Chapter 12: Exam 4

Question 1

Ego identity vs. Role Diffusion

Answer 1

Erikson’s fifth life crisis during which adolescents develop a sense of who they are and what they stand for [Ego Identity]

Or they do not develop a sense of who they are and tend to be subject to the whims of others [Role Diffusion]

Question 2

Psychological Moratorium

Answer 2

This a period when adolescents experiment with different roles, values, beliefs, and relationships

Question 3

Identity Crisis

Answer 3

A turning point in development during which one examines one’s values and makes decisions about life roles

*Those who successfully resolve their identity crisis develop a strong sense of who they are and what they stand for

*Those who do not may be intolerant of people who are different and blindly follow people who adhere to convention [Most join the “IN” groups by repeating or imitating clothing, hairstyles, etc.

Question 4

Identity Statuses

Answer 4

Searching for the self and making a commitment

James Marcia (2010) theorized four identity statuses that represent the four possible combinations of exploration and commitment that Erikson believed were critical to the development of identity:

a.) exploration involves active questioning and searching among alternatives to establish goals, values, or beliefs.

b.) commitment is a stable investment in one’s goals, values, or beliefs

Question 5

Identity Diffusion

Answer 5

An identity status that characterizes those who have no commitments and who are not in the process of exploring alternatives.

[Younger and older adolescents who drift through life or become alienated and rebellious] NO COMMITMENTS AND DON’T TRY TO FORM THEM

Question 6

Foreclosure

Answer 6

An identity status that characterizes those who have made commitments without considering alternatives

[Made early in life and are often based on identification with parents, teachers, or religious leaders who have made a strong impression]

Question 7

Moratorium

Answer 7

An identity status that characterizes those who are actively exploring alternatives in an attempt to form an identity.

[Such individuals are often anxious and intense]

Question 8

Identity Achievement

Answer 8

An identity status that characterizes those who have explored alternatives and have developed commitments.

[Generally have high self-esteem and self-acceptance]

Question 9

Development of Identity Statuses

Answer 9

*Before High School, children show little interest in identity
*During High School and College years, adolescents increasingly move from the diffusion and foreclosure statuses to moratorium and achievement statuses.

[Greatest gains occur in college; moratorium usually occurs during college]

Question 10

Ethnicity and Development of Identity

Answer 10

Adolescents who belong to ethnic minority groups, such as African American or Islamic Americans, confront two sets of cultural values:

a.) the values of the dominant culture
b.) those of their particular ethnic group

Question 11

Ethnic Identity

Answer 11

A sense of belonging to an ethnic group

Three stages of development in ethnic identity:

1. unexamined ethnic identity
2. ethnic identity search
3. achieved ethnic identity

Question 12

Unexamined Ethnic Identity

Answer 12

The first stage of ethnic identity development; is similar to the diffusion or foreclosure identity statuses.

Question 13

Ethnic Identity Search

Answer 13

The second stage of ethnic identity development is similar to the moratorium identity status. (they seem aware and go explore)

Question 14

Achieved Ethnic Identity

Answer 14

The final stage of ethnic identity development; similar to the identity achievement status.

Question 15

Gender Development of Identity

Answer 15

Erikson (1968, 1975) assumed that relationships were more important to women’s development of identity, while occupational and ideological matters were relatively more important to men.

Question 16

Truth or Fiction
U.S. adolescent males are more concerned than U.S. adolescent females about occupational choices.

Answer 16

Fiction
It is no longer true that U.S. adolescent males and more concerned than adolescent females about occupational choices. Even so, females continue to worry more about the integration of occupational and family plan.

Question 17

Self-Concept

Answer 17

How you see yourself within your identity

Question 18

Development of Self-Concept

Answer 18

Approaching adolescence, children begin to incorporate psychological characteristics and social relationships into their self-descriptions. (PEAKS AT ABOUT AGE 14 AND DECLINES IN LATER ADOLESCENTS, FINDING CONTRADICTIONS IN THEIR SELF-DESCRIPTIONS.)

Some may describe themselves as anxious or sarcastic with their parents but as talkative and cheerful with their friends.

Question 19

Self-Esteem

Answer 19

After hitting a low point at about age 12 or 13, self-esteem gradually improves.
Adolescents who feel highly regarded by family and friends are more likely to feel positive about themselves. [Emotional support from parents and peers is important for self-esteem]

As they develop better skills, they grow less self-critical of themselves.

