Life Span Development 15th Edition Santrock Solutions Manual

Life-Span Development 15th Edition
Santrock Solutions Manual

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Chapter 8: Socioemotional Development in Early Childhood
Learning Goals
Learning Goal 1: Discuss emotional and personality development in early childhood.
A. Explain the development of self during early childhood.

B. Describe children’s emotional development.
C. Discuss moral development during early childhood.
D. Discuss gender and the different influences on its development.
Learning Goal 2: Explain how families can influence young children’s development.
A. Discuss parenting styles.

B. Describe child maltreatment, and its causes and consequences.
C. Discuss sibling relationships and birth order.
D. Explain the changing family in a changing society.
Learning Goal 3: Describe the roles of peers, play, and media/screen time in young
children’s development.
A. Define peers, and discuss the role they play in development.

B. Define play, and discuss its functions.
C. Discuss the impact of television on development.
Digital Offerings
SMARTBOOK
Students study more effectively with Smartbook.
• Make It Effective. Powered by Learnsmart, SmartBook™ creates a personalized reading experience by

highlighting the most impactful concepts a student needs to learn at that moment in time. This ensures that
every minute spent with SmartBook™ is returned to the student as the most value-added minute possible.
• Make It Informed. Real-time reports quickly identify the concepts that require more attention from individual
students—or the entire class. SmartBook™ detects the content a student is most likely to forget and brings it
back to improve long-term knowledge retention. Students help inform the revision strategy.
• Make It Precise. Systematic and precise, a heat map tool collates data anonymously collected from thousands
of students who used Connect Psychology’s Learnsmart.
• Make It Accessible. The data is graphically represented in a heat map as “hot spots” showing specific
concepts with which students had the most difficulty. Revising these concepts, then, can make them more
accessible for students.
CONNECT
• Make It Intuitive. You receive instant, at-a-glance views of student performance matched with student
activity.
Santrock, Life-Span Development: 15e IM 8 | 1
© 2015 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not
authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated,
forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
• Make It Dynamic. Connect Insight™ puts real-time analytics in your hands so you can take action early and
keep struggling students from falling behind.
• Make It Mobile. Connect Insight™ travels from office to classroom, available on demand wherever and
whenever it’s needed.
Here is a brief outline of interactive assignments from Connect. For a full list and access, go to Connect!
Ch Chapter Title Asset Asset Title Connect Learning Objective

Type
08 Socioemotional Milestones Milestones: Sense Discuss emotional and
Development of Self, Amalia, personality development in
in Early 6mos-3yrs early childhood.
Childhood
08 Socioemotional Milestones Milestones: Self Discuss emotional and
Development Care, Felana, 7- personality development in
in Early 39mos early childhood.
Childhood
08 Socioemotional Milestones Milestones: Self Discuss emotional and
Development Care, Jasmine, 33- personality development in
in Early 44mos early childhood.
Childhood
08 Socioemotional Milestones Milestones: Discuss emotional and
Development Gender, Amalia, personality development in
in Early 2-5yrs early childhood.
Childhood
08 Socioemotional Milestones Milestones: Describe the roles of peers,
Development Emergence of play, and media/screen time in
in Early Friendship, 1-4yrs young children's development.
Childhood
08 Socioemotional Milestones Milestones: Describe the roles of peers,
Development Conflict, 1-3yrs play, and media/screen time in
in Early young children's development.
Childhood
08 Socioemotional Milestones Milestones: Types Describe the roles of peers,
Development of Play, 6mos- play, and media/screen time in
in Early 4yrs young children's development.
Childhood
Overview of Resources
Chapter Outline Resources You Can Use
Emotional and Personality Development Learning Goal 1: Discuss emotional and personality
development in early childhood.
The Self Lecture Suggestion 1: The Study of Gender: Individual

Differences and Social Context Approaches
Emotional Development Classroom Activity 1: Self-Recognition Demonstration
Using Rouge Test
Moral Development Classroom Activity 2: Do Parents Really Treat Boys and
Girls Differently?
Gender Personal Application 1: Just a Little White Lie
Personal Application 2: It’s a Girl (Boy) Thing
Research Project 1: Altruism–Empathy Observations
Families Learning Goal 2: Explain how families can influence

young children’s development.
Parenting Lecture Suggestion 2: The Problem of Studying Parenting
Lecture Suggestion 3: Context-Specific Learning,
Child Maltreatment Personality, and Birth Order
Lecture Suggestion 4: Early Parental Employment: What
Sibling Relationships and Birth Order Are the Effects?
Lecture Suggestion 5: How Do Parents Teach Their
The Changing Family in a Changing Society Children Prosocial Behavior?
Personal Application 3: The Most Important Job in the
World
Personal Application 4: I Lived It
Research Project 2: Discipline in Early Childhood: To
Spank or Not to Spank During the Terrible Twos, Threes,
Fours, Fives…Twenties, Thirties, Etc…
Peer Relations, Play, and Media/Screen Learning Goal 3: Describe the roles of peers, play, and
Time media/screen time in young children’s development.
Peer Relations Classroom Activity 3: Play Classifications
Classroom Activity 4: Applying Concepts to Television
Play Shows
Classroom Activity 5: Children’s Literature and Moral
Media and Screen Time Education
Review Classroom Activity 6: Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice

Questions and Suggested Answers
Classroom Activity 7: Critical-Thinking Essay Questions
and Suggestions for Helping Students Answer the Essays
Resources
Lecture Suggestions
Lecture Suggestion 1: The Study of Gender: Individual Differences and Social Context
Approaches
This lecture highlights how gender research has changed as research philosophies have become
more sophisticated. Students find the discussion of gender behavior interesting, especially as the
social context approach is usually new to them.
Traditionally, gender research emerged out of the individual differences approach which attempts
to explain wide variation among individuals by classifying individuals by some antecedent
variable (such as age, sex, or an aspect of the environment). The goal is to determine how much
of the variance among individuals, in their performance on a given task, can be accounted for by
the antecedent variable. Issues have been raised regarding this approach. For example, very few
attributes differ consistently when comparing the average values for the two sexes, and when
consistent differences are found, the within-group variance is considerable relative to the
between-group differences.
While there are some replicable sex differences of moderate magnitude (math and spatial
abilities, aggression), most research has found null findings when making comparisons of male
and female individuals. Maccoby (1990) suggests that the null findings are an artifact of the
individual differences approach. That is, there really are differences between males and females
when you examine behavior in a social context. Given that social behavior is never a function of
the individual alone, the social context must be considered when examining social behavior.
Individuals interact differently with different partners. When behavior is summed across all
categories of social partners, important differences may be obscured or missed altogether.
We have provided a couple of research examples from Maccoby’s article to illustrate the
importance of considering the social context when examining gender. Jacklin and Maccoby
(1978) observed the social behavior of preschoolers on a time-sampling basis. Positive and
negative behaviors (sharing, hugging, grabbing a toy, etc.) were recorded when the children were
interacting with a previously unacquainted child. Same-sex dyads and opposite dyads were
examined.
Using an individual differences approach (the sex of the partner was not taken into account), there
were no overall sex differences in the amount of social behavior. However, when the sex
composition of the dyad was examined (social context approach), there were several important
findings.
• Same-sex dyads had a much higher level of social behavior than did opposite-sex dyads.
• Girls’ passive behavior was greatly influenced by the sex of the partner. Girl-girl dyads
rarely displayed passive behavior; however, when girls interacted with a boy, passive
behavior was prominent (boys tended to monopolize the toys).
• The conclusion is that social behavior is situationally specific and is influenced by the sex
composition of the dyad.
Greeno’s research (as cited in Maccoby, 1990) provides another example that the sex composition
of the group influences social behavior. Four-child groups of kindergartners played in a large
playroom with attractive toys. The groups were all-boy, all-girl, or two boys and two girls. A
female adult sat at one end of the room and, halfway through the session, she moved to the other
side of the room. Greeno assessed whether the sex composition of the groups influences
proximity to the teacher. Girls in the all-girl groups actually stayed farther away from the adult
than did the boys in the all-boy groups. The girls moved away from the adult when she changed
her position. The boys did not change their location. However, when two boys were present, the
girls maintained close proximity to the teacher. The girls moved with the adult when she changed
her location. Greeno concluded that proximity-seeking was not a general trait of the girls, rather it
was a function of the sex composition of the group.
Sources:
Jacklin, C. N., & Maccoby, E. E. (1978). Social behavior at 33 months in same-sex and mixed-sex dyads.
Child Development, 49, 557–569.
Maccoby, E. E. (1990). Gender and relationships: A developmental account. American Psychologist, 44,
127–133.
Lecture Suggestion 2: The Problem of Studying Parenting

