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Your character has reached middle childhood. Let’s think about your character’s social development and the influence of their home environment. What is self concept? Please describe their self-concept and how this self-concept has changed from toddlerhood and early childhood. You will need to draw from multiple textbook chapters (toddler, early childhood, middle childhood) to accurately answer this question. Be sure to identify and highlight multiple areas of your character’s self-concept. Please draw from the textbook and include in-text citations (40 pts)
Please also discuss your character’s self-esteem. What is self-esteem? How does it manifest for your character? In what ways does your character’s parental attachment style influence your character’s self-esteem? How might your character’s racial/ethnic/cultural background influence their self-esteem? Please draw from the textbook and include in-text citations (30 pts)
Based on your character’s self-esteem and self-concept, is s/he likely to be a bully, a victim of bullying, or neither. Why? Use supporting evidence from the textbook (15 pts)
Finally, please consider your character’s parental income, relationship status, and number of other children (assigned in Assignment #1). Discuss the challenges or benefits your character might face during middle childhood as a result of their socioeconomic status, parental relationship status, and number of siblings. Use supporting evidence from the textbook (15 pts)
Your answers should result in a short essay of 1.5 double spaced pages (min). Your response needs to be in APA format with no direct quotations from the textbook (everything paraphrased in your own words) and in text citations telling me where in the book the information came from.
I will add the ones I’ve done in the past as well 🙂 Thank you in advance.
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DEP2000
Human Growth and Development: Introductory Developmental Psychology
Dr. Jessica Saunders
Haily Collado
Assignment: Character Development
This narrative revolves around the individual identified as infant 1143112. The initial
digit signifies the gender, and my infant is male. The second digit represents the individual’s
racial background, specifically indicating that he is of Hispanic descent. The third digit
corresponds to the mother’s age, which is 40 years old or beyond. The fourth digit represents her
marital status, which is married. The fifth figure represents her financial standing, indicating that
she is a high school dropout and earns the minimum salary. The sixth digit denotes the quantity
of siblings my infant possesses, which is zero. The final digit denotes the smoking status of the
mother, indicating that she is a smoker. In summary, the infant is a male of Hispanic descent,
born to a woman over the age of 40, who is married, has discontinued her education at the high
school level, earns the minimum pay, engages in smoking, and has no siblings. This will be the
narrative of Alberto.
Several variables can influence the birth weight of a baby. Commencing with health
factors such as prenatal care, which aids the developing fetus while still in the womb. Upon
perusing this chapter in Chapter 3.4 Contextual and Cultural Influences on Prenatal Care, it
became evident that prenatal care is not universally employed. Prenatal care encompasses a
range of services aimed at enhancing pregnancy outcomes and including the pregnant woman,
her family, and acquaintances in healthcare choices. It plays a crucial role in promoting the wellbeing of both the mother and the baby. Approximately 25% of pregnant women in the United
States delay seeking prenatal care until after the first three months of pregnancy, while 6% either
receive prenatal care very late in their pregnancy or not at all. The textbook offers various
explanations for why women do not receive the necessary prenatal care, including limited access
to transportation, financial constraints, lack of awareness, and inadequate education. Latina
women face nearly twice the number of obstacles in obtaining healthcare compared to white
women due to their higher likelihood of encountering numerous barriers to care. Furthermore,
there is a strong correlation between prenatal care and maternal education. Approximately 86%
of women who have completed a college degree seek first-trimester healthcare, whereas less than
two-thirds of women who have not completed high school do the same. Approximately 8% of
newborns in the United States annually have a low birthweight (Martin et al., 2018). Infants are
categorized as low birthweight if their weight is below 2,500 grams. In 2016, the likelihood of
non-Hispanic Black newborns being born with low birthweight was more than double that of
non-Hispanic white and Hispanic infants, with rates of 11%, 5%, and 6% correspondingly. The
Latina paradox refers to a phenomenon related to cultural characteristics. Latina moms, despite
their low utilization of prenatal care, tend to have rates of low birthweight and mortality that are
lower than the national averages. The remarkable nature of these positive birth outcomes is due
to the robust and constant correlation between socioeconomic position and birth outcomes,
particularly considering that Latinos, as a collective, belong to one of the most
socioeconomically disadvantaged ethnic groups in the United States. In my assessment,
considering all relevant indicators, I believe there is a 50/50 probability that the baby may
potentially be born with a low birth weight. Nevertheless, I predict that Alberto will not have a
low birth weight in this instance, as boys typically have a higher weight. I anticipate that he will
fall just below the average weight, which is approximately 7 pounds.