Question 20

Relationship with parents

Answer 20

Interact more with their mothers than their fathers, have more conflict with their mothers, and know that their mother is more supportive.

Adverse relationships with fathers are associated with depression, but good relations with fathers contribute to psychological well-being.

Less conflict as teens get older because their are more compromises being made

Question 21

Truth or Fiction
Adolescents are in constant state of rebellion against their parents

Answer 21

Fiction
Parents and Adolescents are usually quite similar in their values and beliefs regarding social, political, religious, and economic values.

Question 22

Parenting Styles

Answer 22

Adolescents from authoritative homes – whose parents are willing to explain the reason for doing so – show the most competent behavior. They are more self-reliant, do better in school, have better mental health and show the lowest incidence of psychological problems, misconduct and drug abuse.

Question 23

Relationship with Peers

Answer 23

By 11th grade, same-gender friends are viewed as providing more support than parents.

However, emotional support from parents and peers are equally important.

Question 24

Friends in Adolescence

Answer 24

Facebook users:
More than half of U.S. adults (57%) use Facebook, whereas almost 3 out 4 U.S. adolescents (73%) use Facebook.

Adolescents are more likely to stress acceptance, intimate self-disclosure and mutual understanding.
[Girls stress the importance of loyalty, intimacy, and companionship]
[Boys stress having friends on one’s love of social dominance]

Teens with best friends have higher self-esteem than those who do not

Question 25

Cliques

Answer 25

A group of five to ten individuals who hang around together and who share activities and confidence.

Question 26

Crowds

Answer 26

A large, loosely organized group of people who may not spend much time together and are identified by the group’s activities.
(includes members of the other sex)
*Usually given labels “jocks,” “brains,” druggies,” or nerds.”

Question 27

Dating and Romantic Relationships serve a number of functions:

Answer 27

1. people date to have fun
2. enhance prestige with peers
3. experience in learning to relate to other people
4. prepare adolescents for adult courtship

Question 28

Sequence of Dating

Answer 28

1. Putting oneself where peers of the opposite sex will be
2. group activities, including opposite-sex peers
3. group dating
4. traditional two-person date

Question 29

Peer Influence

Answer 29

Peer pressure peaks during mid-adolescence and declines at about age 17

Increases during adolescence because peers provide a standard by which adolescents measure their own behavior as they develop independence from the family.

Question 30

Parents and Peers exert influence in different domains

Answer 30

Tend to be negative or positive

a.) adolescents are more likely to conform to peer standards in matters pertaining to style and taste, such as clothing, hairstyles, speech patterns, and music.

b.) They are more likely to agree with their parents on moral principles and future educational and career goals.

Question 31

Truth or Fiction
Most adolescents’ “friends” are ‘bad influences.”

Answer 31

Fiction
It is certainly not true that most adolescent friends are “bad influences”. Parents and peers are usually complementary rather than competing influences.

Question 32

Masturbation

Answer 32

Sexual self-stimulation

[about 3/4 of adolescents males and 1/2 of adolescent females masturbate]

Question 33

Petting

Answer 33

Kissing and touching the breasts and genitals
[express affection, satisfy their curiosities, heighten their sexual arousal, and reach orgasm while avoiding pregnancy and maintaining virginity.]

Question 34

Effects of Puberty

Answer 34

*Boys’ levels of testosterone are linked to sexual behavior
*Girls’ testosterone levels are linked to sexual interests but not sexual behavior; social factor plays a greater role in regulating sexual behavior in girls.

The development of secondary sex characteristics, such as breasts in girls and muscles in boys, may make them more sexually attractive.

Question 35

Parental Influences

Answer 35

Teenagers with close relationships with open communication with their parents are less likely to initiate sexual activity at an early age.

[if they do have sexual intercourse, they are more likely to use birth control and have fewer partners]

Double Standard: Girls are told “Don’t,” and Boys are told “Be Careful”

Question 36

Peer Influences on Sex

Answer 36

Adolescents report that they are more likely to receive information about sex from friends and media sources – TV shows, films, magazines, and the internet – than from sex education classes or their parents.

Question 37

Sexting

Answer 37

short for sex texting

{Should really think before engaging in such activity)

Question 38

Teenage Pregnancy

Answer 38

Researchers at the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention attribute the drop-off in careless sex to educational efforts by schools, the media, religious institutions, and communities.

