Chapter 11/12 - Adolescent Development

Question 1

What age group is adolescent?

Answer 1

-around 11 to approx 17 years

Question 2

What physical changes are occurring during adolescence? (don’t worry about memorizing this)

Answer 2

-puberty (secondary sex characteristics, period, hormonal changes)
-brain development (synaptic pruning, prefrontal cortex maturing, myelination)
-physical growth (weight and height, muscles)
-sleep pattern (needing more)
-neurotransmitters (intense dopamine)

Question 3

What cognitive changes are occurring during adolescence? (don’t worry about memorizing this)

Answer 3

-information processing skills (metacognition, memory, metamemory,
-Piaget formal operational stage (hypothetical-deductive reasoning, systematic problem solving)
-ethical thinking and moral reasoning
-adolescent egocentrism (imaginary audience)
-judgement (discount the consequences)
-improvements in decision making and drive for autonomy

Question 4

What is Piaget’s stage for adolescents called? Describe it. What are the key elements of this stage? (3)

Answer 4

-formal operational stage
-During this stage, individuals develop the ability to think abstractly, logically, and systematically
Key elements: systematic problem-solving, logic

Question 5

Describe the systematic problem solving that occurs in Piaget’s formal operational stage. Example (2)

Answer 5

-the ability to search methodically for the answer to a problem
Example: A student follows a step-by-step method to solve a math problem, first identifying the formula, then applying it, and checking each step for errors.

Question 6

What is included in the logical thinking under Piaget’s formal operational stage? (2)

Answer 6

-hypothetico-deductive reasoning
-naive idealism

Question 7

What is hypothetical-deductive reasoning? Example. (2)

Answer 7

-the ability to derive conclusions from hypothetical premises
Example: A teenager is given several chemicals and asked to determine which combination produces a specific reaction. Instead of randomly mixing them, they form hypotheses about which combinations might work and test each systematically.

Question 8

What is naive idealism? Example (2)

Answer 8

-a mental construct of an ideal world as compared to the real world
Example: A teenager believes they could end world hunger by simply giving everyone equal food, ignoring practical challenges.

Question 9

What did Piaget get wrong about the formal operational thinking?

Answer 9

-adolescents have the capacity for formal operational thinking, but they don’t necessarily reach this and it is related to education

Question 10

What abstract thinking may adolescents think about?

Answer 10

-“what would happen if I didn’t clean my room?” “what would happen if I was skinnier?”

Question 11

What are three important features of adolescent thinking? (3)

Answer 11

-adolescent egocentrism
-imaginary audience
-personal fable

Question 12

Describe adolescent egocentrism.

Answer 12

-adolescents spend much time thinking about themselves and believe that one’s experience is unique

Question 13

What is the imaginary audience? Give an example (2)

Answer 13

-everyone is watching you, may feel you are on stage and everyone will notice
-you have to brush your hair before you go to school because everyone will notice

Question 14

What is a personal fable. Example (2)

Answer 14

-life is controlled by a mentally constructed autobiography, you are special and unique
Example: you are invincible and won’t be in a car crash

Question 15

What are some psychological and emotional developments that occur in adolescence?

Answer 15

-mental health issues emerge
-coping strategies increase
-social/romantic interest
-identity
-understand own emotions and being aware of emotions of peers/emotional regulation
-self-esteem and self efficacy

Question 16

What did Freud believe about the adolescent age?

Answer 16

-you change the libido into a healthy sexual relationship

Question 17

What was Erikson’s stage for adolescent called? Describe it. (2)

Answer 17

-identity vs role confusion
-teens try to figure out who they are and what they believe, and if they succeed, they develop a clear sense of identity, but if they fail, they may feel confused about their role in life (identity crisis)

Question 18

What is an identity crisis?

Answer 18

-previous identity becomes undone so a more mature one can emerge

Question 19

According to Marcia, what are the two key parts of adolescent identity formation? (2)

Answer 19

Crisis: a period where old choices and values are re-examined, an exploration
Commitment: to a specific role, value, goal and ideology

Question 20

Marcia developed the identity status interview. Describe this.

Answer 20

-assessed exploration and commitment across a variety of areas (e.g.,occupational goals, relationships)
Example: “I haven’t chosen the occupation I really want to get into and I’m just working at whatever is available until something better comes along”

Question 21

What did Marcia say the four different identity statuses were? (4)

Answer 21

-identity achievement
-moratorium
-foreclosure
-identity diffusion

Question 22

What is Marcia’s identity achievement?

Answer 22

-the person has been through a crisis and has reached a commitment to goals

Question 23

What is Marcia’s moratorium?

Answer 23

-a crisis is in process but no commitment

Question 24

What is Marcia’s foreclosure?

Answer 24

-the individual has accepted a parentally or culturally defined commitment without going through a crisis

Question 25

What is Marcia’s identity diffusion?

Answer 25

-the person is not in a crisis nor has made
a commitment

Question 26

Identity formation continues throughout life and goes through periods of stability and instability. What makes adolescence special for identity?

