Harriet the Spy Parenting Styles
Alison L. Ingram
Introduction to Psychology
Prof. Eschelle Gilkey
Harriet the Spy
~
In the beginning of this movie, Harriet the Spy, 11-year-old Harriet has parents that are quite of the "authoritarian" style of parenting. This means that they expect their children to follow the strict rules established by the parents. Failure to follow such rules usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reasoning behind these rules. If asked to explain, the parent might simply reply, "Because I said so." These parents have high demands, but are not responsive to their children. These parents are obedience- and status-oriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation. Little Harriet is leaving the cognitive developmental stage that is called "concrete operational stage". The concrete operational stage begins around age seven and continues until approximately age eleven. (Harriet is portrayed as an 11-year-old.) During this time, children gain a better understanding of mental operations. Children begin thinking logically about concrete events, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts. Harriet is beginning to understand the world around her and is exploring it, while wanting to write everything down, and thinking about the future. Harriet is growing into the "formal operational stage" of cognitive development. The formal operational stage begins at approximately age twelve and lasts into adulthood. During this time, people develop the ability to think about abstract concepts. Skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning also emerge during this stage. Harriet, in my opinion, is more mature than most children her age, as evidenced by the children that she associates with. Considering her situation, she is moving into adolescence rather quickly, which in all reality should not occur for another couple of years. She is left to her own devices per se,
Introduction to Psychology
Prof. Eschelle Gilkey
Harriet the Spy
~
In the beginning of this movie, Harriet the Spy, 11-year-old Harriet has parents that are quite of the "authoritarian" style of parenting. This means that they expect their children to follow the strict rules established by the parents. Failure to follow such rules usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reasoning behind these rules. If asked to explain, the parent might simply reply, "Because I said so." These parents have high demands, but are not responsive to their children. These parents are obedience- and status-oriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation. Little Harriet is leaving the cognitive developmental stage that is called "concrete operational stage". The concrete operational stage begins around age seven and continues until approximately age eleven. (Harriet is portrayed as an 11-year-old.) During this time, children gain a better understanding of mental operations. Children begin thinking logically about concrete events, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts. Harriet is beginning to understand the world around her and is exploring it, while wanting to write everything down, and thinking about the future. Harriet is growing into the "formal operational stage" of cognitive development. The formal operational stage begins at approximately age twelve and lasts into adulthood. During this time, people develop the ability to think about abstract concepts. Skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning also emerge during this stage. Harriet, in my opinion, is more mature than most children her age, as evidenced by the children that she associates with. Considering her situation, she is moving into adolescence rather quickly, which in all reality should not occur for another couple of years. She is left to her own devices per se,