Week 8 Post 1

While reading chapter 13, I found the section called "Self Concept" to be very interesting. The section starts out  with an excerpt that describes the way a ten year old would describe themselves. It shows us that school age children focus on effortful control, loyalty, and appreciation from peers and parents. Most children are happy with themselves and have friends who appreciate them. Observers have noted that school-age children are more concerned with the opinions of their peers than those of their parents. It is said that children of this age have an I-self and a me-self which relate to their self-concept. The I-self is the way the person thinks, acts, and feels independently. The me-self is the way the person is reflected, validated, and critiqued by others. Because of social comparison, in middle childhood, children's self-concept becomes increasingly vulnerable to the opinions of others. Self-criticism and self-consciousness rises between the ages of six and eleven. If a child has either unrealistically high or low self-esteem, it reduces their effortful control, which lowers their achievement and increases aggression. Children develop feelings of self-esteem, competence, and individuality during middle childhood and begin comparing themselves to their friends. Studies show that after-school activities provide a foundation for friendship and realistic self-esteem. Team sports benefit both self-concept and academic achievement. After reading this section, I compared the these examples and ideas to those that I can remember from my childhood. I can relate to them from my own life and found them to be very accurate. I did not learn about the I-self and me-self until reading about self-concept but it definitely explains a lot about our thinking processes in regards to our social life.