The purpose of this lecture is to stimulate discussion regarding methodological concerns in

parenting research. After lecturing on parenting styles and the child outcomes of the various
parenting styles, encourage your students to critically evaluate the generalizations that have been
made based on this research. This is a good time to encourage skepticism of research techniques
and careful attention to one’s own experience.
Understanding how variations in parenting influence child development is a complicated task.

Students are rightly skeptical of generalizations in this area when they point out that mothers and
fathers may parent differently from one day to the next, may differ from each other, may respond
differently depending on the social context, and may treat individual children in different ways.
Furthermore, research on parenting is almost entirely observational and correlational, which
renders interpretation of associations difficult and tentative. In addition, contemporary family
configurations have changed considerably from those on whom much parenting research is based,
so it is unclear how well much of the classic work applies to modern parenting.
• Sears, Maccoby, and Levin’s (1957) classic study was based entirely on interviews of
mothers about their child-rearing techniques.
• Baumrind’s (1971) studies used in-home observations and a longitudinal design.
• Maccoby and Martin’s (1983) article is useful for examples of methodological and
conceptual strengths.
Sources:
Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology Monograph, 4, 1–
103.
Maccoby, E. E., & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction.
In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social
development. New York: Wiley.
Sears, R. R., Maccoby, E., & Levin, H. (1957). Patterns of child rearing. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson.
Lecture Suggestion 3: Context-Specific Learning, Personality, and Birth Order

Learning Goal 3: Describe the roles of peers, play, and media/screen time in young children’s
development.
Students are typically quite fascinated by (and opinionated about!) the effects of birth order on
personality. Most large, well-controlled studies of birth order yield no significant effects, or only
small effects that are not well replicated. A general conclusion is that birth order has no important
effects on adult personality. Yet, many people, including psychologists, still believe that birth
order is a major influence on personality development. Harris (2000) argues that the lack of
consensus is somewhat puzzling. She explains the phenomenon by looking at the way behavior is
affected by context.
Detterman (1993) concludes, after reviewing 90 years of research, that transfer between two
situations occurs only if the situations are highly similar (and even then, it is rare). Failure to
transfer learning may be adaptive, as it gives the individual time to figure out if the behavior
should be transferred or if a different behavior would be better. The more similar the contexts are,
the higher the correlation between the behaviors in the two contexts. Harris notes several research
studies that support this conclusion.
• Children who are obnoxious around their parents are not necessarily obnoxious around their
peers (Dishion & others, 1994).
• A child being dominated by an older sibling does not translate into that child being
dominated by his or her peers (Abramovitch & others, 1986).
• Children who are timid around adults are not usually timid around peers (and vice versa)
(Rubin & others, 1997).
Genetic influences account for a substantial amount of the variation of many personality and
behavior variables. Harris proposes that “the genetic component of personality influences
behavior in every social context, but that the acquired, or environmental, component is firmly
linked to the context in which it was acquired.”
• Saudino (1997) found that some children are timid in all contexts due to an innate tendency
to be timid, whereas other children are timid in certain contexts because of their experiences
in those contexts.
• Children learn separately how to act in each of their social contexts. Behaviors are only
displayed across contexts if the behaviors are useful in that context. Often, behaviors that are
displayed in the home are counterproductive outside of the home. Harris speculates that age
differences in the home make birth order important in the home, but age differences are not
relevant outside of the home, because most people associate with age-mates.
• Ernst and Angst (1983) assessed the personalities of over 7,000 young adults using self-
reports of personality. No significant differences in any aspect of personality were found
between first- and second-born individuals from two-child families. In larger families, one
significant difference was found: last-borns were slightly lower in masculinity than older
siblings.
• When parents judge the personalities of their children, they tend to describe firstborns as
serious and responsible, and their later-borns as cheerful and independent. To explain the
discrepancy between self-report and family judgments, Ernst and Angst hypothesized that
the behaviors of the “family judgment” personality may be parent-specific in that the
firstborns act in a serious and responsible manner when they are around their parents.
• Freese et al. (1999) also found no significant difference between firstborns and later-borns
on conservatism, support of authority, or punitiveness.
• Blake (as cited in Harris, 2000) found that education attainment was unrelated to birth order
in small and medium-sized families. In large families, the two youngest children were the
most likely to graduate from high school and attend college.
Harris speculates that many people still think that there are birth-order effects based on subjective
impressions. People incorrectly assume that people behave the same in other social contexts as
they do in the family context. Research indicates that patterns of behavior developed in the family
setting are not carried over to other contexts. Birth order does not explain or account for variation
in adult personality.
In 2007 Norwegian epidemiologists Petter Kristensen and Tor Bjerkedal published work showing
a small but reliable negative correlation between IQ and birth order: the more older siblings one
has, the lower one’s IQ.
Sources:
Abramovitch, R., Corter, C., Pepler, D. J., & Stanhope, L. (1986). Sibling and peer interaction: A final
follow-up and a comparison. Child Development, 57, 217–229.
Detterman, D. K. (1993). The case for the prosecution: Transfer as an epiphenomenon. In D. K. Detterman
& R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Transfer on trial: Intelligence, cognition, and instruction (pp. 1–24). Norwood,
NJ: Ablex.
Dishion, T. J., Duncan, T. E., Eddy, J. M., Fagot, B. I., & Fetrow, R. (1994). The world of parents and
peers: Coercive exchanges and children’s social adaptation. Social Development, 3, 255–268.
Freese, J., Powell, B., & Steelman, L. C. (1999). Rebel without a cause or effect: Birth order and social
attitudes. American Sociological Review, 64, 207–231.
Harris, J. R. (2000). Context-specific learning, personality, and birth order. Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 9, 174–177.
Rubin, E. C., & Angst, J. (1983). Birth order: Its influence on personality. Berlin, Germany: Springer-
Verlag.
Saudino, K. J. (1997). Moving beyond the heritability question: New directions in behavioral genetic
studies of personality. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 6, 86–90.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ruled-by-birth-order
Lecture Suggestion 4: Early Parental Employment: What Are the Effects?

