1. Describe Ericksons developmental stages found in middle childhood.

Erickson described the middle childhood stage as industry versus

inferiority. In this stage the focus is on developing rules, ensuring fairness,
and creating sanctions for rule breaking. Successful adaption to friendships
and peer groups is a major developmental task for this age group. (Human
Behavior in the Social Environment 5th ed.)

2. Discuss the different ways in which childrens intelligence can be

assessed.

IQ is calculated by comparing the childs mental age with her or his

chronological age.
Stanford-Binet
Administered individually
Designed for kids ages 2-18 years old
Verbal test of intelligence
Comprises 4 areas
o Verbal reasoning
o Quantitative reasoning
o Abstract/visual reasoning
o Short-term memory
IQ is a composite score that is referred to as a measure of
adaptive ability
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC IV)
Groups test items into subsets that make up four separate
scales
Subscales tap verbal and performance abilities, producing
five values.
o Verbal comprehension
o Perceptual reasoning
o Working memory
o Processing speed
o Full-scale IQ
Verbal comprehension examines knowledge access and oral
expression that comes from the individuals environment.
Perceptual reasoning uses visually presented material to
examine visual perception, organization, and reasoning

Working memory examines working memory processes

applies to the manipulation of orally presented verbal
sequences
Processing speed examines visual perception and
organization and requires control of attention and sustained
effort
WISC IV allows the examiner to determine particular
areas of strength and weakness
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC II)
Based on the Das-Luria model of cognitive functioning and the
Cattell-Horn-Carroll model of categorizing cognitive abilities
Comprises a number of subtests, each related to various
abilities
o Simultaneous processing
o Sequential processing
o Planning ability test
o Visual processing
o Short term memory
o Fluid reasoning
Specific strengths and weaknesses can be identified

3. Describe linguistic changes that occur in middle childhood.

During middle childhood, children become increasingly able to use more
correct and complex language, refine their reading and writing abilities, and
become increasingly aware that words can have multiple meanings. This is
also the appropriate age for the development of abstract connotation and
metalinguistic awareness, or the ability to go beyond the information.
Children begin to understand the humor in jokes, riddles, puns, and to use
and understand the use of metaphors. (Human Behavior in the Social
Environment 5th ed.)

4. Discuss the development of social cognition, in particular, social roletaking and interpersonal awareness.
Social role-taking

The role-taking skill matures through exposure role-taking

opportunities that involve an exchange of differing
perspectives
Role-taking is related to moral development which depends on a
persons ability to perceive and comprehend the differing
perspectives of other people
Role-taking ability begins to change around 12 years of age,
when the ability to think about oneself and ones social relations
becomes more advanced
Role-taking is a prerequisite for the emergence of many social
behaviors such as cooperation and altruism
Interpersonal Awareness
Interpersonal awareness refers to how the child conceives his
or her own interpersonal relationships, particularly friendships
and peer group relations
Stages of perspective taking
o Level 1 (5-9) Children begin to differentiate the
physical and psychological characteristics of individuals
o Level 2 (7-12) Major advances occur and children can
take a self-reflective view. Children recognize that there
can be a difference between the physical self and
psychological self.
o Level 3 (10-15) Is known as the mutual perspectivetaking level because children can take a third-person
perspective; that is they can truly see things from a
different perspective
o Level 4 (after 12) At this level, one can think
abstractly about the various levels of understanding and
can recognize that each level can have a different point
of view.
(Human Behavior in the Social Environment 5th ed.)

5. Describe how to use the Child Behavior Checklist for conducting

assessments of internalizing and externalizing problems.
The Child Behavior Checklist is a standardized rating scale that is
typically filled out by parents and teachers. It examines behavior across a
number of domains or syndromes such as depressed, obsessive-compulsive,

socially withdrawn, and aggressive. Items include statements such as cant

concentrate, cant pay attention for long, and disobedient at home. The
parent circles 2 if the statement is always or often true, 1 if the statement
is sometimes true, and 0 if the statement is not true. To score the profile,
the 1s and 2s under the syndrome are summed to obtain a total score. The
Child Behavior Checklist is normed which means one can compare scores
against the scores obtained from a normal population of children. (Human
Behavior in the Social Environment 5th ed.)

6. Discuss the significance of peer relationships in middle childhood.

Poor peer relations are associated with discomfort, anxiety, and a general
unwillingness to engage the environment. Children master their aggressive
impulses within the context of peer relations. Sexual socialization cannot
take place in the absence of peer interactions. Peer relations are related to
role-taking ability, empathy, and moral reasoning. (Human Behavior in the
Social Environment 5th ed.)

7. Describe three methods of parent training.

Parent-Effectiveness Training (PET)
This humanist approach to parenting emphasizes the need for respect
between parent and child. Central to PET is a complete rejection of
parental power. PET holds that there is no such thing as misbehavior,
children simply behave. All behavior is aimed at having needs met.
Behavior Modification
The use of behavior modification in parent training involves teaching
parents how to apply the principles of behavior to their children. The
principles of behavior include concepts such as reinforcement, punishment,
extinction, differential reinforcement of other behaviors and stimulus
control.
Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP)
This approach to parenting rests on the belief that a misbehaving child
is a discouraged child. The STEP program teaches parents that there are 4
motivations for a childs behavior; attention, power, revenge, and inadequacy.
STEP teaches parents to use techniques of encouragement and discipline,
emphasizing giving the child a lot of responsibility and avoiding

overprotection and unnecessary service. (Human Behavior in the Social

Environment 5th ed.)

8. Discuss the challenges in designing effective schools including the

implementation of Public Law 94-142
Designing effective schools requires many considerations. Low income
and minority students face barriers such as low parental expectations for
school performance, low teacher expectations for school performance, and
lack of culturally relevant educational materials. Additionally, different
values must be considered. Middle class parents typically value getting ahead
while parents of disadvantaged children often emphasize staying out of
trouble. Furthermore, considerations to children with special needs are an
important component also. Public Law 94-142, renamed Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, guarantees children the right to special education
and related services. Services that are recommended in the IEP must be
provided to the child and his/her family at no extra cost. (Human Behavior in
the Social Environment 5th ed.)

9. Discuss sex role identification in middle childhood.

Middle childhood is a significant time in the formation of gender identity
and consists of five major components; membership knowledge, gender
typicality, gender contentedness, pressure for gender conformity, and
intergroup bias. (Human Behavior in the Social Environment 5 th ed.)

10. Discuss the impact of divorce on children and describe methods for
helping children cope with divorce.
Divorce is especially taxing on children because it disrupts one of the
core relationships in their lives and dissolves the family structure they
depend on for secure development. Children experience a series of stressors
when their parents divorce; hostilities between parents, distraught custodial
parent, loss of relationship with noncustodial parent, parent dating,
remarriage, and possible poverty associated stressors. In the presence of
such extreme stressors, childrens energy is diverted from their own needs
to worries about security, safety, and survival for themselves and their
loved ones. To help children cope with divorce, parents can provide adequate

financial support, adequate parenting by the custodial parent, emotional

support from the noncustodial parent, additional social support, and attempt
to minimize any additional stressors. (Human Behavior in the Social
Environment 5th ed.)