Nearly half of the pregnant teenagers will have an abortion, and most will be single mothers

Question 39

Truth or Fiction
About 3/4 of a million U.S. teenagers become pregnant each year (700,000)

Answer 39

True
It is true that about 3/4 of a million single U.S. teenagers become pregnant each year [mostly because of miscalculation of the odds of getting pregnant.]

Question 40

Homosexual

Answer 40

Referring to an erotic orientation toward members of one’s own gender.

Question 41

Bisexaul

Answer 41

Attracted to individuals of both genders

Question 42

Transgendered

Answer 42

Psychologically belonging to the other gender - that is, the gender that is inconsistent with one’s sexual anatomy.

Question 43

LGBT

Answer 43

Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered.

Question 44

Sexual Identity

Answer 44

The label a person uses to signal who she or he is as a sexual being, especially concerning her or his sexual orientation.

[About 7% of U.S. women/men define themselves as being “other than heterosexual,” but the behavior of the other 93% doesn’t exactly match up with the way in which people label themselves. For example:
Nearly twice as many people - about 14% say they had oral sex with a person of the same gender.]

Question 45

Development of Sexual Orientation

Answer 45

• Social Cognitive: roles of factors such as reinforcement and observational learning
  [reinforcement of sexual behavior with one’s own gender when members of the other gender are unavailable might affect one’s sexual orientation]
• Childhood sexual abuse by someone of the same gender could lead to a pattern of sexual activity with people of one’s own gender.
• Observation of others engaged in enjoyable male-male or female-female sexual encounters could also affect sexual orientation.

Critics point out that individuals become aware of their sexual orientation before they experience sexual contact with other people of either gender

Nature/Nurture, biological makeup of individual, and environmental factors.

Question 46

Genetic Factors of Sexual Orientation

Answer 46

52% of identical (MZ) twin pairs are concordant (in agreement) for a gay male sexual orientation compared to 22% for fraternal (DZ) twins and 11% for adoptive brothers.

Question 47

Biological Factors for Sexual Orientation

Answer 47

Swedish neuroscientist Ivanka Savic reports evidence that one’s gender identity and sexual orientation can develop during the intrauterine period.

a.) sexual differentiation of the sex organs occurs during the 1st two months of pregnancy, whereas sexual differentiation of the brain begins later (2nd half of pregnancy)

b.) Possible for sex organs to develop in one way and for biological factors that underlie one’s sexual orientation (brain) to develop in another direction.

Dependent on surges of testosterone that could occur independently

Question 48

Juvenile Delinquency

Answer 48

Conduct in children or adolescents characterized by illegal activity
[extreme and includes serious behaviors like homicide, rape, and robbery]

*4 out of 10 serious crimes in the U.S. are committed by individuals under 21, and 3 out of 10 are committed by individuals under 18.

*Boys are more likely to commit crimes of violence (delinquent behavior)

Question 49

Status Offenses

Answer 49

Illegal activities performed by minors, such as truancy, underage drinking, running away from home, and sexual promiscuity.

*Girls are more likely to commit truancy and run away (status offenses)

Most are referred to a mental health agency

Question 50

Truth or Fiction
Suicide is the leading cause of death in U.S. adolescents

Answer 50

Fiction
It’s close, right behind accidents (3rd leading cause)

Question 51

Suicide in Adolescents

Answer 51

Since 1960, tripled of young aged 15 - 24 years old; about 1 to 2 U.S. adolescents in 10,000 commit suicide each year. About 1 in 10 has attempted suicide at least once.

Question 52

4 Areas of Psychological Problems (Suicide)

Answer 52

1. Confusion about the self
2. Impulsiveness
3. emotional instability
4. interpersonal problems

Question 53

Suicide Warning Signs

Answer 53

The belief that it is acceptable to kill oneself
Drug abuse and other kinds of delinquency
Victimization by bullying
Extensive body piercing (drawing attention to themselves)
Stress
Hostility
Depression and other psychological problems
Heavy smoking
Low self-esteem
Increasing the age from 11 - 21

Suicide runs in families

Question 54

Ethnicity, Gender, and Suicide

Answer 54

Native Americans and Latin American teenagers have the highest suicide rates due to exposed stress and lack of access to healthcare.

European Americans are next, and African Americans are least likely.

Three times as many females attempt suicide (by drugs), and four times as many males complete a suicide (by rapid and lethal methods)