Ch. 2 - Cognitive Flashcards
In what 5 ways do adolescent thinking change?
- think about possibilities
- think about abstract things
- think about the process of thinking - metacognition
- think multidimensionally
- think about things as relative rather than absolute
What does it mean that adolescents can better think about possibilities?
consider potentials and possible outcomes
- potential to get lost in possibilities (anxiety, overthinking)
consider the future
compare perspectives
- become better arguers
What does it mean that adolescents can better think about abstract things?
can consider things they haven’t experienced
can consider concepts (ex. friendship, justice, faith)
What does it mean that adolescents can better think about the process of thinking?
metacognition
recognize, monitor, and manage your own thinking
knowing what you do and don’t know, what strategies you’re using, etc.
What does it mean that adolescents can better think multidimensionally?
see multiple perspectives, complexity in situations and in the self
ex. I can be both shy and outgoing in different settings
see things through more complicated lenses
enables understanding of sarcasm
What does it mean that adolescents can better think about things are relative rather than absolute?
question rather than simply accept
skepticism (everything becomes uncertain)
What did Jean Piaget contribute to cognitive psychology?
stage theory of cognitive development
thinking ability progresses through qualitatively different stages as we get older
sensorimotor
preoperational
concrete operations
formal operations
Describe the sensorimotor stage.
ages 0-2
understand the world in terms of sensations and behaviours (ex. suck -> get milk)
live in the “here and now”
major achievement is object permanence
internal representation (mentally representing things) makes thought possible
egocentrism
Why does infantile amnesia exist?
before internal representation is possible, infants are unable to think of anything so can’t form memories
Describe the preoperational stage.
ages 2-7
thoughts are irreversible
- ex. playdough experiment
reason dominated by perception
- use what they see instead of logic
Describe the concrete operations stage.
ages 7-12
able to conserve (realize some quantitative attributes do not change despite displacements)
thoughts are now reversible
thinking is concrete, can use logical rules in thinking
Describe the formal operations stage.
ages 12+
abstract, potential, imagined thinking
hypothetico-deductive thought (begin with hypothesis, deduce logical inferences in an orderly way)
can envision ALL possible solutions
propositional thinking (can evaluate logic of statements without real-world circumstances)
not everyone attains this level!
development of strong idealism
What are the influencing factors on whether someone reaches the formal operations stage?
social influences experience practice aptitudes interests job selection
What is idealism? What effects does it have on adolescent life?
envisioning the world as it “should be”, not as it is
- living in the hypothetical future of what things will/should be like
idealistic views on topics/concerns
disparities increase tension with others (adults/parents)
- causes argument, may be intolerant of other views
leads to conflict between possible and actual
- positive resolution: volunteer, community involvement, effort to improve the world
- negative resolution: rebellion, destructiveness, unhappiness, isolation
What is adolescent egocentrism?
re-emergence of egocentrism in a more advanced form (focus on abstract world and self)
naive idealism and self-absorption
What is naive idealism?
sees ideal world and believes they can change it through their actions
can be a positive thing in certain aspects (ex. starting a charity)
What is self-absorption? What are the 2 forms?
thinking more about themselves, difficulty differentiating between one’s own and other’s perspective
imaginary audience and personal fable
Describe imaginary audience.
heightened sense of self-consciousness in which adolescents believe their behaviour is the focus of everyone else’s attention
- appearance, self, body, skills, etc.
self-focus, self-centered
“if I am thinking about me, others must be thinking about me”
What are the 2 ways in which self-consciousness can manifest themselves?
social discomfort or attention-seeking behaviour
importance placed on peers and peer approval
Describe personal fable.
egocentric belief that one’s experiences are unique
- “you couldn’t possibly understand”
exaggerated sense of self-importance
illusion of invulnerability
- “it won’t happen to me”
- rules/consequences that apply to others don’t apply to me
