Chapter 11/12 - Adolescent Development Flashcards
What age group is adolescent?
-around 11 to approx 17 years
What physical changes are occurring during adolescence? (don’t worry about memorizing this)
-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)
What cognitive changes are occurring during adolescence? (don’t worry about memorizing this)
-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
What is Piaget’s stage for adolescents called? Describe it. What are the key elements of this stage? (3)
-formal operational stage
-During this stage, individuals develop the ability to think abstractly, logically, and systematically
Key elements: systematic problem-solving, logic
Describe the systematic problem solving that occurs in Piaget’s formal operational stage. Example (2)
-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.
What is included in the logical thinking under Piaget’s formal operational stage? (2)
-hypothetico-deductive reasoning
-naive idealism
What is hypothetical-deductive reasoning? Example. (2)
-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.
What is naive idealism? Example (2)
-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.
What did Piaget get wrong about the formal operational thinking?
-adolescents have the capacity for formal operational thinking, but they don’t necessarily reach this and it is related to education
What abstract thinking may adolescents think about?
-“what would happen if I didn’t clean my room?” “what would happen if I was skinnier?”
What are three important features of adolescent thinking? (3)
-adolescent egocentrism
-imaginary audience
-personal fable
Describe adolescent egocentrism.
-adolescents spend much time thinking about themselves and believe that one’s experience is unique
What is the imaginary audience? Give an example (2)
-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
What is a personal fable. Example (2)
-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
What are some psychological and emotional developments that occur in adolescence?
-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
What did Freud believe about the adolescent age?
-you change the libido into a healthy sexual relationship
What was Erikson’s stage for adolescent called? Describe it. (2)
-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)
What is an identity crisis?
-previous identity becomes undone so a more mature one can emerge
According to Marcia, what are the two key parts of adolescent identity formation? (2)
Crisis: a period where old choices and values are re-examined, an exploration
Commitment: to a specific role, value, goal and ideology
Marcia developed the identity status interview. Describe this.
-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”
What did Marcia say the four different identity statuses were? (4)
-identity achievement
-moratorium
-foreclosure
-identity diffusion
What is Marcia’s identity achievement?
-the person has been through a crisis and has reached a commitment to goals
What is Marcia’s moratorium?
-a crisis is in process but no commitment
What is Marcia’s foreclosure?
-the individual has accepted a parentally or culturally defined commitment without going through a crisis
What is Marcia’s identity diffusion?
-the person is not in a crisis nor has made
a commitment
Identity formation continues throughout life and goes through periods of stability and instability. What makes adolescence special for identity?
-adolescence levels of cognitive, moral, sexual and physical maturity and encouragement of adult roles
What is adultification?
-the process by which a child/adolescent prematurely takes on adult roles and responsibilities
What is the key of the door?
-rite of passage for 21st birthday
Describe what happens to self-concepts during adolescence. (2)
-become increasingly focused on internal characteristics and less on physical ones (includes abstract ideas)
-becomes differentiated (teens see themselves differently in different ways)
What happens to self-esteem throughout adolescence?
-there is an overall rise of self-esteem
What is correlated with having a high self-esteem?
-positive developmental outcomes
What do adolescents understand about gender role identity?
-understand that gender roles are social
conventions and have flexible understanding
What is ethnic identity?
-a sense of belonging to a particular ethnic group
What are the three stages of ethnic identity development? (3)
-Unexamined ethnic identity (common among younger children)
-Ethnic identity search (may be triggered by differences)
-Ethnic identity achievement
Describe three concepts that relate to cultural identity development? (3)
-categorization
-compartmentalization
-integration
Describe categorization of cultural identity development.
-identifying with one cultural group above all
others
Describe compartmentalization of cultural identity development.
-keeping one’s cultural identities
separate within oneself
Describe integration of cultural identity development.
-connecting and reconciling multiple identities
What are morals and what do they help individuals do? (3)
-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)
Describe what moral maturity is.
-Motivation is not based on reward or punishment but internalization of moral standards
What is the general posit of Kohlberg’s theory? What are the three broad levels? What are some notes about his theory? (3)
-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.
What is Kohlberg’s pre conventional morality?
-morality based on consequence
What is Kohlberg’s conventional morality?
-judgements are based on rules or norms of a group to which the individual belongs (adolescents are usually here)
What is post conventional morality?
-Emergence of a personal authority to make judgments that integrates individual rights and needs of society
What is the Heinz dilemma, and why is it used in Kohlberg’s theory?
-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.
How do social experiences influence moral development, according to Kohlberg?
-Social experiences, like formal education, and parenting styles can play an important role in the development of higher stages of moral reasoning.
What is the relationship between parenting styles and moral reasoning?
-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.
What is a major cultural criticism of Kohlberg’s theory? Describe an example of this. (2)
-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.
What is the gender bias critique of Kohlberg’s theory? Describe what Gilligan’s work found about this. (2)
-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.
How does Kohlberg’s theory overlook the connection between moral reasoning and behavior? Describe how situational factors could play into this. (2)
-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.
What occurs for social development during adolescents? (don’t need to memorize)
-seeking peer validation and acceptance
-strengthening relationships
-dealing with authority and control
-peer groups forming
-sensation seeking or risk-taking behaviors
What strong attachment to adolescents need?
-they still need strong emotional attachments to their parents, noting that conflict does not mean quality of relationship doesn’t exist.
Due to electronic communication, what has research found for adolescents number of friends?
-more acquaintances (but not more friends) than previous generations
What age levels does the importance of popularity peak at?
-12 to 15 years