The likelihood of experiencing birth difficulties escalates in the late 30s and particularly
after the age of 40. Women who have a pregnancy and give birth after the age of 40 face a higher
likelihood of experiencing pregnancy and birth difficulties, such as hypertension, gestational
diabetes, preterm birth, and miscarriage, compared to younger women. These factors contribute
to heightened risks for the infant, such as reduced birth weight, premature birth, respiratory
issues, and other related diseases that necessitate specialized neonatal care. Alongside the anxiety
related to aging, another issue to consider is the possibility of Down syndrome. The likelihood of
having a child with Down syndrome significantly rises with advancing maternal age, particularly
after reaching the age of 40. In Chapter 3.2 Environmental Influences on Prenatal Development,
we dive further into the detrimental effects smoking has. Moms who smoke have a higher
incidence of fetal fatalities, early births, and low birthweight, ranging from 1.5 to 2 times more
often compared to non-smoking moms. Infants who are exposed to smoking during pregnancy
have an increased likelihood of developing congenital heart defects, respiratory issues, and
sudden infant death syndrome. As they grow into toddlers, these individuals are more likely to
experience behavior problems, have difficulties with concentration, and obtain lower scores on
intelligence and achievement tests. Furthermore, the act of smoking by the mother during
pregnancy has epigenetic consequences on her children, which might impact their susceptibility
to various health conditions and diseases during childhood, adolescence, and even middle
adulthood. Infants born to individuals who engage in light smoking (consuming one to five
cigarettes per day) have inferior fetal development and elevated rates of low birthweight
compared to infants born to individuals who do not smoke. Besides DNA, fathers (and mothers)
transmit epigenetic markers that can impact the health of their offspring throughout their lifetime
and perhaps be inherited by their grandchildren. Alberto is an only child, although he has both of
his parents. This will be a vital aspect in his maturation as he ages, even during his infancy.
Residing in a secure household with both parents contributes positively to one’s financial and
emotional well-being.
DEP2000
Human Growth and Development: Introductory Developmental Psychology
Dr. Jessica Saunders
Haily Collado
Assignment: Character Development 2
The story of Alberto’s growth unfolds. To summarize, Alberto, a Hispanic baby boy, was
born to a mother who is over 40 years old, who is a smoker, who has no further children, who
works for minimum wage, who has stopped going to high school, and who has only ever
smoked. Personality traits are something that everyone, including ourselves, starts to develop
as we become older. Alberto was a slow-to-warm temperament baby and when it relates to
how he was raised, both of his married parents are permissive.
As previously stated, Alberto has a temperament that requires time to open up. In The
book “Lifespan Development” authored by Tara Kuther, section 6.3 Temperament in infancy and
Toddlerhood slow-to-warm infants are described, as the name suggests, typically inactive,
temperamental, and resistant to acclimating to new situations and individuals. The
temperament of “slow-to-warm-up” infants and toddlers is characterized by sensitivity, shyness,
caution, and aversion to unfamiliar places and people. Children who are slow to warm, cautious,
or prone to fussiness may exhibit reduced activity levels, withdraw, or react negatively to
unfamiliar surroundings. However, with consistent exposure to new people, objects, or
situations, they may gradually develop a more positive disposition. Each temperament is
capable of possessing both advantages and disadvantages. Frequently, children who require
some time to open up are content to simply hang out alone and engage in independent play.
