Question

Describe similarities in development of self-concept, attitudes toward ethnic minorities, and gender stereotyped beliefs in middle childhood

What cognitive changes support the transition to a self-concept emphasizing competencies, personality traits, and social comparisons?

Answer 1

• During the middle childhood when a child steps out of his/her family,they are getting familiar with world around them.They start differentiating themselves from others,they start thinking about themselves and this is the development of self concept .They construct a self concept that differentiates the familiarities of their group whether the cultural or the gender with that of other groups .They observe the elders and reflect upon their actions and because at this stage they prefer compliance ,they develop a self concept that is favorable to everyone who shares his/her similarities.The children belonging to ethnic majority group develop a in group favoritism attitude, that is they prefer their own ethnic group over others, whereas,the children belonging to minority group develop a out group favoritism that is they prefer the other majority group over their's.Similarly in gender stereotypes too children accept the valued behavior of their elders in to their self concept.
• The perspective taking skills from the elders and the peers and the feed back from them are the cognitive changes that support the transition to a self-concept emphasizing competencies, personality traits and social comparisons.