The purpose of this lecture is to go beyond the research that Santrock reviewed in the textbook
regarding the effects of parental employment. Controversy surrounds the effects of early maternal
employment on later development. Research has found that child care quality and sensitive
caregiving mediate the effects of maternal employment on attachment relationships.
Harvey (1999) conducted a longitudinal study involving 12,600 parents and their children who
were between 3 and 12 years of age when the assessments were conducted. Family income,
parents’ education level, mother’s IQ and age, child race, and birth order were statistically
controlled in the analyses as they were associated with parental employment and child outcomes.
Overall, Harvey found no evidence of substantial negative effects of early parental employment
on children’s later development.
• Early parental employment status and the timing and continuity of employment were not
consistently associated with children’s development.
• Parental job satisfaction was not related to the effects of parental employment.
• Several small effects of early maternal employment were found. Mothers who worked more
hours during the child’s first three years had children with slightly lower cognitive
development through age 9 and slightly lower academic achievement scores before age 7.
Both of these effects were small and were not maintained past the ages indicated.
• Children’s behavior problems, compliance, and self-esteem were not significantly affected
by mothers’ employment hours.
• Number of hours worked by fathers was not associated with children’s development.
• Interesting differences were found for low-income families and single mothers. A positive
relationship and slightly higher cognitive scores were found for single mothers who were
employed during the first three years of the child’s life. Children who had fathers in low-
income African American families who worked more hours were linked with improved
cognitive development. This was the opposite for children in high-income families.
• What could explain the association between cognitive scores and employment hours for low-
income families? Harvey speculates that the increased income could explain this relationship
in low-income and single-parent families.
Recent analyses using more extensive controls and sophisticated statistical methods of accounting
for heterogeneity have suggested that early maternal employment may have more deleterious
effects.
Source:
Harvey, E. (1999). Short-term and long-term effects of early parental employment on children of the
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Developmental Psychology, 35, 445–459.
Neidell, MJ. Early Parental Time Investments in Children’s Human Capital Development: Effects of Time
in the First Year on Cognitive and Non-cognitive Outcomes. [mimeo] Los Angeles, CA: University of
California at Los Angeles; 2000. (http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/documents/RuhmANGxp.pdf)
Lecture Suggestion 5: How Do Parents Teach Their Children Prosocial Behavior?

The purpose of this lecture is to review research that examines how parents support the
development of prosocial behavior in their young children. Before you review Grusec’s (1991)
research, have your students come up with ways that parents encourage prosocial behavior in
their preschool-age children. Do parents use direct teaching, modeling, and reinforcement for
prosocial behaviors? Should parents punish their children if they neglect to use prosocial behavior
such as sharing?
Mothers of 4 and 7 year-olds were trained to observe and record the occurrences of prosocial
behavior. Each incidence of prosocial behavior that occurred in their home over a one-month
period was recorded. The prosocial behavior was noted along with the precipitating circumstances
and the responses that the behavior elicited from the people involved. Some of the findings
include:
• Mothers used social reinforcement the most. Verbal and physical approaches occurred when
children helped, empathized, or displayed concern for others.
• One-third of children’s prosocial acts received no response at all. From a learning theory
perspective, this is appropriate, as it demonstrates a variable ratio reinforcement schedule.
The child would not know when the reinforcement will occur, but the child would expect
that reinforcement would eventually come. Thus, the child would keep acting prosocially.
This reinforcement schedule tends to produce a high response rate with frequent, consistent
action. Behavior that is reinforced with a variable ratio schedule is the most resistant to
extinction.
• Parents almost never offered material rewards for children’s spontaneous prosocial behavior.
Grusec interpreted this as indication of the mother’s sensitivity to the undermining effects of
this type of reward.
• Mothers used induction most often when the children did not respond prosocially. Induction
is a technique that tends to motivate concern for others. This technique models appropriate
behavior and encourages future prosocial action.
• Punishment was more likely when a child acted antisocially than when he failed to act
prosocially. Grusec speculates that mothers were more annoyed with disobedience than
lapses in concern for others.
• Parents rarely attributed good behavior to the character of the child. This is interesting, as
laboratory research has found that these attributions actually increase morally relevant
behavior.
Surprisingly, Grusec did not find a strong relationship between prosocial behavior and its
reinforcement. She referred to the many other mechanisms that encourage prosocial action;
modeling, assignment of responsibility, or discussion of feelings and needs of others may explain
the development of prosocial behavior.
Elksnin and Elksnin (2000) offered suggestions on how to help parents encourage prosocial
behavior in their children. They provided strategies that teachers can use to assist parents
including teaching incidentally, performing social skills autopsies, coaching emotions, and
assigning homework. Issues to be considered when working with parents and children from
culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are addressed. Elksnin and Elksnin proposed
that by having parents as partners in the instructional process, students will better generalize
prosocial skills across situations, settings, and individuals.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2001), there are over 21 million
children under the age of six in center-based child care programs in the United States. Programs
vary in their content, but one of the aspects common to all is the social context in which learning
and care occurs.
From infancy, children are active participates in a complex world. Interactions with parents are
the first type of social exchange infants experience. Healthy exchanges create a bond or
attachment. If attachment does not occur, children may have problems later in life and may
display asocial behaviors (Wardle, 2003).
Sources:
Elksnin, L. & Elksnin, N. (2000). Teaching parents to teach their children to be prosocial. Intervention in
School and Clinic, 36(1).
Grusec, J. E. (1991). Socializing concern for others in the home. Developmental Psychology, 27, 338–342.
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=566
Wardle, F. (2003).Introduction to early childhood education: A multidimensional approach to child-
centered care and learning. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Classroom Activities
Classroom Activity 1: Self-Recognition: A Demonstration Using the Rouge Test

From Jarvis and Creasey, “Activities for Lifespan Developmental Psychology Courses”
The development of a sense of self is a milestone in early childhood. This in-class demonstration
replicates Lewis and Brooks-Gunn’s (1979) rouge test procedure for showing the development of
self-recognition in early childhood.
Demonstration:
Mothers and or fathers and their young infants (ages 9 to 24 months) will be invited to class to
demonstrate the concept of self-recognition. The focus of this activity is to demonstrate
developmental differences in self-recognition in early childhood.
Time: Approximately 15–20 minutes.
Materials:
rouge or lipstick
a tissue
a mirror
Procedures:
1. Instructors will first present information on the importance of self-recognition as a milestone
in early childhood socioemotional development.
2. Four parents and their infants (ages 9 to 24 months with two infants younger than 15 months
and two older than 15 months) will be invited to class for this demonstration.
3. Families should be given parking passes and escorted to class by volunteer students.
4. After families are seated comfortably at the front of the class and the children have had about
five minutes or so to acclimate to the surroundings, a parent of each child should be asked to
rub some rouge (lipstick works well also) on their child’s nose under the pretext of wiping
the child’s nose.
5. Then, permit the children to see themselves in a mirror.
6. Students should make note of their observations as children react to their images in the
mirrors.
7. Instructors should have students observe the children prior to revealing what they might see,
and then discuss what they saw in terms of course material on the development of self-
recognition. Children under 15 months of age generally touch the mirror as though the red
marks had nothing to do with them and the image in the mirror is that of another child; while
older children touch their noses indicating that they recognize the image in the mirror as
themselves.
8. Families should be thanked for their willingness to come to class and offered a small gift of a
toy or soft cover book appropriate for the age of their child as a thank you.
Source:
Lewis, M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1979). Social cognition and the acquisition of self. New York: Plenum.
Classroom Activity 2: Do Parents Really Treat Boys and Girls Differently?

