UNIT 8 SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND

h310aAL DEVELOPMENT -
Structure
8.1 Introduction

8.2 Objectives

8.3 Defining Socio-emotionzl and Moral Development

8.4 Pattern of Social Developnlent

8.5 Pattern of Emotional Development

8.6 Pattern of Moral Development

8.7 Role of Parents and Teachers in I'romoting a Balanced Socio-emotional and

Moral Development

8.8 Let Us Sum Up

8.9 Unit-end Exercises

8.1 INTRODUCTION
This unit discusses social. emotional and moral aspects oEdeveic3nment in children. It
highlights interrelationships among them, defining social. ernorional an3 moral
development, patterns of development in these domains, rolz of parents and teachers
in-understandingand promoting a balanced development ofthese in children.

A brief disci~ssionof sccial and emotional development among children has already
been presented in the unit titled "Profile of an Elementary School Child" which would
have given you a fair idea of the relevance of studying thew aspects.

8.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this Unit, you will be able to:
0 define socio-emotionaiand moral development of children;
e recognise the interrelationshipsof socio-emotional and moral development;
e understand the pattern of socio-emotional 2nd moral development in children;
and
understand how parents and teachers play a crucial role in promoting a balanced
development.

8.3 DEFINIING
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL AND MORAL
DEVELOPMENT
An a~alysisof the cases presented below offers an interesting beginning point in
understanding the features of socio-emotional and moral development among clii!dren.
 Radha is a very happy child. She takes initiative in all activities at the school. She Social, Emotional and
Moral Devclopment
is quite popular
- . among her peer group as she is always ready to help them. She is
regular and sincere in her work. Her parents take keen interest in all her activities.
Her teacher reports that it is really fortunate to have a child like her in school.
Ilivariably, you will find Akshay sitting in comer who appears unhappy and unwilling
to join in activities with ether children. He does not mix with anybody. He does
not copy the homework. When asked he tells lies that the teacher lias not given
any homework. Even at home, he does not talk much with others. He does not go
out and play with others as freely as other children do.
YGUwill quite often tind Rajan teasing or beating somebody. He just does not
listen to anyone. Parents and teachers are tired of him because there will always
be complaints against him. He invariably cheats or tricks his friends while playing
and therefore children do not like to play with him.

Each ofthese cases gives us some idea of the socio-emotionaland moral development
ofthe particular child. Of course, the aini here is not to highlight the problems in their
development but to emphasis the differences that are bound to exist among individual
children, And also, to highlight the point that these developments are interrelated.
Enlotional developments do not take place in a social vacuum. They are aspects of rt
single process of growth. As you now know, Radha is a happy child and is always
ready to help others, whereas Akshay is very shy. On the other hand Rajan, is quite
naughty. You may wonder what causes these individual differences? The causes consist
of an interrelated set of factors. Some factors seem to lie within the child-his or her
beliaviour disposition or personality traits and sex; other factors seem to lie outside the
child in the environment: parental practices and socio-economic class. This has been
discussed in detail in the unit 'Factors Affecting Development'. Another question
that comes to our mind is: whether the kind ofbehaviour that is exhibited is something
that children are born with, or has it been acquired? Of course, the way a child relates
socially and emotionally is learnt first in the family, with their parents and siblings, and
then with the outside world of peers and other zdults.
Further, if you see Radha who always shows pleasant disposition, is socially well
adjusted, popular not only with her peers but also with her teachers. As it is mentioned,
her parents take a lot of interest in all her activities and she has developed a sense of
basic trust in her parents. This must have developed in her a serlse of security and a
sense of belongingness to her family. She must have experienced that her parents are
concerned about her. One can observe that the relationship that she has developed
with her parents extends to the peers and teachers at the schocl also. The role models,
Dimensions o f whether it is at home or school, help to develop the qualities like helping others and
Development
being sincere.
Analysis of this case clearly points out the interrelationships of all the aspects. The
kind of experiences, whether pleasant or unpleasant, that children receive at the early
stages of development influence different aspects of their development. Further. the
satisfaction or deprivation of socio-emotional needs also affect development.
Analysis ofthe other two cases will further help us in understandingthe interrelationships
of social, emotional and moral development.
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I ~ h f c Your
I
k Ymgrcss
Notes: a) Write your answer in the space giver1 belnw.
7
b) Compare your ansi\er with those given at the end of the block..
I . Comparc the cases ofAkshay and Raja11and bring out the interrelationship in
tl~eirdevelopment.
I

