage a child to put
themselves in another person’s shoes. These are
questions such as “How would you feel if?” These help
children to learn social perspective. Also, asking these
questions in a supportive manner will help children
think about these situations and encourage them to take
into account other people’s perspectives and feelings
11.7 Young Children and Social
Development
Relationships and friendships with their
peers become more important as children grow
and learn to get along with other people.

Those who learn positive friendship and social skills from a

young age are shown to develop stronger relationships with
others. This ultimately benefits their wellbeing and mental
health. This does not mean that a child will always want to
play with their peers, but all children need friends their
age, as they can use each other to learn how to relate to
people.

According to Willard W. Hartup of the University of University

of Minnesota Twin Cities, the best predictor of a child’s
ability to adapt to adulthood is not their marks in school,
classroom behavior, nor IQ. Instead, it is the way that a
child gets along with other children.

Take a Quick Recap Test

11.8 Older Children and Social

Development
Children learn to understand what their
social responsibilities are based on the
influence of their families, their school,
their community, other children, and the
media.

Young children copy these behaviors because they believe that

they are all the correct way to behave.

Older children, however, become much more aware of the values

of their social group as well as the behaviors of their role
models, such as actors, singers, and sports stars. These
children learn to think and discuss the values that they see
from these people, and they should also be encouraged to think
about whether the choices they make are fair to others or if
they are being mean or rude during their social interactions.

When an adult is fair, respectful, and caring, a child will

learn from these actions, and they will not only feel as if
they belong, they will also start to mimic these behaviors.

Additionally, children are much more likely to cooperate with

adults when they feel as if they are respected and valued. On
the other hand, when a child believes that they have been
unfairly treated, they are less likely to listen and more
likely to avoid or even resist discipline. For older children,
good values will bring about good behavior.

Assignment
Social Development

Time: 35+ minutes

Work your way through this worksheet to see how well you have
really done in absorbing the relevant information.
Download the worksheet below, print out and complete.

Download Worksheet (pdf)

Conclusion
Social development is another essential aspect when
considering healthy child psychology. In this case, most
children will start to pick up social cues from a young age,
but it is not until they are in school that most children
start to understand the social differences between us all.
With aspects such as culture, religion, upbringing, family,
and schooling in the mix, all children tend to develop their
social skills based on these influences. Therefore, the social
upbringing of a child reaches well beyond the walls of their
homes, and the social skills a child has as an adult is based
on much more than the influence of their parent or carer.

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