Although some may perceive their extreme contentment with being alone as a weakness, I hold
the opposite view. Children with a slow-to-warm temperament, who will mature into fully
functioning adolescents, consistently spend time contemplating prior to taking action. This is an
excellent quality to possess, as many adults fail to do so and subsequently get into trouble. In
most cases, the outcomes of impulsive behavior and decision-making by adults are
disastrous. This individual may have difficulty adjusting to change, which could become
problematic. One can only develop through undergoing change. My concern would be that
Alberto would develop an intolerance for change and remain inert due to his preference for the
familiar.
As previously mentioned, the parenting approach of Alberto’s parents is permissive or
indulgent. Parenting style encompasses the emotional atmosphere of the parent-child
relationship, consisting of the extent to which parents offer affection, assistance, and limits as
explained in section 8.4 Families in Early Childhood. Kuther explains the parenting approach has
a significant impact on a child’s development. A permissive parenting style is characterized by
an abundance of affection but a lack of authority. Permissive parents exhibit a friendly and
lenient demeanor, bordering on indulgence, while imposing minimal regulations and behavioral
anticipations upon their children. Permissive parents exhibit warmth and acceptance towards
their children, yet they set few norms and expectations for them. Frequently, regulations that
are established are not adhered to or are inconsistently implemented. Parents’ effectiveness,
their relationship with their children, and the development of their children are all impacted by
their parenting style. This parental style provides ample opportunity for individual expression.
Numerous children are incapable of exercising the self-control necessary to limit their activity.
Permissive parenting styles frequently grant children the autonomy to observe and regulate
their own conduct. As a consequence, their children develop a lack of self-control and become
immature, impulsive, and defiant. Toddlers raised with a permissive parenting style tend to be
more socioemotionally immature, rebellious, impulsive, and authoritative, and exhibit less selfcontrol, self-regulatory capacity, and persistence in comparison to their peers. This is one of the
style’s shortcomings. Additionally, children who are raised with a permissive parenting style are
susceptible to behavior issues and low academic performance, which pose long-term threats to
their development.
It’s very important to understand if a child has “goodness of fit” with their home
environment. Section 6.3 Temperament in infancy and Toddlerhood also goes into detail
explaining the compatibility between the traits of children and their parents has an impact on
the nature of their relationship. The goodness of fit model operates under the assumption that
caregivers should align their expectations or demands with the capabilities of their child, taking
into consideration the child’s temperament, age, and abilities/skills. The compatibility of the
attributes of children and their parents has an impact on the nature of their bond and the
probability of maltreatment. Abuse may result from a mismatch between the temperaments
and traits of the parents and the child, particularly when the parents lack emotional regulation
and impulse control. In the context of home, risk factors for abuse encompass underprivileged
households and individuals who are dependent on drugs and alcohol. Maltreatment can also be
predicted by parental stress, parental exhaustion, income loss, or involuntary job loss. This is
undoubtedly causing friction with Alberto’s parents. Alberto’s mother makes the minimum
wage, and I can only image how difficult it must be in today’s economy with a child to support.
Furthermore, a parent’s health is quite vital. Alberto’s parents’ smoking habits could be
hazardous to Aberto in the long run for a variety of reasons. For example, the scent of cigarettes
is both embarrassing and unpleasant for a secondhand smoker. Cigarettes are also widely
recognized as a leading cause of cancer. In the worst-case situation, Alberto’s smoking may
leave him without his mother. The compatibility of a child’s temperament with his or her
environment, with a focus on the parents’ temperaments and parenting methods, is an
important element determining socioemotional development. Alberto has a slow-to-warm
disposition, which causes him to think about his actions before acting, and lenient parents,
which I believe should be a good combination. Parenting style influences parents’ functionality,
relationships with their children, and children’s growth. Divorced parents’ ability to co-parent
may also have an impact on a child’s goodness of fit. In this situation, Alberto would be
unaffected because his parents are married. In a nutshell, the goodness of fit refers to the
compatibility of both the parents’ and the child’s characteristics and how well they blend
together.
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