Although there is a discussion on all the aspects of development in the earlier unit,
defining social, emotional and moral development will further clarify the specific
charakteristics associated with these aspects of development. Let us try to understand
what do we mean by social development? You must have often heard people making
statements like - "Oh? She is quite popular"; "She does not have any problem of
adjusttnent"; "He mixes with others freely"; "People just cannot stand her"; "He does
not share anything with others"; "He is a leader in the class"; and so on. These are
characteristics of social development. Social development refers to the way child
learns to interact with others and develops social relationships at home and outside. It
is the drust the child develops through early experiences at home and the independence
developed in exploring things around. Further, it is influenced by the knowledgi the
child develops about his or her sex identity and concept of self. It also refers to the
socialisation process, and the capacity of the child in adaptjag to a number of newer
contexts - the school, the neighbourhood and the peer group. Througll social
development, the child learns to accept others and their points of view and also to
work ip a group. Further, learning such qualities as sharing, cooperation, waiting for
the turn, respecting and listening to elders and so on, form a part of the social
development process.
Chack Your Progress
Notes: a) Write your answer in the space given below.
b) Compare your answer with those given at the end of the block.
2. Apart from the cliaracteristics listed above. write any five characteristics of
social development which you have come across in children.
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, .........................................................................................................................
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Next, let us try to understand the meaning of emotional development. All of us, Social, Emotional and
Moral Development
some-time or the other in our life, feel happy, elated, being loved, sad, fearful, angry,
jealous, and so on. These are all emotions. These emotions are elicited by a wide
range of stimuli, includingpeople, objects, and situations.Emotional development refers
to the development ofthese emokions in children, the role of maturation and learning in
the development of emotions, and how it affects children's personal and social
adjustments. It also refers to the differences that exist between the emotions of children
and that of adults.
-- -I..IYII-l...--.I.--
I
A..p~P- %
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"

I
1 C bc c E Your Progress
f
3 w tc:,: a ) LFIrith:J P I T in T~I:: $,pace g l e n bclow.
A~SMCI.
I
I b) Ccn~p:e vol:r answcr \I it13 those given ;(t rhc ~ n c-f
d the block.

Before we proceed further on to the p ~ t t e y ;V;;~ u~esedevelopments, let us also

understand the meaning of moral development. Moral development includes the
learning of moral concepts and moral behaviours. It refers to acquisition of values
such as honesty, integrity, sincerity, conformity to group standards and so on that a
society expectsthe children to imbibe and practice. In every social group, certain acts
or behaviours are considered either right or wrong. It also presents how children
develop moral concepts. Initially, children learn to behave in socially approved manner
through trial and error experience, through direct teaching and through identification.
Then they develop moral concepts or principles of right and wrong in an abstract
verbal form.

Gl~cci,*Your Frogreus
X t t r c t : sf \V.rti: 3 OLIT ~ ~ I S W CIn: tl'ii. space given below.
h) Coinpare your ans\ver. with those given at the end of the block.

4. b th:rt
itt ,Infivc ciual~t~cs ~ to de\,elop in children for moral
you \ V O L I ~like
(11. P C I C I ~ ~ C J I ~ .