This activity highlights the differential treatment of boys and girls by parents. This exercise works
well as a full-class discussion, as most students are quite eager to discuss this topic. Have students
discuss how parents reward and punish boys and girls differently and thereby contribute to gender
differences in behaviors, beliefs, and so forth. Encourage them to provide specific examples.
Have students consider the question: Do parents treat their daughters and sons differently in terms
of helping them with their education?
Use the research of Carter and Wojtkiewicz (2000) to provide insight as to whether or not parents
are involved differently with the education of their adolescent daughters and sons. These
researchers found that:
• female students engaged more frequently in school discussion with parents than did male
students;
• parents had higher expectations for the educational attainment of daughters;
• parents are more involved with the school on behalf of their sons;
• parents were less likely to check the homework of daughters as compared with sons;
• females were more likely than males to have their parents limit the amount of time spent
socializing with friends; and,
• parental attendance at events in which the student participated was more likely for daughters
than for sons.
Logistics:
• Group size: Full-class discussion.
• Approximate time: Full-class discussion (45 minutes).
Sources:
Carter, R. S. & Wojtkiewicz, R. A. (2000, spring). Parental involvement with adolescents’ education: Do
daughters or sons get more help?
Classroom Activity 3: Play Classifications

development.
This chapter, with its discussion of play, is particularly fun and lends itself to good classroom
discussion and debate. One way to enhance the discussion and to ensure involvement is to have
students do some observing before they come to class. (Note: Instructors will want to provide
students with a letter on school letterhead explaining the exercise and its purpose in case students
are questioned regarding their attention to children.)
Instructions for Students: Have each student collect play observations on five children. The
children can be any age and can be observed in a variety of settings such as in a home, park, or
schoolyard. The observations collected should include the following:
• the age of the child (approximations are okay if the exact age cannot be determined)
• the child’s sex
• how many other children are in the vicinity when the observations are made
• whether or not there are toys present, and, if there are, what kind they are
• where the observations took place. The children can be observed wherever children play
(e.g., at schools, churches, malls, in their homes, in their yards, and on playgrounds).
Using the descriptions of play that have been identified by different theorists, the students should
break into groups and classify the examples they observed.
Use in the Classroom: After the observations are classified, have each group present a summary
of their findings. Have students keep track of the frequency of different kinds of play for different
ages and different genders. The place where the children were observed may influence the type of
play as well, and so could be an interesting part of the discussion. The discussion should focus on
how well the data fit the predictions made by whatever classification scheme was used. Which
theory best predicted the results that were obtained?
Logistics:
• Group size: Small group and full-class discussion.
• Approximate time: Small group (20 minutes), full class (15 minutes).
Classroom Activity 4: Applying Concepts to Television Shows

development.
This activity affords students an opportunity to relate the concepts that they are learning in this
course to the “real world.” This activity can also serve as a review of concepts from the textbook.
Instructions for Students: Have students select a television series that focuses on children and/or
parent–child relationships. The series can either be a comedy or a drama. The task for this activity
is for the students to identify key issues from the chapter and/or the course materials that are
presented in the TV show such as sibling relationships and parenting styles.
Use in the Classroom: Encourage students to discuss their ideas regarding the accuracy of the
show and the implications of the content of the show for child–parent relationships, indicating
whether the implications are negative or positive.
Logistics:
• Group size: Individual work at home and full-class discussion.
• Approximate time: Individual (45 minutes), full class (50 minutes).
Classroom Activity 5: Children’s Literature and Moral Education

development.
Children’s literature most often aims at a moral message. From the earliest picture books for
infants to books aimed at learning-to-read-preschoolers to books intended to be read to children
by adults, children’s books are ripe with messages related to the struggle of good versus evil
(frequently found in most fairy tales), the importance of being honest and kind, etc. The stories
might not be overtly moralistic, but the main characters may convey a type of goodness. For
instance, the Madeline books, by American author Ludwig Bemelmans, are stories about a young
orphan living in a convent who is notoriously obedient and grateful. Goodnight Moon, by
Margaret Wise Brown, is filled with empathy for living things and respect for inanimate objects.
The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, is about how love is central to life.
For this activity, students will visit the college library (if it has a children’s book section), or any
local public library or bookstore with a substantial children’s collection. Using Handout 6,
students will look for children’s books for ages from 0-5 that convey a moral or character-
building message. Students should be encouraged to look for books aimed at boys versus girls,
and to look at books for a variety of ages from 0-5.
Students should complete the handout and bring it to class. You can then engage the class in a
review of their findings. Encourage students to share their own favorite books from childhood
that might have influenced their moral development.
Suggested reading:
Traxel, J. (nd). American Children’s Literature and the Construction of Childhood: A Book
Review of American Children’s Literature and the Construction of Childhood by Gail Schmunck.
http://www.readingonline.org/reviews/books/USchildlit.html
Logistics:
• Materials: Handout 6 (Literature Review)
• Group size: Individual, then full class
• Approximate time: Individual (90 min), then 30 minutes for full-class discussion
Classroom Activity 6: Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice Questions and Suggested Answers

development.
The critical-thinking multiple-choice questions on Handout 1 are similar to the ones in previous
chapters. Have students discuss their answers. Suggested answers are presented as Handout 2.
Question 1 requires students to explore the documented benefits of authoritative parenting and
thus to review the scientific basis for endorsement of this parenting style.
Question 2 requires students to review the characteristics of the major theoretical perspectives of
life-span development in order to decide whether they apply to specific topics covered in chapter
8.
Question 3 again requires students to recognize the explicit statement of an assumption and
understand that it is different from a claim of fact or an interpretation of facts. It is worth noting
that the assumption in this case is fundamental to virtually the entire developmental perspective,
and students will probably identify it easily.
Logistics:
• Materials: Handout 1 (Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice Questions) and Handout 2
(Answers)
• Group size: Small groups to discuss the questions, then a full-class discussion
• Approximate time: Small groups (15 to 20 minutes), then 30 minutes for full-class
discussion
Classroom Activity 7: Critical-Thinking Essay Questions and Suggestions for Helping

