Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Lecture Notes
Chapter 5: Middle Childhood
Learning Objectives
5.1: Compare one’s own emotional and cognitive reactions to three case studies.
5.2: Describe how the social context of middle childhood has changed over time and
place.
5.3: Identify examples of the ways the multigenerational family influences middle
childhood development.
Chapter Summary
As you read this chapter, take note of these central ideas:
1. Values and beliefs regarding childhood in general, and middle childhood specifically, are shaped
by historical and sociocultural context.
Annotated Chapter Outline
I. Introduction
A. Case Studies 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3
i. 5.1 Anthony’s Impending Assessment
Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
II. Historical Perspective on Middle Childhood (~5–12 years old)
i. Conceptions of childhood are socially and culturally constructed in
large part
III. Middle Childhood in the Multigenerational Family
i. Family systems, historical events, culture, and social structure are
highly influential on the child’s life at this time
IV. Development in Middle Childhood
A. Physical Development
i. Children vary in stature, weight, and sexual development at this time
B. Cognitive Development
i. Brain development theories and patterns
ii. Cerebral cortex: the outer layer of gray matter in the human brain
thought to be responsible for complex, high-level intellectual functions
such as memory, language, and reasoning
C. Cultural Identity Development
i. Understanding the intersection of identities is crucial
ii. Assimilation, stereotype vulnerability, and bicultural/multicultural
D. Emotional Development
i. Emotional intelligence: the ability to motivate oneself and persist in
the face of frustrations, to control impulse and delay gratification, to
Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to
think, to empathize and to hope
ii. Exhibit 5.2 Common Emotional Gains During Middle Childhood
E. Social Development
i. Self-competence, industry, mastery, and notions of personal failure and
accomplishment
ii. Capital: resources
iii. Character education: education that consists of direct teaching and
curriculum inclusion of moral and social values thought to be universal
in a community
viii. The peer group
a. Group norms and peer relations
b. Social competence: generally refers to the ability to engage in
sustained, positive, and mutually satisfactory social interactions
and relationships
c. Gender and cultural dissonance
ix. Friendship and intimacy
xi. Gender identity and gender roles
a. Gender dysphoria: feeling one’s emotional and psychological
identity as male or female to be different from one’s assigned
Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
xii. Technology and social development
a. Research findings
b. Positive and negative outcomes
V. Spiritual Development
i. Definitions and importance
VI. Middle Childhood and Formal Schooling
i. Inequality in education
ii. Differences between the school and home environments
iii. Multiple intelligences: the ability to solve problems or fashion
products that are of consequence in a particular cultural setting or
VII. Special Challenges in Middle Childhood
A. Poverty (largest threat to childhood development)
i. Exhibit 5.5 Trends in Living Arrangements of Children in the United
States
ii. Statistical overages for minority children
iii. Risks for impoverished children
B. Family and Community Violence
i. Demographics
ii. Signs of child maltreatment
iii. Contributing factors
Hutchison, Dimensions of Human Behavior, 6e
vi. Individual education plan (IEP)
vii. Adjusting to disorder
D. Family Disruption
i. Family statistics
iii. Outcomes for children who experience disruption
VIII. Risk Factors and Protective Factors in Middle Childhood
i. Risk factors range in magnitude and impact
ii. Resilience
iii. Life Course Perspective
IX. Social Work Implications