8.4 PATTERN OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Since our aim is t s ensure balanced socio-emotional and moral development among
children, let us try to understand the pattern of these aspects of development in them.
Dimensions of You have observed young children smiling when they see their mother, and crying
Development
intensely when they see any stranger. This shows the special bond that exists between
the mother and the child. This unique relationship is attachment-emotional bond
between the infant and some other person. Infants are not simply born with this
attachment to their mother or for that matter to anyone else. Infants show increasing
sign of the dewelcpment of this emotional bond. This emotional bond affects a wide
variety of infant's behaviour and may have major effects on the subsequent course of
emotional and social development. By about four to six months. infants start recognizing
their mother, and social smile appears. They establish a firm emotional bond with
their mother. As they grow older, their social world expands to other members of the
family and then to outside home. Children show signs of fear and anxiety in the presence
of a strange person, and the immediate reaction of children is to seek the security of
their mother. The appearance of'the stranger anxiety is the further indication of the
emotional bond between the mother and the child. Of course, there are i~~dividual
differences. All children may not react the same way. Some children cry intensely at
the mere sight of a stranger, some may not cry at all, some others may hide somewhere.
As children develop more familiarity with people, their anxiery towards strangers
reduces. However, there is another source of anxiety that emerges which is known as
separation anxiety. Children will cry and feel upset when they do not find their
mothea; The appearance of separation anxiety is a hrther indication of the strong
emotional bond between mother and child. All of the above behaviours, the social
smile, stranger anxiety and separation anxiety, form major milestones in the emotional
and social development of the infant's first year of life.
Preschoolers continue to use their motherlfather figures as secure base to explore the
environment. At this stage, they can tolerate short separation from their parents. But,
still they are strongly attached to and dependent on them. The most significant change
one find is their extension of attachment to other adults and to other children. These
attachment behaviours are often called dependence. For example, you may have
parents and try to get parents approval and attention. But, you may find some others
who may not mind getting spanking or rebuke from their parents in order to get their
attention. The goal is to get attention, regardless of whether that attention takes the
form of a hug, 9 word of praise, a reprimand or a spanking. Although attachment and
dependency appear to be the foundation of social development, dependency behavior
changes greatly during the development process. In general, dependent behaviour of
these types tend to decrease in their frequency as children grow older. They spend
less time in clinging to adults and seeking out attention.
Preschooling period involves a transition from interactions that are basically self-
oriented to interactions that are other oriented . This period is also characterized,
in part, by the beginning of children's self-concept their image of themselves, what
they are and how each of them differ from others. They also develop an increasing
awareness of particular important aspect of the self-concept, namely sex-role identity.
These differences range from obvious difference; in genital to subtle difference in
temperament. The other factors that mould sex-role identity are imitation and
identification. The little boy who observes his father engaged in rough and tough play
imitates that behaviour, while the little girl who observes her little sister playing quietly
with dollls imitates her. Similarly, the little boy who identifies with his fathers is likely to
incorporate his father's personality into his own, whereas girls may try to identify with
their mothers.
A significant factor in the social development of children is the opportunity for social
interactions among siblings. Their relationships depend on the family constellation and
the relationships and attitude of the parents towards children. It also depends on the
meanirug and interpretation the child brings to the situation. Each family provides a
42 unique set of experiences for the development of social attitudes. values and convictions.
Ifyou look at the relationships among the members of the family, you will find alliances Social, Emotional and
Moral Development
and rivalries. However, sibling relationships become the first method of coping with
people at the peer level.
The child eventually moves from the family circle to relationships with peers. The
experiences at home do have an influence on the development of the peer relations.
The child who is valued and accepted by the family, and who has a good sibling
relationship adjusts better with the peer group. The child Learns to accept, work, and
cooperate with others who hold different opinions and convictions. The peer-group
also provides a sense of security and belongingness. Peers also have an important
effect on the child's self-concept by giving feed-back about the kind of person he or
she is and the kinds of behaviour for which he or she will be accepted 01 rejected by
peers. They begin to see themselves as others see them and develop a more realistic
self-concept. For, perhaps, the first time they see their strengths and weaknesses, and
attitudes and values in a clearer light. They begin to formulate values for themselves
and to make value judgements. These tendencies to judge oneself help the child to
develop self-esteem. They way the child defines oneself and judges oneself influences
not only the present but more critically the course of futures socio-emotional
development. Since peer relationships are a vital developmental input, it is important
for the child to know the characteristics generally preferred and accept or reject the
relationships. Children who have high acceptance generally are outgoing, reflect
emotional stability are cooperative, socially adaptable and friendly. Children who are
rejected by their peers are generally demanding, arrogant and they reflect considerable
amount of egocentricity and introversion that interferes in their participation in the
activities ofthe group.

Notes: a) \+'rite your answers in the space given below.

b) Compare ynur answers with those given at the end of the block.
5. ! , s p l ~ t iil:e
i ~ terms:

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ii) Stranger anxiety
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iii) Sep:ration Anxiety
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i\ ) Dependence
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v) SeiGconcept

8.5 PATTERN OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Emotional developmenttakes on a pattern as the child matures. Emotional development
proceeds from the relatively undifferentiated emotional responses of the infant upto
what is called emotional maturity. The first sign ofemotional behaviour in infants is
Dimensions o f general excitement due to strong stimulation. The general excitement becomes
Development
differentihted between distress and delight by about three months of age. You must
have observed infants crying intensely when hungry, or when they are in pain or are
left alone in the room. This shows a state of distress. On the other hand, the infants get
delighted slid make pleasant sounds by cooing and gurgling when they are being rocked,
patted and played with. By about two years, the child starts displaying other emotions
like fear, disgust, anger,jealousy, joy, elation, affection for adults and children. By age
five, one would be able to distinguish the expressions of shame, anxiety, fear, disgust,
disappointment, anger, jealousy, joy, elation and so on. As they grow older, these
emotional responses become less diffused, random and undifferentiated. For example,
the infants show their displeasure by screaming and crying but a little grown up child
shows displeasure by throwing things, banging the head against the wall or laying flat
on the grqund. Later, their reactions include: running away, locking oneself in the room
or verbalizing.

