| What is social development? | Social development describes the advances we make in our ability to interact and get along with others. |
| Is there a link between social development, school success, and success later in life? | Yes, children who have well-developed social skills achieve at higher levels, have higher self-esteem and fewer behavioural problems, attend school more regularly, and are more satisfied with their school experience (Bornstein, Hahn, & Haynes, 2010; Vaugn et al., 2009; Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg, Wang, & Wahlberg, 2004). |
| What is social cognition? | Social cognition refers to the ability to use CUES to understand social interactions, and is the heart of social development (Hughes, Ensor, & Marks, 2010; Parke & Clarke-Steward, 2011). |
| What is social referencing? | Social referencing is people's ability to use vocal and nonverbal cues to evaluate ambiguous events and regulate their behaviours accordingly. Social referencing is an aspect of social cognition (Pelaez, Virues-Ortega, Field, Amir-Kiaei, & Schnerch, 2013).
For example, suppose we're in a social gathering with people we don't know well. Someone tells a story that has an unexpected ending, and we don't know whether to laugh or extend sympathy. So, we wait to see how others react in an effort to behave appropriately. |
| What influences social development? | As with all forms of development, social development depends on experience, and opportunities to interact with others and observe the consequences of our own and other's interactions are essential for healthy social development.
For example, this is the reason why mothers of young children form "play groups" that provide these experiences for toddlers. |
| Which group strongly influences children's social development? | Parents, siblings and peers are groups that most strongly influence children's early social development. Initially, because of their proximity in the home, parents and siblings play the most important role, and later, as children mature and go to school, peers play a larger role. |
| Describe how social development begins at home. | Through their interactions with parents and siblings, young children learn how to use social interaction to get what they want (Borstein & Lansford, 2010), and later they use these interactions to begin to understand others (Beisert et al., 2012; Cipriano & Stifter, 2010).
Parents who talk to their children about other people's thoughts, feelings, and motives promote young children's social cognition (Gehlbach, Brinkworth, & Harris, 2011; Sanders, 2010). And children learn social skills by observing their parents interact with others (Beisert et al., 2012).
Siblings assist in the process of social development. When we're young, we're in constant contact with our families and frequently interact with our brothers and sisters. Competition, negotiation, and compromise are a part of family life, and these experiences also help us acquire social skills (Caspi, 2012). |
| As children grow older, peers -friends and classmates- play an increasingly prominent role in social development. Their influences exists in 3 areas (Hartup, 2009; Howe, 2010; Parke & Clarke-Stewart, 2011). What are they? | 1. Attitudes and values.
2. Opportunities to practice social skills.
3. Emotional support. |
| How do peers influence children's attitudes and values? | Peers communicate attitudes and values in areas ranging from the importance of schoolwork to definitions of right and wrong (Crossnoe, 2011; Park & Clark-Stewart, 2011).
Our choice of friends predicts grades, involvement in school, and even behaviour problems (Matjasko, Needham, Grunden, & Farb, 2010). If peer groups are academically oriented, they promote effort and achievement, but if they reject school values, students are more likely to cut classes, skip school, cheat, and even use drugs.
The academic climate in classes in the same school can differ dramatically depending on the dominant peer groups in a particular classroom (Rubin et al., 2010). |
| How peers provide opportunities to practice social skills? | The extent to which we area able to make friends and establish meaningful relationships in life depends on social skills. Peers, and especially close friends, provide opportunities to PRACTICE these skills (Meadows, 2010; Coplan & Arbeau, 2009).
For example, students who have well-developed social skills are ACCEPTED by others, which gives them even more opportunities to practice and refine their social skills, whereas those lacking these skills are often REJECTED by peers, leading to fewer opportunities to practice and develop (Cillessen, Schwartz, & Mayuex, 2011; Mayuex, Houser, & Dyches, 2011; Rubin, Coplan, Chen, Bowker, & McDonald, 2011).
Rejected students are often impulsive and aggressive, and over time they tend to withdraw. As a result, their learning and development suffer (Bellmore, 2011; Swearer, Espelage, Vaillancourt, & Hymel, 2010). |
| How do peers offer emotional support? | Peers, and especially friends, provide both emotional support and a sense of identity, and they also help adolescents understand that THEY AREN'T THE ONLY ONES going through the sometimes confusing changes that occur during this period (Wentzel, 2009; Troutman & Fletcher, 2010; Jordan, 2006).
Students tends to select friends and seek emotional support from those who are similar in gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, academic orientation, and long term goals (Peters, Cillessen, Riksen-Walraven, & Hasalager, 2010; Witvliet, van Lier, Cuijpers, & Koot, 2010).
This makes sense, since we all tend to gravitate towards OTHERS WHO ARE LIKE US. For example, when Paul's kids were in high school, they described themselves as "band nerds", since they tended to hang out with other students in the band. And Don's daughter, a volleyball player tended to associate with other athletes. |