Students Answer the Essays
development.
Discuss students’ answers to the critical-thinking essay questions provided in Handout 3. Several
objectives can be met with these questions. First, students’ understanding of concepts in chapter 8
will be facilitated. Second, this type of essay question affords the students an opportunity to apply
the concepts to their own lives which will increase their retention of the material. Third, the essay
format will also give students practice expressing themselves in written form. Ideas to help
students answer the critical-thinking essay questions are provided in Handout 4.
Logistics:
• Materials: Handout 3 (Essay Questions) and Handout 4 (Ideas to Help Answer)
• Group size: Individual, then full class
• Approximate time: Individual (60 minutes), then 30 minutes for full-class discussion
Personal Applications
Personal Application 1: Just a Little White Lie
The purpose of this exercise is for students to explore the social cognitive view of moral
development. Developmental psychologists have studied children’s moral behavior in a number
of different situations. They have discovered that morality is often based on situations. In a study
of thousands of children, the totally honest child was virtually nonexistent, as were children who
cheated in every situation possible. As adults, we exhibit the same patterns of morality, defining
the acceptability of our behavior by the circumstances surrounding it.
Instructions for Students: Explore your morality. Consider lying, cheating, stealing, and any other
behavior you choose. Are those behaviors wrong in all cases? Discuss. (Hint: When was the last
time you fibbed? Have you even taken “extra” office supplies home from work?)
Use in the Classroom: Discuss this concept of situational morality. Ask students whether they
consider themselves to be honest people. After (hopefully) most of them raise their hands, ask
how many have ever told a “little white lie”—telling a friend they have to stay late at work or the
library so that they do not have to go on that blind date they arranged. Discuss tax returns (are we
all completely honest, or do we fear an audit due to those little “oversights” in reporting), stealing
(what happens when the grocery checker gives you more change than you were due, but you do
not discover it until you are in the parking lot), cheating in school, and larger moral issues such as
premarital sex. What makes something a “larger” moral issue—or are all “wrongs” equal?
Personal Application 2: It’s a Girl (Boy) Thing

The purpose of the exercise is to get students to think about their own gender schemas. These
cognitive networks of associations that guide our perceptions about gender begin taking shape
early in childhood. We begin accumulating information as to what is “girl-like” and “boy-like.”
We continually add information to our schema to enable us to understand and form expectations
about males and females. Because this is viewed as being influenced by many societal factors,
what was once traditionally considered “male” and “female” is changing. Society has experienced
the feminist movement and the “sensitive male” movement, and perceptions of gender-
appropriate behavior continue to evolve with the more visible presence and acceptance of
homosexuality. With more women than ever being career-oriented and fathers becoming more
active caregivers, gender roles and our schemas for them are not what they used to be.
Instructions for Students: Write about your gender schema. What do you consider “female” and
“male”? Include notions of physical appearance and functioning, societal roles, and relationship
participation. Have your current views of gender functioning changed from when you were
growing up? If so, what contributed to the change? Do you have a problem with the way society
currently views either gender? Explain.
Use in the Classroom: Ask students for characteristics of “males” and “females,” and write them
in two columns on the board. After the students have exhausted their lists, assess the
accumulation of items in each list. Are there contradictory characteristics within each list? Are
there more contradictory items for one gender than another? If so, why might this be? How many
characteristics do both sexes share? Are there any outdated characteristics? Why? What might be
the result of society’s changing gender schemas? Do students feel confused in any way as to what
their gender role should encompass? Why?
Personal Application 3: The Most Important Job in the World

The purpose of this experience is to help students think about parenting styles with regard to their
own upbringing. The family is the primary socializing environment during childhood. Significant
findings have illuminated a connection between parenting styles and behavioral outcomes later in
life.
Instructions for Students: Review Diana Baumrind’s four parenting styles. Describe the style your
parents exhibited and try to recall your reactions to them growing up. How do you feel their
approach continues to influence your behavior today, or does it? If you yourself are a parent, what
style do you employ?
Use in the Classroom: Is there a prevalent style of parenting exhibited by parents today? What
might the effects of the explosion of child care be on parents and how they approach their
children? Or might it be the other way around—that the parenting style adopted by parents
contributes to their decision to place children in child care? Use explicit examples from children’s
behavior to demonstrate evidence of particular parenting styles. What effect might there be on
society with the prevalence of a particular style of parenting? In what ways might expectant
parents become educated on the most appropriate method for parenting? Why is this important?
Personal Application 4: I Lived It

The purpose of this exercise is to enable students to explore their own experience with divorce.
The data suggests that children of divorced parents show more problematic behavioral and
adjustment outcomes than children of intact families. However, many of these children appear to
be fine, thus the discrepancy between the two groups is not dramatic. Psychologists acknowledge
the numerous factors that contribute to children’s response to divorce including both external
(family) and internal (temperament) characteristics.
Instructions for Students: If you have experienced the divorce of your parents, share the
experience. What was family life like prior to their separation? Did you welcome the divorce, or
was it painful? Were your parents amicable in their parting, or did you witness a great deal of
negativity? What were the arrangements for spending time with your parents after the divorce?
How did you deal with your new lifestyle? Can you identify what factors contributed to your
particular adjustment to the situation, or what hindered your being able to accept it? What were
your coping mechanisms? Elaborate as much as you feel comfortable doing so.
Use in the Classroom: This can be a difficult subject matter for students to talk about, but some
may be willing to share their stories. In either case, discuss the various factors that come into play
in divorce situations and how children with different temperament styles might react to such
circumstances. Talk about parenting styles before and after the divorce, family size, and the
differential effects on children based on birth order. Consider children in child care and those
with stay-at-home moms, and the impact of divorce on the superego and subsequent morality.
Research Project Ideas