Diagrammatic Representation of the Development of Emotion

Excitement Birth

Distress Exc Delight 3 Months

I
Pear Disguest Anger Di Exc Delight
1 6 Months

I I I Exc I De I h
Elation Affection 12 Months

iDIi"SiI DL Ei'
I I
DL 71
nIS
Fja 18 Months

'I'
~k
D,g
Dg An Di Je Exc De Jo El Aa AC 24 Months

rrl
Sh Anx Fe
lrhlllrlll I I
Dg Dpt An En Di Je Exc Ho De Jo El Aa Ac 5 Years
Key :

-
Aa = Affection for adults
Ac Affection for children
An = Anger
De = Delight
Dg = Disgust
Di = Distress
El = Elation
En = Envy
Exc = Excitement
Ho = Hope
Je = Jealousy
Jo = Joy
Anx = Anxiety Dpt = Disappointment Fe = Fern Sh = Shame

Let us try' to understand some of the common patterns of emotional behaviour such as
fear, anger, jealousy, joy and pleasure in children. The fears commonly observed among
small children are loud noises, animals, dark rooms, sudden displacement, strangepersons,
places, and objects. As they grow older their fears are concentrated on supernatural,
imaginary creatures associated with dark, or death or injury. They are even afraid of
failing, or being ridiculed. As has been mentioned earlier, they express their emotions
differently. The typical fear response in babies is to cry. As they grow old, overt fear
responses are curbed by social pressure. The crying reactions cease, though the
characteristic facial expression remains and the child withdraw from the fear objects.
Anger is a more frequently expressed emotion in childhood than fear. Small children
are angewd when their demands are not fulfilled, when somebody interferes in their
play, when their toys do not work the way they want, and if people do not give much
attention to them. In older children, constant nagging and finding faults, teasing, lecturing
making uofavourable comparisons with other children will lead to anger. Unlike younger
children who exhibit their anger by throwing things or tantrums, tlie older cliildren Social. Elnotional and
hloral 1)evelopmenr
exhibit tlieir anger by being withdrawn to themselves or threatening to run away.
Most cllildliood jealousies generally originate from the conditions that are prevalent in
the home environment. The most common siblingjealousy you will find in children is
triggered by the birth of another child in the family. You may have heard the older
sibling saying. 'Why don't you throw him out of the window?' or telling the mother,
'You give her away to somebody', or 'We do not want her at home'. The child feels,
mainly because of a feeling of threat of losing a central position in the home and love
and affection from the parents. In older children, jealousy may arise when parents
make comparison among siblings and sliow favoritism to a child wlio happens to be
beautiful, intelligent, affectionateor is sick or handicapped. Jealousy developed in the
home ge~ierallygets carried over to school when teachers and classmates make
colnparisonsamong them. Children also feel jealous when they are deprived of material
possessions. Most of the jealous beliaviours sliow an underlying insecurity and
uncertainty. Thejealous responses in younger children are more direct and aggressive,
while older children express in a more indirect way by bebng sarcastic or critical of
others. Among the infants, tlie emotions ofjoy, happiness and delight come from their
pliysical well-being. In older children, it may be the successful achievement of goals
tliat they have set for themselves which stimulates emotio~~al expressions. Joyful
expressions range from a quiet, self-satisfied contentment to a laughter. They even
show theirjoy by jumping up and down, clapping their hands, hugging and kissing tlie
person, animal, or object tliat has given rise to theirjoy.

Even thougli the pattern ofelnotional development is predictable, there are variations
in frequency, intensity and durations of tlie different emotior~s,and in the age at which
they appear. Variations may be due, in part, to children's pl~ysicalstate, intellectual
state and environmental conditions. Healthy children tend to be less emotional tlian
those w!io are.poor in health. Children who are intelligent tend to have better control
over their emotional expressions. The status of satisfaction or deprivation of tlieir
socio -emotional needs also influences their patterns ofemotional responses. Maturation
and learning are also closely interwove11in the developlnent of emotions. Develop~nent
of endocrine glands is essential for niatl~reelnotional behaviour. Children learn certain
aspects of elnotional behaviour also through trial and error learning, i~~iitation and
identification.

