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Ecology of the Peer Group (What is a peer group and what do they do?…
Ecology of the Peer Group
What is a peer group and what do they do?
Peers are equal, individuals who are usually of the same gender, age, and social status, and who share interests. (pg. 281)
Peers are significant socializers. They contribute beyond the influence of family and school because they satisfy certain belonging needs, are often preferred to other socializing agents, they influence not only social development, but cognitive and psychological development as well. (pg. 281-282)
Peers are significant to human development because they satisfy the need to belong to a group, to interact socially, and the need to develop a personal identity.
The level of attachment a child has from birth to 2 years plays a part in how sociable the child will be in later years.
How to children socialize according to age?
Infancy/Toddlerhood: young infants look at, vocalize to, and touch other infants. During the second year toddlers may use words to communicate and can coordinate their behavior with playmates.
Early Childhood: Children begin to play in groups, this gives them the chance to play a variety of roles that were not previously available to them. They have to learn how to work through issues of power, compliance, cooperation, and conflict.
Middle Childhood: During these years the peer group is attractive because it provides opportunities for greater independence and enhances the sense of self. These children long to find others like themselves, to find someone to share doubts, fears, wishes, and perspectives.
Adolescence: during this time peer group activities escalate. Teens turn to parents in regard to school or future occupational goals (future-oriented decisions), but turn to peers in regards to clothing, social activities, dating, etc. (present-oriented goals).
The Peer Group's Influence on Social Development: Social Competence and Conformity.
Age: studies show that children are most susceptible to peer influence in middle childhood and become less conforming in adolescence.
Situation: Social conformity is even more apparent in ambiguous situations where children are unsure about what they should do.
Personal Values: Whether or not people conform to the group depends on their feelings about the particular situation- how good or bad they feel about it.
Peer Group's Influence on Cognitive Development: Social Cognition
Social cognition in the pre-operational stage: this state is characterized by intuitive, rather than logical, thought. Children under the age of 7 do not have the cognitive ability to be aware of peer pressure to conform or the consequence for deviance.
Social Cognition of Concrete Operational Stage: this stage is characterized by the ability to apply logical, systemic principles to help interpret experiences. Children ages 7 to 11. These children make theories about reality assumed to be true without examining or evaluating contradictory data.
Social Cognition in the Formal Operational Stage: From age 11 and on. This stage is characterized by the ability to think logically about abstract ideas and hypotheses, as well as concrete facts. These children can conceptualize their own thoughts and discover the arbitrariness of their assumptions. These children believe they are the focus of attention and they strive extra hard to be like their peers.
Peer Group Socializing Mechanisms
Reinforcement: approval and acceptance
Modeling: imitation
Punishment: rejection and exclusion
Apprenticeship: when a novice learns from an expert.
Macrosystem Influences on the Peer Group: Developmental Tasks
Getting along with others
Developing morals and values
Learning appropriate socioculture roles
Achieving personal independence and identity
Chronosystem Influences on the Peer Group: Play/ Activities
Infant/Toddler Peer Activities: toughing each other, vocalizing at each other, interacting positively over toys.
Early Childhood Peer Activities: From age 2 to 5. Children play in groups. Successful social relationships depend on the ability of one person to take the point of view of another person, the ability to empathize, and the ability to communicate.
Middle Childhood/Preadolescent Peer Activities: settings change from more supervised areas to unsupervised. There is increased social interaction with peers and informal groups are created. These children spend their time talking, teasing, rough housing, and bike riding.
Adolescent Peer Activities: adolescents like to hang out, talk, watch TV, listen to music, play video games, be seen, and see who else is hanging out with who.