Research Project 1: Altruism–Empathy Observations
For this project, students will observe two children playing on a playground for 20 minutes each
to note any evidence of altruism or empathy. One child should be about 2 years of age, the other
should be about 5. (Note: Instructors will want to provide students with a letter on school
letterhead explaining the exercise and its purpose in case students are questioned regarding their
attention to children.) The students should make observations and record any behavior relevant to
altruism or empathy (remind them that they may see both operations in the same situation). They
can record their observations on Handout 5. In addition, they should answer the questions that
follow the exercise.
Use in the Classroom: Have students present their data in class. Organize the students to analyze
the data for age differences and individual differences. Is there any evidence for the presence of
altruism or empathy in the 2 year-olds? Is there any evidence for the presence of altruism or
empathy in the 5 year-olds? Which has a stronger effect, age or individual differences? Is there
the same amount of variability in responses in the two age groups?
Probably both developmental and individual differences will emerge. Overall, older children will
probably show more altruism and empathy than younger children will. The altruistic behavior
shown by the younger children is more likely to be ineffective or egocentric. There will probably
be more variability in the younger group, because some 2 year-olds may not be at a cognitive
level where they perceive the distress of another. The 5 year-old children will probably show
more appropriate altruistic behavior than the younger children will.
Research Project 2: Discipline in Early Childhood: To Spank or Not to Spank During the
Terrible Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives…Twenties, Thirties, Etc.
From Jarvis and Creasey, “Activities for Lifespan Developmental Psychology Courses”
Few issues in developmental psychology prompt more heated debate than that of how to
discipline young children. Many students are quite convinced that it is perfectly acceptable to
spank children (after all they were spanked and look how they turned out); however, most experts
on child development believe alternative discipline strategies work better and are less harmful to
children’s socioemotional development. This activity invites students to talk with professionals of
child development on this issue (perhaps putting aside their own strong views on this issue which
may be at odds with what the experts say). It is hoped that students will be prepared to change
their ideas after hearing what the experts say and investigating how “time out” and withholding
privileges work.
The Activity:
Students will interview at least two pediatricians or child development experts about discipline
strategies for young children (ages 2 to 5). They will write a report (5 to 7 pages) of their findings
integrating course material on this topic as much as possible.
Materials:
Students will need to locate two pediatricians or child development specialists to interview for
this activity. Most professionals will agree to a brief meeting (15 minutes should be long enough)
with a student if they understand that the student is conducting a course activity. Instructors may
discuss how to approach professionals for interviews of this type with students. Students should
prepare some basic questions about discipline of young children prior to conducting interviews
and in concert with the instructor. It is important to determine what the professional recommends
and understand the basis for the recommendation. Caution should be emphasized for students not
to listen for what they may want to hear, but rather to be very neutral in conducting interviews
and to take careful notes on what the professionals say about discipline. That is, students should
avoid leading questions such as “Some spanking is okay, isn’t it?” or talking about their own
history of discipline. The focus of this activity is to find out what the professionals recommend. If
such recommendations cause students consternation based on their own histories, students should
be encouraged to discuss this problem with the instructor who may refer such students to the
student counseling center if necessary. Instructors should be sensitive to the fact that this may
occur and prepare students for it in advance.
Procedures:
1. Course material on young children’s socioemotional development should be covered and
reviewed by students prior to and while conducting this activity. Any specific material on
discipline should also be reviewed. Interview data will be compared with course material on
this topic.
2. Students may conduct this activity individually or in groups of two (no more than two
though).
3. Next, students will need to contact pediatricians and qualified child development
professionals to interview. They may use the local yellow pages or alternative methods as
directed by the instructor.
4. Students will need to introduce themselves briefly and indicate that they are seeking a 15-
minute interview to ask questions about discipline strategies for young children. Interviews
may be conducted via phone or Web if more convenient for professionals, and students
should be very flexible in accommodating professionals in terms of scheduling an interview
appointment. Students should be instructed to be on time for interviews and to be prepared to
wait if necessary. Students should have a guiding list of about five questions for the
interview and should be prepared to take notes on what the interviewee says. Students should
conclude interviews by thanking professionals for their time and should consider sending the
professional a thank-you letter after the interview.
5. Students will then write a 5 to 7 page report summarizing information obtained from their
interviews. They may indicate what they believed about child discipline and what the
professional had to say, and then tell how, if at all, their views may have been reinforced or
changed as a result of what the experts had to say. Course material and data from the
professionals should be the basis for conclusions students make about recommended
strategies for disciplining young children.
6. Instructors should encourage students to discuss their interview experiences and data with
the class. How have their views about child discipline changed, if they have, as a result of
the interviews? What discipline strategies would students recommend to parents of young
children based on this activity?
Note:
A variation on this activity is to talk with actual parents of young children about their discipline
strategies and compare that data with what the experts say are “best practices.”
Research Project 3: Moral Development and Parental Involvement

Provide students with the following instructions:
Read Kochanska G, (2002). Mutually Responsive Orientation Between Mothers and Their Young
Children: A Context for the Early Development of Conscience. Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 11(6),191-195. (Can be found online at:
http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/dmessinger/c_c/rsrcs/rdgs/emot/kochanska202.curdirpsysci.pd
f or through your university library) and using both the article and your text, answer the following
questions. Each answer should be a paragraph in length – keep in mind 2 sentences does not a
paragraph make! Rather you are aiming for about a ½ page for each answer. In total this paper
should be about 2-3 pages of writing in length.
1. How do children become aware of the social norms, rules, and expectations within their world?
2. How does the “relationship perspective” view parent child relationships as bidirectional? What
does mutually responsive mean?
3. Describe the research methodology performed in this article.
4. Describe the results of the research in this article.
5. Based on these results, how does a mutually responsive relationship impact the child?
6. What types of future research are proposed in the article?
Videos
An Overview of the 4 Parenting Styles
About.com
This video provides a brief overview of the 4 parenting styles and how parents behave.
http://video.about.com/psychology/Overview-of-the-4-Parenting-Styles.htm
McGraw-Hill Education also offers other video and multimedia materials in Connect. For a sneak
peak at the activities available, see “Digital Offerings” above, or speak with your local
representative about Connect.
Feature Films
In this section of the Instructor’s Manual, we suggest films that are widely available on sites like
amazon.com, documentary wire, Hulu, netflix.com, PBS video, etc.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, Robert Duvall, John Megna, Alice
Ghostley, Brock Peters, Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy, Ruth White
Directed by Robert Mulligan
An incredible adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is told through the eyes of a
young girl named Scout. The story takes place in 1932 Alabama, where Scout’s father has agreed
to defend a Black man falsely accused of rape. This serious story is told by Scout, remembering
her childhood with her brother, Jem, and neighbor, Dill, by her side.
My Dog Skip (2000)
Starring Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, Luke Wilson, Kevin Bacon, Cody Linley
Directed by Jay Russell
Based on the best-selling Mississippi memoir by the late Willie Morris, the story takes place in
1942 Yazoo City. A shy boy is given a delightful and lovable terrier puppy for his ninth birthday
that becomes the darling of the neighborhood. The story, along with many wonderful adventures
with Skip, is told through his childhood and into manhood.
Website Suggestions
At the time of publication, all sites were current and active; however, please be advised that you
may occasionally encounter a dead link.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Children and Divorce

http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Families_Pag
es/Children_and_Divorce_01.aspx
Child Abuse
http://www.jimhopper.com/abstats/#caut
Parenthood in America: Scholarly Works on Parenting

http://parenthood.library.wisc.edu/Topics.html
Television and Its Effect on Children: Birth to Three

http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_news_releases_05_23_06
The Nature of Children’s Play

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/nature.of.childs.play.html
Theory of Mind
http://www.theoryofmind.org/
Theory of Mind
http://cogweb.ucla.edu/CogSci/ToMM.html
Harvard University: Center on the Developing Child

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/
UC Berkeley Institute of Human Development

http://ihd.berkeley.edu/
Handout 1 (CA 5)
Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Child psychologists advocate authoritative parenting, because this parenting style is

associated with so many valued developmental outcomes. However, because this parenting
style is so popular and well supported, it is easy to overgeneralize its benefits and to
conclude that all desirable developmental outcomes are related to it. Which of the following
outcomes associated with early childhood is LEAST likely to result from authoritative
parenting? Circle the letter of the best answer, and explain why it is the best answer and why
the other answers are not as good.
a. competence at cooperative play

b. relatively positive adjustment to a divorce
c. development of a pervasive sense of guilt especially after misbehavior
d. development of higher levels of moral reasoning
e. development of perspective taking
2. When he discusses gender issues in chapter 8, Santrock clearly indicates how a variety of
theoretical perspectives attempt to understand developmental gender phenomena. However,
his treatment of other topics in the chapter is not so explicitly linked to theoretical
perspectives. For this question, your task is to decide which of the following topics is a
reasonable match with the perspective paired with it. Circle the letter of the best answer, and
explain why it is the best answer and why the other answers are not as good.
a. effects of divorce on children: psychoanalytic theory

