91Ó°ÊÓ

Describe the state of children's bodies during the preschool years.

Explain how preschool-age children develop a concept of themselves. According to Erikson's psychosocial development theory, preschool-age children move from the autonomy-versusshame-and-doubt stage (18 months to 3 years) to the initiative-versus-guilt stage (ages 3 to 6 ). Preschoolers' selfconcepts are formed partly from their own perceptions and estimations of their characteristics, partly from their parents' behavior toward them, and partly from cultural influences.

Analyze how children's theory of mind changes during the preschool years. Children's theory of mind continues to develop during the preschool period, enabling them to see the world increasingly from others' perspectives. Preschoolers begin to understand how others think and why they do the things they do, and through imaginative play, they begin to grasp the difference between reality and imagination.

Explain how preschool-age children develop a moral sense. Piaget believed that preschool-age children are in the heteronomous morality stage of moral development, characterized by a belief in external, unchangeable rules of conduct and sure, immediate punishment for all misdeeds. In contrast, social learning approaches to morality emphasize interactions between environment and behavior in moral development, in which models of behavior play an important role. Some developmentalists believe that moral behavior is rooted in a child's development of empathy. Other emotions, including the negative emotions of anger and shame, may also promote moral behavior.