Answer 26

-adolescence levels of cognitive, moral, sexual and physical maturity and encouragement of adult roles

Question 27

What is adultification?

Answer 27

-the process by which a child/adolescent prematurely takes on adult roles and responsibilities

Question 28

What is the key of the door?

Answer 28

-rite of passage for 21st birthday

Question 29

Describe what happens to self-concepts during adolescence. (2)

Answer 29

-become increasingly focused on internal characteristics and less on physical ones (includes abstract ideas)
-becomes differentiated (teens see themselves differently in different ways)

Question 30

What happens to self-esteem throughout adolescence?

Answer 30

-there is an overall rise of self-esteem

Question 31

What is correlated with having a high self-esteem?

Answer 31

-positive developmental outcomes

Question 32

What do adolescents understand about gender role identity?

Answer 32

-understand that gender roles are social
conventions and have flexible understanding

Question 33

What is ethnic identity?

Answer 33

-a sense of belonging to a particular ethnic group

Question 34

What are the three stages of ethnic identity development? (3)

Answer 34

-Unexamined ethnic identity (common among younger children)
-Ethnic identity search (may be triggered by differences)
-Ethnic identity achievement

Question 35

Describe three concepts that relate to cultural identity development? (3)

Answer 35

-categorization
-compartmentalization
-integration

Question 36

Describe categorization of cultural identity development.

Answer 36

-identifying with one cultural group above all
others

Question 37

Describe compartmentalization of cultural identity development.

Answer 37

-keeping one’s cultural identities
separate within oneself

Question 38

Describe integration of cultural identity development.

Answer 38

-connecting and reconciling multiple identities

Question 39

What are morals and what do they help individuals do? (3)

Answer 39

-set of principles that help individuals

They:
-distinguish right from wrong (cognitive component)
-act on these distinctions (behavioural component)
-feel pride or shame (affective component)

Question 40

Describe what moral maturity is.

Answer 40

-Motivation is not based on reward or punishment but internalization of moral standards

Question 41

What is the general posit of Kohlberg’s theory? What are the three broad levels? What are some notes about his theory? (3)

Answer 41

-Kohlberg’s theory of moral development is based on how people reason through moral dilemmas, not just the decisions they make.

3 broad levels:
-preconventional morality
-conventional morality
-postconventional morality

Notes:
-stages of moral development occur in a fixed, sequential order.

Question 42

What is Kohlberg’s pre conventional morality?

Answer 42

-morality based on consequence

Question 43

What is Kohlberg’s conventional morality?

Answer 43

-judgements are based on rules or norms of a group to which the individual belongs (adolescents are usually here)

Question 44

What is post conventional morality?

Answer 44

-Emergence of a personal authority to make judgments that integrates individual rights and needs of society

Question 45

What is the Heinz dilemma, and why is it used in Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 45

-The Heinz dilemma involves whether a man should steal a life-saving drug for his wife when he can’t afford it. It is used to assess moral reasoning, not the choice itself.

Question 46

How do social experiences influence moral development, according to Kohlberg?

Answer 46

-Social experiences, like formal education, and parenting styles can play an important role in the development of higher stages of moral reasoning.

Question 47

What is the relationship between parenting styles and moral reasoning?

Answer 47

-Parenting styles, especially authoritative parenting (warmth and structure), are linked to more advanced moral reasoning, while other styles may lead to less mature moral thought.

Question 48

What is a major cultural criticism of Kohlberg’s theory? Describe an example of this. (2)

Answer 48

-Kohlberg’s theory is criticized for focusing on a Western ideal of justice, which may not align with moral values in other cultures.
-replacing “wife” with “mother” might elicit values like respect for elders, which contrasts with the justice-based approach of the original dilemma.

Question 49

What is the gender bias critique of Kohlberg’s theory? Describe what Gilligan’s work found about this. (2)

Answer 49

-Kohlberg’s theory was developed using male participants, which may not account for the different ways women approach moral reasoning.
-overlooks a “morality of care,” which focuses on relationships and empathy, often more prominent in women’s moral reasoning.

Question 50

How does Kohlberg’s theory overlook the connection between moral reasoning and behavior? Describe how situational factors could play into this. (2)

Answer 50

-Kohlberg’s theory focuses on moral reasoning but doesn’t fully address how moral reasoning translates into actual moral behavior, which can be influenced by situational factors.
-Situational factors, like emotions or social pressures, can influence moral behavior, challenging Kohlberg’s focus on abstract moral reasoning as the sole predictor of actions.

Question 51

What occurs for social development during adolescents? (don’t need to memorize)

Answer 51

-seeking peer validation and acceptance
-strengthening relationships
-dealing with authority and control
-peer groups forming
-sensation seeking or risk-taking behaviors

Question 52

What strong attachment to adolescents need?

Answer 52

-they still need strong emotional attachments to their parents, noting that conflict does not mean quality of relationship doesn’t exist.

Question 53

Due to electronic communication, what has research found for adolescents number of friends?

Answer 53

-more acquaintances (but not more friends) than previous generations

Question 54

What age levels does the importance of popularity peak at?

Answer 54

-12 to 15 years