b. effects of television viewing: social cognitive theory
c. self-understanding: behavioral theory
d. working-parent solutions: ethological theory
3. The study of gender role development is fraught with assumptions. For example, one popular
belief has been that males are biologically superior to females. Which of the following
statements constitutes an assumption in Santrock’s treatment of gender, rather than an
inference or an observation? Circle the letter of the best answer, and explain why it is the
best answer and why the other answers are not as good.
a. In the first few weeks of gestation, male and female embryos look alike.
b. The development of gender roles results from an intersection of biological and
environmental factors.
c. Peers cause boys to be masculine and girls to be feminine.
d. Parents’ differential treatment of boys and girls causes boys and girls to acquire different
gender roles.
e. When not required to do otherwise, preschool boys and girls play with children of their
own sex.
Handout 2 (CA 5)
Answers for Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Child psychologists advocate authoritative parenting because this parenting style is

associated with so many valued developmental outcomes. But because this parenting style is
so popular and well supported, it is easy to overgeneralize its benefits and to conclude that
all desirable developmental outcomes are related to it. Which of the following outcomes
associated with early childhood is LEAST likely to result from authoritative parenting?
Circle the letter of the best answer, and explain why it is the best answer and why the other
answers are not as good.
a. Competence at cooperative play is a likely result of authoritative parenting. Baumrind

found that children of authoritative parents tend to be socially competent which is a
requirement for participation in cooperative play.
b. One of the factors associated with a relatively positive adjustment to a divorce is having
authoritative parents. Hertherington et al. (1998) found that when divorced parents’
relationship with each other is harmonious and when they use authoritative parenting, the
adjustment of children improves.
c. Development of a pervasive sense of guilt, especially after misbehavior is not a likely
result of authoritative parenting. Erikson’s theory suggests that children who suffer a
pervasive sense of guilt rather than initiative have authoritarian parents. Baumrind’s work
seems to confirm this in the sense that children of authoritarian parents are less creative,
have lower self-esteem, and get along with peers less well.
d. The development of higher levels of moral reasoning is a likely outcome. Authoritative
parents control their children, but they rely heavily on rules to do so and on
communicating the reasons for the rules to children. They also permit children to
challenge the reasoning behind rules. This sort of activity, according to Piaget, may
promote the development of moral reasoning. In any case, it probably promotes the
development of perspective taking, which is a component of more advanced moral
reasoning (the ability to infer intentions.)
e. The development of perspective taking is another likely outcome. Authoritative parenting
is more likely than other types to foster perspective taking because it involves greater
communication. Children come to know how their parents think about things and realize
that their parents have different perspectives from theirs. A less direct indication of this is
the social competence of these children. This facility requires some ability to understand
the perspectives of others.
2. When he discusses gender issues in chapter 8, Santrock clearly indicates how a variety of
theoretical perspectives attempt to understand developmental gender phenomena. However,
his treatment of other topics in the chapter is not so explicitly linked to theoretical
perspectives. For this question, your task is to decide which of the following topics is a
reasonable match with the perspective paired with it. Circle the letter of the best answer, and
explain why it is the best answer and why the other answers are not as good.
a. Effects of divorce on children: psychoanalytic theory is not a match. If this were so,
Santrock’s treatment should include details about early family socialization practices and
how these relate, via the first three stages of Freud’s or Erikson’s theory, to personality
development. Instead, he details how the effects of divorce are influenced by parenting
styles and parental conflict, and how SES factors influence children’s adaptation to
divorce. This is more characteristic of an ecological approach.
b. Effects of television viewing: social cognitive theory is a match. The key is the emphasis
on the idea that television shows provide models of attitudes and behavior from which
children may learn stereotypes, acquire responses, and become more disposed to act in
certain ways. There is also an emphasis on possible cognitive mediation of TV effects,
another aspect of the social cognitive theory.
c. Self-understanding: behavioral theory is not a match. This is immediately shown by the
reference to “a child’s cognitive representation of the self” and the fact that there is no
indication of how these representations might influence a child’s response to behavior
modeled by others, or how they influence or mediate any other aspect or determinant of a
child’s behavior. Thus, neither radical nor cognitive variants of behavioral theory provide
a match.
d. Working-parent solutions: ethological theory is not a match. The attempt to understand
the basis of parents’ feelings of guilt about working is cognitive or psychodynamic in its
orientation. Missing is any attempt to understand how this behavior represents or
expresses a biological adaptation.
3. The study of gender role development is fraught with assumptions. For example, one popular
belief has been that males are biologically superior to females. Which of the following
statements constitutes an assumption in Santrock’s treatment of gender rather than an
inference or an observation? Circle the letter of the best answer, and explain why it is the
best answer and why the other answers are not as good.
a. The statement that in the first few weeks of gestation, male and female embryos look
alike is an observation. Male sex organs start to differ from female sex organs when XY
chromosomes in the male embryo trigger the secretion of androgens.
b. The statement that the development of gender roles results from an intersection of
biological and environmental factors is the assumption. It is a basic belief held by
virtually all developmental psychologists about all features of development. In fact,
Santrock directly reminds us of this principle as he introduces the topic of gender role
development. He does not present it as a hypothesis to be tested, but rather a dictum to be
obeyed as we attempt to understand the determinants of gender role development.
c. The statement that peers cause boys to be masculine and girls to be feminine is an
inference. Santrock describes research that has found that children are rewarded for
engaging in sex-appropriate behavior and that children tend to criticize children for
engaging in cross-sex activities. However, it is incorrect to claim a causal relationship as
this research is correlational.
d. The statement that parents’ differential treatment of boys and girls causes boys and girls
to acquire different gender roles is an inference. Parents have been observed to treat their
sons and daughters differently. But to claim that this differential treatment is a cause of
later differential gender role development is an extrapolation of this finding, a hypothesis
about the possible effect of the parents’ behavior on their sons and daughters.
e. The statement that when not required to do otherwise, preschool boys and girls play with
children of their own sex is an observation. Researchers and teachers see children playing
in same-sex groups when children choose with whom they will play.
Handout 3 (CA 6)
Critical-Thinking Essay Questions
Your answers to these kinds of questions demonstrate an ability to comprehend and apply ideas
discussed in this chapter.
1. Explain what Erikson means by saying that early childhood is dominated by feelings of
initiative versus guilt.
2. Describe the development of self-understanding during early childhood, and relate what we
know about it to what we know about cognitive development during this life period.
3. Identify and discuss the components of moral development. Discuss how current theorists
conceptualize moral development.
4. Summarize what we know about biological, social, and cognitive influences on gender
development. Clarify whether these influences are independent of each other, or whether
they interact with each other. Give examples that support your conclusion.
5. Compare and contrast any two theories of gender development. Indicate whether these
theories contradict each other, or whether an eclectic use of them would enhance our
understanding of gender development.
6. Explain the four types of parenting styles, and describe the personalities of children who
experience each type of parenting.
7. Analyze cultural, ethnic, and social class variations in families in terms of parenting styles.
8. Summarize what we know about birth-order effects in children, and explain why some
researchers think this information has been overdramatized.
9. Discuss the pros and cons of a mother working outside of the home with regard to a child’s
social development.
10. A friend of yours is going through a divorce, and she has asked you to help her cope with her
two preschool-age sons. Write a letter to your friend, and explain the current research on the
effects of divorce and ways to facilitate her children’s adaptation.
11. Explain how play fulfills both developmental and educational goals and functions.
12. Summarize what we know about the dangers and benefits of television. Then state and
support a claim about whether television viewing by young children should/should not be
regulated.
Handout 4 (CA 6)
Ideas to Help You Answer Critical-Thinking Essay Questions
1. Begin by reviewing the basics of Erikson’s theory, especially initiative versus guilt. Discuss
how this concept is a defining aspect (according to Erikson) of early childhood.
2. Preface this discussion with an adult perspective of self-understanding. To what extent do

