Table of Contents

1. Introduction.
2. Classical Theories of Social and Personality Development.
3. Recent Perspectives on Social and Personality Development.
4. Emotional Development and Temperament.
5. Establishment of Intimate Relationships and Their Implications for Future Development.
6. Development of the Self and Social Cognition.
7. Achievement.
8. Sex Differences, Gender Role Development and Sexuality.
9. Aggression and Antisocial Conduct.
10. Altruism and Moral Development.
11. The Family.
12. Extrafamilial Influences I: Television, Computers and Schooling.
13. Extrafamilial Influences II: Peers as Socialization Agents.
14. Epilogue: Putting the Pieces Together.

About the Author

David Shaffer is a professor of psychology, chair of the Social Psychology program, and past chair of the Life-Span Developmental Psychology program at the University of Georgia, where he has taught courses in human development to graduate and undergraduate students for the past 30 years. His many research articles have concerned such topics as altruism, attitudes and persuasion, moral development, sex roles and social behavior, self-disclosure, and social psychology and the law. He has also served as associate editor for the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Bulletin, and Journal of Personality. In 1990, Dr. Shaffer received the Josiah Meigs award for Excellence in Instruction, the University of Georgia's highest instructional honor.

Reviews

"I think the strength of this text is that it does a great job of covering the important topics in this area, and there are very few texts that focus on social/emotional development; it is well written, student friendly, thorough, and comprehensive I can speak first hand to the fact that students enjoy this textbook."

"Theoretical and empirical information is presented in a clear and interesting manner. The focus is on a scientific understanding of social and personality development, yet students also are provided with an understanding regarding how research information can be applied in every day settings . A primary strength of the text is that the scientific nature of social developmental psychology is emphasized. Theory and research are the focus, yet there also are opportunities for students to apply the material to real world settings."

"The strengths of this text are its coverage of the important concepts in social and emotional development, the clarity of the writing, the balanced presentation of theories, the use of examples and high quality research, and high level of interest it stimulates in students. This textbook presents important information and concepts in the social and emotional domain of typically developing children. The text is clear and easy to understand and is appropriate for a wide range of students and class formats."