Young children differ in their emotions (expressions, intensity, objects) from

those of older children and adults. The difference may be due to the influence of
maturation and leanling on emotional development. Individual differences are inevitable
becausc of maturation and learning. Regardless of individual differences, however,
certain characteristic features of children's emotions make them different from those
of adults. Young children's emotions are more intense. They display their
enlotions more frequently. Their emotions are transitory. At one moment, you
find them crying intensely and at tlie other moment they are happily laugliing. It shows
a rapid shift from one emotion to another. This may be due to lack of understanding of
the situation. Since at this stage, children are not mature intellectually, their experiences
are limited and have sliort attention span. As tliey grow old tlieir emotions become
more persistent. The emotional responses reflect individuality. In fear arousing situations,
one child may run out oftlie place when frightened, another may cry, and still another
may hide somewhere. These different reactions depend on their previous esperience
of learning and environment. You will also find tliat certain emotions, which are strong
at one age, wane in strength as tliey grow older. These variatiolis are due partly due
to changes in tlieir needs, interest, and values. Children's emotions are transparent.
One can make out from tlieir beliaviou~.whether tliey are happy or sad. They sliow
them directly by restlessness, day-dreaming, crying, nail biting or thumb sucking.
Dimensions of Check Your Progress
Development
Notes: a) Write qour aliswer in the space given below.
b) Compare your ans\cer wit11 those sivem at the end of the block.
6. You have stl~diedin the above secti~nabout patterns cfenlotional de\elopnient,
from your experiences. \vrite any five points where you iind difference in
emotions he:\veen children and adults.

8.6 PATTERN OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

We have often heard elders telling children: 'You are good children; good children
listen to elders.' Even when we find two children fighting, beating, or snatching things,
we often say 'Good children do not behave like this.' Learning to behave in a socially
approved manner is a gradual and long process. By the time children enter school,
they are expected to be able to distinguish right from wrong in simple situations. They
are supposed to know the difference between good and bad behaviour. The first
essential thing in learning to be a moral person is to follow the laws, cxstoms, and rules
of the society. Even very young children are expected to learn and abide by the rules
set by parents and other in authority. 'Thus, some unwritten rules in every family serve
as guidelines for children's behaviour. Of course, during the preschool years, children
do not have their own concept of morality and possess no clear understanding of
social rules, ekcept for the regulations laid down by adults. Their behaviour is
characterised by automatic obedience to rules without reasoning or judgement. They
do judge their act right or wrong, in terms of its physical consequences. They learn
that they are expected to follow these rules, failing which they will be punished or will
not get social acceptance. The example given below will help us to understand the
pattern of moral development at this age.

Balu and Puru play together everyday. Balu is fascinated by Puru's toys,
particularly, a small car. One day Balu feels like taking his car home. But, on
second thought, he decides not to take it home as Puru's mother will not allow
him to play with Puru again.

Although Balu decides against taking the car away, he is not conscious that taking
the car is an immoral act. Rather, he is prompted to take decision due to the
consequent possibility, that if he does so he will not be allowed to play with his friend.
It is this physical consequence that controls his behaviour and not any internal concept
of morality. Gradually, the child begins conforming to the social expectations in order
to gain rewards. The child adopts 'good behaviour' in order to gain some reward
rather than to avoid punishment as he used to do earlier. This type of a good behaviour
still does not reflect true understanding of right and wrong. Rita helps others and
shares her things with others, and always speaks the truth. The child considers this
behaviour moral, because it pleases others and gets social approval from parents,
peers and others.
Children also develop, in course of time, a sense of respect for authority and Social, Ernotiona
Moral Develop
the value of following commonly accepted fixed rules by all. Between the ages of
five and seven or eight the rigid concept of right and wrong learnt form parents and
other adults are gradually modified. As a result, children begin to take into consideration
the specific circumstances related to moral violations. For a five-year-old, lying is always
bad but an older child recognizes that lying is justified in some situations and is not,
therefore, always bad. At this stage, they develop conflicts when they find that the
elders who have taught them certain rules of behaviour do not themselves follow them
at times. For example, Nity's friend comes to ask for a colour box. Nity has a colour
box at home and she does not mirld g~vingit to her friend, but her mother refuses by
saying that she does not have it. This kind of behaviour of elders often creates value
conflicts in children. Later, children develop a conscience oftheirown. An action becomes
right not because the society says it is right but because his conscience says so. It
involves the development of a set of personal moral principle rather than acceptance of
the pri~icipleofone's social or cultural group. This maturity in moral behaviour is closely
linked with lnaturicy in social and emotional development as well. Behaving in a particular
way not at the behest of elders or someone else but on ones own reinforces, in social
terms, the persolla1 identity of the growing child. This also assumes gradual replacement
ofpurely emotional reactions with a rational understanding ofconsequences to specific
actions.

Cllcck Your Pt-ogress

Notes: a ) Wr~tcyour answers in the space given below.
b) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the block.
7. Having understood the pattern of moral tIevelopnient in children, arrange the
fbllowing statements ill a logical order indicating the sequence in which moral
dcbelopment characteristics are acquired by children.
I i) Children develop a sense of respect for authority.
I
ii) The child begins conforming to the social expectations in order to gain
rewards.
iii) Children begin to take into consideration the specific circumstances
related to moral violations.

iv) Children develop a conscience of their own. An action becomes right

not because the society says it right but because his conscience says so.