you understand yourself, your thoughts, and cognitive processes? Then, describe the
development of self-understanding in childhood and its relevance to cognitive development.
3. Think back to when you were a child. What do you remember about how you thought about
right and wrong? Do you remember specifically being taught this, or did you just infer things
from life around you? Now explore how developmental psychologists conceptualize moral
development and the components they identify as relevant to studying morality.
4. First discuss the importance of gender identity. When does it begin? Now address biological,
social, and cognitive influences on gender development and their mutual influence. Give
supporting examples.
5. Provide some general background information on gender identity formation and reasons for
its significance as something to be studied by developmental psychologists. Now compare
and contrast two theories of this development.
6. Preface your discussion of the four types of parenting styles with a presentation of the
enormity of the responsibility of raising children. After acknowledging the scope of this job,
explain the parenting styles, who delineated them, and the personalities of the children who
experience each.
7. Create a chart to separate cultural, ethnic, and social class as they vary in terms of parenting
styles. Discuss the distinctions.
8. What does birth order refer to? Why is it explored by developmental psychologists?
Summarize the known effects, and explain the notion that this information has been
overdramatized.
9. Before analyzing the pros and cons of this issue, present the particular issues of social
development that are considered significant by developmental psychologists.
10. Describe a general divorce scenario involving children—whatever comes to mind. Now
summarize each of the two models of divorce, and compare and contrast their features.
Review your text to assist you in assessing their respective degree of accuracy.
11. How do developmentalists define play? Further your discussion by explaining the role it
plays in development and education.
12. Make a chart of the pros and cons of television. Develop a mature, well-stated case to
present to your legislator regarding the regulation of children’s television viewing.
Handout 5 (RP 1)
Altruism–Empathy Observations
For this project, you will observe two children playing on a playground for 20 minutes each, and
note any evidence of altruism or empathy. One child should be about 2 years of age, the other
about 5. Make observations, and record any behavior that is relevant to altruism or empathy (you
may see both operations in the same situation). Record your observations below. Then write a
brief report based on the questions provided.
Child 1 Sex_____ Age _____
Child 2 Sex _____ Age _____
Questions:
• How did you define altruism and empathy?

• How many instances of empathy did you observe in the 2 year-old? In the 5 year-old?
• How many instances of altruism did you observe in the 2 year-old? In the 5 year-old?
• What seems to be the developmental progression in empathy and altruism from 2 to 5 years
of age? How would you account for this? Could your data be explained on the basis of
individual differences rather than on the basis of developmental changes? Why or why not?
Handout 6 (CA 5)
Children’s Books and Moral Education
Children’s literature is very often the vehicle for moral education, for teaching about values and
character. The fairy tales we all grew up with contain powerful moral messages about the struggle
of good over evil.
This project is a survey of children’s books that you will examine at a local library or bookstore.
Putting aside the fairy tales, identify six children’s books designed for different ages within the 0-
5-year-old span. Some bookstores and libraries will categorize the books for different ages, but
you can easily pick out books meant for infants (to be read by caregivers), very young children
(mostly picture books), and books for beginning readers.
Complete the following handout, and bring to class for class discussion.
Title Author Target Age Summary of Moral lesson Describe how

story or value moral lesson
illustrated or value was
through text conveyed

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Life-Span Development 15th Edition

Santrock Solutions Manual

Chapter 8: Socioemotional Development in Early Childhood

A. Explain the development of self during early childhood.

A. Discuss parenting styles.

A. Define peers, and discuss the role they play in development.

Students study more effectively with Smartbook.

• Make It Effective. Powered by Learnsmart, SmartBook™ creates a personalized reading experience by

Santrock, Life-Span Development: 15e IM 8 | 1

Ch Chapter Title Asset Asset Title Connect Learning Objective

The Self Lecture Suggestion 1: The Study of Gender: Individual

Families Learning Goal 2: Explain how families can influence

Review Classroom Activity 6: Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice

Lecture Suggestion 2: The Problem of Studying Parenting

The purpose of this lecture is to stimulate discussion regarding methodological concerns in

Understanding how variations in parenting influence child development is a complicated task.

Lecture Suggestion 3: Context-Specific Learning, Personality, and Birth Order

Lecture Suggestion 4: Early Parental Employment: What Are the Effects?

Lecture Suggestion 5: How Do Parents Teach Their Children Prosocial Behavior?

Santrock, Life-Span Development: 15e IM 8 | 8

Classroom Activity 1: Self-Recognition: A Demonstration Using the Rouge Test

Time: Approximately 15–20 minutes.

Classroom Activity 2: Do Parents Really Treat Boys and Girls Differently?

Classroom Activity 3: Play Classifications

Classroom Activity 4: Applying Concepts to Television Shows

Classroom Activity 5: Children’s Literature and Moral Education

Learning Goal 1: Discuss emotional and personality development in early childhood.

Santrock, Life-Span Development: 15e IM 8 | 12

Classroom Activity 6: Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice Questions and Suggested Answers

Classroom Activity 7: Critical-Thinking Essay Questions and Suggestions for Helping

Personal Application 2: It’s a Girl (Boy) Thing

Personal Application 3: The Most Important Job in the World

Personal Application 4: I Lived It

Research Project Ideas

Research Project 3: Moral Development and Parental Involvement

Provide students with the following instructions:

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

My Dog Skip (2000)

Santrock, Life-Span Development: 15e IM 8 | 18

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Children and Divorce

Parenthood in America: Scholarly Works on Parenting

Television and Its Effect on Children: Birth to Three

The Nature of Children’s Play

Harvard University: Center on the Developing Child

UC Berkeley Institute of Human Development

Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Child psychologists advocate authoritative parenting, because this parenting style is

the other answers are not as good.

a. competence at cooperative play

a. effects of divorce on children: psychoanalytic theory

Answers for Critical-Thinking Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Child psychologists advocate authoritative parenting because this parenting style is

a. Competence at cooperative play is a likely result of authoritative parenting. Baumrind

expresses a biological adaptation.

Critical-Thinking Essay Questions

Ideas to Help You Answer Critical-Thinking Essay Questions

2. Preface this discussion with an adult perspective of self-understanding. To what extent do

Santrock, Life-Span Development: 15e IM 8 | 23

Child 1 Sex_____ Age _____

Child 2 Sex _____ Age _____

• How did you define altruism and empathy?

Children’s Books and Moral Education

Title Author Target Age Summary of Moral lesson Describe how

Santrock, Life-Span Development: 15e IM 8 | 25

Child 1 Sex_ Age _

Child 2 Sex _ Age _