Cognitive Transition Flashcards
What are the three fundamental changes that occur during adolescence
- Puberty (which we’ve already covered)
- Social roles (which we will spend a lot of the rest of the semester talking about)
- Cognition
In what ways are adolescents more sophisticated than children?
- Think about possibilities
- Think about abstract concepts
- Think about thinking (metacognition)
- Think in multiple dimensions
- See things as relative, not as absolute (relativism)
What is key skill that emerges during adolescence?
he ability to generate Alternative Possibilities
How do adolescents generate Alternative possibilities?
- They begin to wonder about how their personalities might change in the future
- They start to think about how they might have been different had they grown up under different circumstances
- In a general sense they are able to move easily between the specific and the abstract
-This is probably what makes them seem so argumentative! They see what “could be” as opposed to just “what is”!
What is Deductive Reasoning?
A type of reasoning in which one draws logically necessary conclusions from a general set of premises, or givens
What is Hypothetical Thinking?
“if-then” thinking
Why is Deductive Reasoning and Hypothetical Thinking so important?
- This is really important because it allows us to make decisions about our behavior
- People need to be able to see beyond what is directly observable and apply logical reasoning to anticipate what might be possible.
What are some examples of Abstract Thinking?
- Able to think about interpersonal relationships, politics, philosophy, religion, and morality
- Able to think about abstract concepts such as friendship, faith, democracy, fairness, and honesty
What can the development of Abstract Thinking lead to between adolescents and parents?
can lead to tension in parental relationship especially if the parent is not cognitively flexible
What is Social Cognition?
The aspect of cognition that concerns thinking about other people, about interpersonal relationships, and about social institutions
What individual differences in Social Cognition account for a lot of the variability in the social problems that adolescents have?
- Adolescents’ conceptions of interpersonal relationships become more developed
- Gains in the area of social cognition help account for many advances typically associated with adolescence—in the realms of identity, autonomy, intimacy, sexuality, and achievement
What are the 4 categories of research on social cognition in adolescence
- Theory of mind
- Mentalizing
- Social Conventions
- Conceptions of laws, civil liberties, and rights
What is Mentalizing?
the ability to understand someone else’s mental state
What is Theory of Mind?
The ability to understand that others have beliefs, intentions and knowledge that may be different from their own
True or False: Mentalizing Abilities also change the way that adolescents think about social relationships – not just with their peers but with adults as well
True
What are Social Conventions and how do adolescents begin to understand them?
- Norms or cognitive schemas that govern our basic behavior
- They start to play with these conventions (i.e. behavior in a classroom; embarrassing their parents with inappropriate behavior…) before eventually realizing (as they mature) that these conventions are necessary!
What are Conceptions of laws, civil liberties, and rights?
- A more nuanced interpretation of the relationship between individuals and the society in which they live
-Freedom of speech, freedom of religion,
COVID restrictions
What is Metacognition?
The process of thinking about thinking itself
What does Metacognition involve?
- Involves monitoring one’s own cognitive activity during thinking
- Being able to assess how well one is learning new material
- Increased introspection: thinking about our own emotions
- Increased self-consciousness: thinking about how others think about us
What is Adolescent Egocentrism?
Extreme self-absorption