V) Child's behaviour is characterised by automatic obedience to rules

without reasoning orjudgenient.
Dinlensions of
Developn~ent 8.7 ROLE OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS IN
PROMOTING A BALANCED SOCIO -
EMOTIONAL AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT
In the initial stage, the children's world is limited to their home. It is here that
they develop a sense of basic trust provided they are accepted in the family.
This helps to develop a sense of security and belonging~lessdepending on the
experi~ncesin childhood. 'The nature and quality of emotional attachments
developed at this stage are crucial in the development of all relationships in life.
After home, school is the place where the child spends long hours of the day. The'
teacher in the school influences the most in terms of expanding the socio-emotional
base of the child.

The socialisation process ofthe child begins in the family. It is through the process of
socialisation that the child acquires various attitudes and values of the culture and
develops into an individual with culturally appropriate behaviour patterns. The developing
child ~erceivesparents in the family and teachers in the school as role models, who
providk the patterns of behaviour on which the child patterns liis or her own conduct.
It is through interaction with these role models that the children develop their system
of values, which in turn develops in them the ability to regulate their own behaviour.
Therefore, parents and teachers continue to play a major role in the socio-emotional
and moral development of children.

One of the most important aspects of parents' and teachers' interactions with the
child centres round their disciplinary style. The way in which parents and teachers use
reward and punishment differ greatly. The role model that parents and teachers set by
their own behaviour can likewise differ greatly. Authoritarian parents control their
children through external force in the form of punishment. Many a time, because of
strict riules and regulations at home, children develop a kind of fear of parents and a
feeling of basic insecurity. This can lead to many other problems such as becoming
withddawn, or aggressive, and other habit disorders like thumb sucking and bed-wetting.
Teachers need to understand children's problems, have to identify reasons for their
problems, and with a sympathetic attitude help children overcolne their problems.
Young children are sensitive to teachers' attitude in a variety of ways. A sniile of
approval, a pat on the back, or a few words of praise and encourage~nentprovide the
child with immense feeling of security. The authoritarian disciplinary style of parents
prevents the children from carrying out their own wishes and asserting themselves.
They develop a feeling that they are not allowed to make their own decisions and set
their goals. This prevents the child from recognising liis or her own potentials and
abilities, and interferes witit the developme~ltof self-identity.

For some parents, permissive discipli~ieis a protest against the rigid and harsh discipline
under which they were themselves brought up. Children in such homes often have no
limits on what they may do. This may not guide the child into socially approvedpatterns
of behaviour. Parents and teachers who provide warn1 and nurturant environ~nentto
children will help them to develop positive self-concept and high self-esteem. They
are sure of themselves and confident about their actions. They feel secure emotionally.
They develop a sense of belongingness in the group which helps them to develop a
positive relationships with others. Those parents who have a democrdtic attitude i l l
rearing their children help cllildrel~understand why they are expected to behave in a
certai~lway. They are not only given explanation of the rules. but they are given
opportunitiesto express their opinions about the rules. They are respected as individuals
and not miniature adults. This helps children to develop control over their behaviour so
48
 Social, Emotional and
that they do right even when there is no one standing over them to threaten them with Moral Development
punisll~nentifthey do what they are not supposed to do. This inner control over behaviour
comes from educating children to behave in an approved manner and by showing
them the rewards for doing so.

Thus, the role of the parents and teachers is to provide warm and nurturant environment
where children are accepted, their socio-emotional needs are satisiied, developing in
them a sense of security. They should feel that people around them are trustworthy.
This kind of environments helps children to be. happy, confident and emotionally stable.
Parents and teachers provide rich experiences that enable children to feel adequate
about themselves. They can be assisted toward emotional maturity by allowing them
to express their emotions in a socially desirable manner. They should be allowed to talk
openly what they feel. Parents should listen to them and have a dialogue with them
instead of interacting with them in the form of instructions. Parents also need to become
more sensitive to the feeling of children. Parents should also keep in m i ~ dthat their
expectations from their children should not be too high and unrealistic, which may
hinder their development and leave them frustrated. They should provide such role
models which they can imitate and identify without creating conflict in their values.
Consistent behaviour of parents and teachers is very important in developing values
and attitudes in children. If the kinds of values, attitudes and discipline children receive
at home and school are consistent, that fosters in children a respect for parent and
teachers. Such experiences help children to learn and follow rules and to combine
these rules into a moral code which will help them to be mature morally. Children who
have had consistent discipline have a stronger motivation to behave accordingto socially
approved standards than those who have received inconsistent discipline. The former
are far less likely to develop into juvenile delinquents. For moral development of
children, it is essential for parents and teachers to have ideals in their life.
They should know what they expect from children and communicate this to
them clearly.

