The Little Six
Children as Motivated Agents
Developmental Foundations
Stability & Development
MISC
100

What is the sixth trait included in the Little Six, not present in adult models?

Activity

100

What type of motivation comes from enjoyment or interest in the task itself?

Intrinsic motivation

100

Name one key developmental task that children master during Middle Childhood

  1. Rule-abiding behavior – learning to follow norms and manage impulses.
  2. Academic achievement – focusing on culturally valued knowledge and skills.
  3. Social competence – forming friendships, cooperating with peers, and navigating social hierarchies.
100

The extent to which individuals maintain their relative standing on an individual difference over time is called this.

Rank-order stability

100

The foundations of adult-like traits are already laid in early childhood, but they become more stable, differentiated, and measurable during the school-age years (T/F)

True

200

Which trait in the Little Six includes sociability, expressiveness, and positive emotions, and is linked to leadership potential in children?

Extraversion

200

Most middle childhood research on goals centers on these two key areas

Academic achievement and peer relationships

200

Name one thing that happens biologically during this time


• First molars erupt, enabling broader diet
• Increased motor control (adult-like)
• Brain volume nearly reaches adult size
• Cortical maturation and reorganization
• Adrenarche: hormonal changes increasing brain plasticity

200

How do coping strategies typically change from preschool to adolescence?

They shift from basic methods like distraction and escape to more complex, flexible strategies like internal coping and cognitive reappraisal.

200

Personality development unfolds along these three key lines

Social Actors (Early Childhood)

Motivated Agents (Middle Childhood)

Narrative Authors (Adolescence)

300

Which trait reflects a child’s tendency toward anxiety, sadness, and emotional instability, and is often confused with low agreeableness in childhood?

Neuroticism

300

Which Schwartz value dimension increases between ages 7–11, reflecting a growing interest in novelty and personal growth?

Openness to change

300

Name one thing cognitively that happens during this time

Improved reasoning and problem-solving
• Greater perspective-taking (theory of mind)
• Growth in attention and working memory
• Development of future thinking and planning (prospection)
• Capacity for imagining and preparing for future events

300

How do values influence children's behavior, according to developmental research?

They predict value-relevant behaviors (e.g., kids who value conservation avoid risky situations)

300

Genetics play a role in most values, with the possible exception of this value dimension

Openness to change

400

What trait includes planning, attention, and impulse control, and is linked to both agreeableness and intellect during childhood?

Conscientiousness

400

What type of social goal focuses on gaining popularity or admiration from peers?

Performance-approach goal

400

Name one thing Social-Emotionally that happens during this time

• Enhanced emotion regulation through internal strategies
• Better executive functioning (ages 3–5 onwards)
• Increased self-awareness and self-evaluation (by age 8)
• Emerging understanding of identity (traits, race, gender, status)
• Greater peer interaction and social comparison
• Formation of more accurate and sometimes critical self-assessments

400

During early adolescence, traits may shift in a “negative” direction (e.g., declines in openness and increase in neuroticism). This is referred to as the...

Disruption Hypothesis

400

Across cultures, middle childhood marks a shift to “making sense” of the world and_______ by adults as capable individuals.

“getting noticed”

500

What trait in childhood personality later contributes to extraversion and conscientiousness?

Activity

500

Which academic goal orientation is linked to higher self-efficacy and focuses on learning and improvement?

Mastery-approach goals

500

Why might the stage of middle childhood be absent or diminished in some societies, according to Lancy & Grove (2011)?

Because extreme conditions like poverty, war, or violence may prevent children from experiencing formal schooling or structured activities typical of this stage.

500

Approximately, at what age do children begin to show moderate stability in their personal values, similar to adults?

Around age 7

500
Name one future direction

Importance of Ongoing Structural Research- Understand structure and change 

Need to Understand Connections Among Personality Components

Make better tools for measuring personality components

Development of Narrative Identity

M
e
n
u