The Little Six
What is the sixth trait included in the Little Six, not present in adult models?
Activity
What type of motivation comes from enjoyment or interest in the task itself?
Intrinsic motivation
Name one key developmental task that children master during Middle Childhood
The extent to which individuals maintain their relative standing on an individual difference over time is called this.
Rank-order stability
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
Which trait in the Little Six includes sociability, expressiveness, and positive emotions, and is linked to leadership potential in children?
Extraversion
Most middle childhood research on goals centers on these two key areas
Academic achievement and peer relationships
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
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.
Personality development unfolds along these three key lines
Social Actors (Early Childhood)
Motivated Agents (Middle Childhood)
Narrative Authors (Adolescence)
Which trait reflects a child’s tendency toward anxiety, sadness, and emotional instability, and is often confused with low agreeableness in childhood?
Neuroticism
Which Schwartz value dimension increases between ages 7–11, reflecting a growing interest in novelty and personal growth?
Openness to change
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
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)
Genetics play a role in most values, with the possible exception of this value dimension
Openness to change
What trait includes planning, attention, and impulse control, and is linked to both agreeableness and intellect during childhood?
Conscientiousness
What type of social goal focuses on gaining popularity or admiration from peers?
Performance-approach goal
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
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
Across cultures, middle childhood marks a shift to “making sense” of the world and_______ by adults as capable individuals.
“getting noticed”
What trait in childhood personality later contributes to extraversion and conscientiousness?
Activity
Which academic goal orientation is linked to higher self-efficacy and focuses on learning and improvement?
Mastery-approach goals
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.
Approximately, at what age do children begin to show moderate stability in their personal values, similar to adults?
Around age 7
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