So far, the emphasis was on the parent's and teacher's behaviour, the disciplinary
style they adopt, and the kind ofrole models they provide to children which influence
these aspects of development. It is also important to discuss the kind of inputs that
should be provided in the form of activities which will help children in promoting a
balanced development of all these aspects; to promote acceptable social behaviour
such as sharing, cooperation, independence, development of positive self-concept and
following the norms of society. A variety of activities can be carried out at home and
at school. Let us discuss a few activities and see how they help in developing their
socio-emotional and moral development. Take for example, the activity like story-
telling. Parents and teachers can narrate biographies of great persons emphasizing the
qualities they would like them to emulate. In the stories of animals, often we find one
friend helping the other who needs, help and showing what a true friend means. In
many stories, we will find how telling lies, cheating others, not sharing with others is
not good. Even without telling the moral of the stories children understand what to
emulate and learn from these stories. The biographies of popular such as character
like Kabuliwala written by Tagore help them identifj role models to follow and motivate
them to learn the lessons of compassion, truthfulness and hardwork. Parents and
teachers can even ask children to tell and enact these stories using different meJia
such as puppets. dramatization or through mime. This will not only help children to
internalize the social and moral values of the society but also help them to express and
venti!ate their feelings and emotions which may be bothering them and to come to
ternis with reality. Similarly, other activities could also be planned which may help
children to develop independence, cooperation, emotional maturity and developing
positive self-concept.
49
Dimensions o f
Development I Cheek Your Progress
I
I Piates; a) Write your answer in the space given hclo\r.
b) Compare your answer with thnsc given at the e;;d iai'!iia $ir\ck.
I
8. From your experiences, write any three activities and discuss tlu\v these help
in developing social, emotional and moral aspecrs. Wrlre in it>,: space gihen
be'low.
..........................................................................................................................

8.8 LET US SUM UP

In this unit, we have tried to discuss the interrelationship between socio-emotional and
moral development through presentation of cases andtheir analyses. An attempt has
been made to define the socio-emotional and moral development. Further, the discussion
on patterns of development enabled us to understand how these developments take
place in children from infancy to elementary school stage. We also discussed the role
of parents and teachers in promoting these aspects. The discussion also dealt with the
role ofteachers and parents as role models for children to imitate and identify with as
well as the kind of activities that can be provided at home and school for achieving
balanced development of socio-emotional and moral aspects among the children.

8.9 UNIT-END EXERCISES

1. Observe a child at home or school. Note down his socio-emotional behaviour
and identify the reasons for such behaviour. Prepare a brief report.
Guidelines to observe child's social and emotional behaviour are given below:
i) Social behaviour
a) Prefer to play c) Help and cooperation
- alone - waits for his turn
- in company with other - shares things, toys etc.
children. - help and cooperates with others.
b) Independence d) Social acceptance
- take care of himself - acceptable to others
- asserts and takes - loner, keeps alone
initiatives in play - is popular
activities
-responsive, does the
work assigned to him
Also give your general opinions about child's social behaviour in 4 to 5 lines.
 Soeial, Emotioaal and
Mornl Development
m) Frequent emotional outburst c ) Anger
- tantrums I
- anger with oneself
- hitting, biting, beating others - show anger to others
- crying
d) Emotionally dependent on
b) Fear of -- mother, father
- strangers - teacher
- animals - any other
- being left alone
--dark places e) Jealousy
- any other - siblings
peers
Also, give your general opinions about child's emotional behaviour.

What are some of the ways in which parents and teachers help in facilitating
socio-emotional development ?
Your answer should include the following points:
- Acceptance of children
- Understanding their basic needs.

ldentifjling potentialities, providing appropriate guidance and facilities.

- Adopting an appropriate disciplinary style -not too strict or too permissive.
- Providing stimulating environment.
Dimensions of
Development ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS AND
UNIT-END EXERCISES
UNIT 6

Cheek Your Progress

1. i) d 2. i) F 3.9 b 4. i) b 5. i) a,b,d,e,h

ii) a i T iii a ii) c ii) a

iii) a i F iii) c iii) b iji) a

iv) b iv) T iv) b iv) c

vi) b

vii) b
UNIT 7
Check Your Progress
1. i) sequence, universal
ii) specific, specific
iii) stages
iv) invariant

vi) sensori-motor, pre-operational, concrete-operational and formal-

operational.

2. Assimilation is understanding new objects or ideas with the existing capacity of

understanding.
Accommodation is to change the existing understanding in order to understand
a new object.

3. At the sensori-motor stage the child learns to:

i) co-ordinate her reflexes

ii) synchronize her body movements to the perceptual cues in the

environment.
iii) co-ordinate simple motor actions

iv) learns that the object in the environment are permanent and

v) achieves the ability of mental representation.

