Adolesence Flashcards
Initiation
Many non-Western cultures practice initiation.
Transform children into higher status social members. Transmit cultural and religious knowledge. Complete cessation of childhood experience.
Pg. 1
Pubertal developement
Significant changes in body require adjustment.
Physical changes: secondary sexual characteristics, height and weight.
Females >2 years ahead of males
Impact of body change
Body dissatisfaction peaks during adolescence
Self perceived weight: risk for eating disorders and unhealthy weight control, depression, anxiety, self-esteem
Life-cycle surprises: early maturing boys
Self-assured
Attractive and better groomed
Poised and well-mannered
Out-going and more popular
Life-cycle surprises
Psychological impact of being off schedule
Life-cycle surprises: late maturing boys
Nervous and socially awkward
Bossy, unattractive and less popular
Seen as immature and irresponsible by adults
Life-cycle surprises: early maturing girls
High levels of substance abuse
More hot image worries
Higher levels of anxiety and depression
More often apprehended for delinquent & aggressive acts
Life-cycle surprises: late maturing girls
Higher body satisfaction
Lifespans consequences: early maturing men
More rigid
More conforming
Less capable of coping with stress
Socially active
Lifespan consequences: late maturing men
Derive greater satisfaction from intimate relationships
Seen as more understanding & considerate
Less likely to be divorced
Lifespan consequences: early maturing women
More responsible, self-directed, socially poised & realistic
Less rigid in thinking
Less willing to give up in the face of adversity
Lifespan consequences: late maturing women
Later to gain experience later in life
Less skilled in coping with adversity
Neurocognitive development (adolescence)
Rapid neurocognitive growth and organisation
Neurobiology is distinct from that of a child and adult
Significant differences compared to childhood and adulthood in function and structure (prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, subcortical regions)
Piaget adolescent theory of cognition
Formal operational thought.
Formal operational thought
Final stage of cognitive maturity reached at end of adolescence. Age 11-15 Logical reasoning Abstract problems Hypotheticals
Transitions on cognition
Testing approaches to determine where cognitive ability is at.
Concrete operational will use trial and error, difficult to repeat
Formal operational will use systematic testing with record keeping. Can understand effects of unobservable forces.
Revisions of formal operational thought
Research in Australia suggest continued concrete operations at age 15.
Age 17 & 18 provide best evidence of formal thought
Changes to Piaget’s theory of formal operational thought
Not necessarily a universal stage of development.
Environmental causality: educational differences & cultural influence
Genetic causality: inter-individual differences in ability
Nature-nurture interaction-cognitive specialisation: achieves formal operation only in area of interest
Kuhn view of formal operational thought
Not present by age 15
Once present, is not consistently apparent and may only be evident in areas of interest and specialisations