4. i) ego-centric
ii) has permanence of object
iii) symbolic play
 Social. Emotional and
5. i) understa~idthat quantity (solid, liquid) remains the same inspite o f external Moral Devleopment
changes. unless something is added or subtracted from it.

ii) forni groups or sub-groups on bases o f one, t w o or more common

characteristics.

iii) grade a group o f objects on the basis o f relational difference in them.

iv) classify objects simultaneously in two or niore categories.

Unit-end Exercises
1. i) Because tlie pre-operatio11.alchild cannot deal with abstract, symbols
and logic, and algebra deals witli a number o f abstract symbols.

ii) So that they can provide tlie right kind o f experience t o the child which
w i l l help Iiislher cognitive processes.

iii) N o she does not, because she reconstructs and reinterprets the
environment: i n other words her cognitive processes simplify the
impressions so that they are easily understood.

iv) Because tlie 8-~nonth-olddoes not have the capacity o f symbolic

representation which would enable her to mentally represent the play
objects as real liousehold articles.

v) Many languages are spoken in lndia and the structures and pronunciation
interfere with tlie English language.

2. 'fhe answers should include tlie following points:

i) - syrnbolic play
- mental representation

- irreversibility

- conservation
- perceptual cues
- egocentricity
- classification
- transductive reasoning
- class inclusion

A l l the characteristics differentiating the two stages should be highlighted upon.

ii) The early stages o f cooing, babbling, repeating words, telegraphic

sentences should be higliliglited upon. Their importance i n acquisition o f
words and sentences in the later stages should be written.

iii) - lndia is a land o f many different languages.

- A n urban child at times is exposed to more than 3 to 4 languages.

- Interference o f languages.
- Role o f parents and teachers.
iv) - Home is the first environment i11 language acquisition.
- Parental role and involvement.
Uinrensions of UNIT 8
Development

Cheek Your Progress

1. Thle reasons for Akshay's shyness could be:

i) concerning himself, like feeling of inadequacy about his body, ability, etc
ii) external, like undesirable companion at home and school, lack of cordial
relations with parents or siblings at home and teachers and peers in scla~oll.
The reasons for Rajan's being naughty could be :
i) his overconfidence, etc.

ii) external like being pampered nnd given more freedom or being neglected.
2. There is no single answer to this question. Answer to this would depend on the
corrtext, experience and would be related to the theme discussed in the unit.
3. You have to analyse your own experience for answering this. You may refer to the
dis~ussionin the Unit.
4. You have to answer this on the basis of your own experiences and preferences.
5. i) The bond that develops between an infant and another person (usually the
mother) by which the infant seeks close contact with that person and will
show signs of emotional upset if separated from that person.

ii) Showing signs of fear and anxiety in the presence of a strange pcrcon and
the immediate reaction of children to seek the security of the mother
iii) The anxiety that the infant experiences when he is separated from an
attachment figure.

iv) A person's sense or image of himself. It i~~cludes

how he looks like, what he
believes and what he can and cannot do, etc.
6. Use of your experience for answer to this question.

7. (v), (ii), (i), i (iv)

8. You may answer this from your experience and observations.
 Social, Emotional and
GLOSSARY M o r a l Devleopment

Attachment : The emotional bond thgt develops between an

infant and another person (usually the mother)
by which the infant seeks close contact with that
person and will show signs of emotional upset if
separated from that person.

Crux : The main point.

Deductive reasoning : To understand particular instances from a general

law.

Dependence : A trait that describes theextent to which the child

performs behaviours that serve the purpose of
keeping himlher in close physical contact with
others.
Identification : The process whereby the child acquires the
personality characteristics-behaviours, attitudes,
beliefs and so forth - of another person.
Imitation : The copying of the behaviour of others.
Inductive reasoning : To arrive .at a general law from particular
instances.
Maturation : The orderly sequence of changes dictated by the
genetic blueprint.
Middle and late childhood : The development period that extends from about
6 to 11 years of age; sometimes this period is
called the elementary school years.
Personality : The enduring, distinctivethoughts, emotions and
behaviours that characterize the way an individual
adapts to the world.
Puberty : A period of rapid skeletal and sexual maturation
that occurs mainly in adolescence.
Reflex actions : An automatic response, so~nethingwhich is done
without one's will.
Stranger anxiety : Showing sign of fear and anxiety in the presence
of a strange person and the immediate reaction
of children to seek the security of the mother.
Self-concept : A person's sense or image of himself or
herself. If concludes what helshe looks like,
what helshe believes, and what helshe can and
ca~lnotdo, etc.
Separation anxiety : The anxiety that the infant experiences when
helshe is separated from an attachment figure.
Syntax : The grammatical arrangement of words.