Introduction: The Study of Adolescent Development Flashcards
What is adolescence?
A period of life that is a specific social construct. It differs in length, content, experience, and responsibilities between cultures.
What is the history of adolescence in Ancient Times in Western Cultures?
Plato & Aristotle labelled adolescence as the 3rd distinct stage of life, from 14-21.
What is the history of adolescence in 1500-1890 in Western Cultures?
This period was the end of the middle ages, from the renaissance to the industrial revolution. Life cycle services in western countries - institutions of social control start to develop more strongly. Children learn a trade in order to be productive adults.
What is the history of adolescence in 1890-1920 in Western Cultures?
Child labour was widespread in the 1800s. Adolescence became a term in the late 19th century. New laws restrict child labour and require school attendance (which marks a difference between adolescence & adulthood). Reasons for this include: industrialization allowed for less need of children in the labour force, social & scientific developments, the study of adolescence emerged.
What is the history of child labour?
In the 19th century, adolescents worked under difficult conditions (ex. coal mines) By the early 20th century, they were excluded from working & allowed to go to school as social changes were happening. Social reform movements influenced seeing kids as kids instead of workers. The increase in the capital allowed for parents to support their families without kids working. These conditions continued to evolve into the 20th century.
What is the current age of adolescence?
The median age has gone from 13-15 years to 10 years. This is due to social changes, not biological. End of adolescence roughly 24 years old. This varies between cultures & communities.
Why does the rate of residential change peak at adulthood?
Adults move for work, school, relationships, etc. Tend to move less as children/elders.
What are the distinctive features of emerging adulthood?
- Identity Exploration
- Instability
- Self-focus
- Feeling in-between
- Possibilities/optimism
What is Identity Exploration during emerging adulthood?
Trying out different possibilities in love & work. Developing an identity, who they are, capabilities & limitations, beliefs & values, how they fit into society.
What is Instability during emerging adulthood?
residential change, job change, education change
What is Self-focus during emerging adulthood?
Become more independent, self sufficient. Focus on themselves to develop knowledge, skills, and self understanding to prepare for adulthood
What is Feeling in-between during emerging adulthood?
Transitional period, not quite an adult
What is Possibilities/optimism during emerging adulthood?
Little has been decided. Marked by optimism and great expectations. Have left home but not committed to a new relationship.
Whats the avg age of marriage like across the world?
Highest (30-34) is Australia and Europe
Middle (24-30) is NA and Asia
Lowest (20-24) is Africa
What is the transition into adulthood in western societies ?
Legally this happens at 18 (usually). Markers include: Accepting responsibility for oneself, making independent decisions,
becoming financially independent
What is the transition into adulthood in other cultural variations?
In traditional, non western cultures, it is marked by marriage, by chronological age or physical development (such as self control).
What is collectivism?
Mute individual desires, to contribute to society as a whole
What is individualism?
the system of belief emphasizes the desire of independence
What are the 5 steps of the scientific method?
Step 1 - identify a research question
Step 2 - form a hypothesis
Step 3 - choose a research method & a research design
Step 4 - collect data to test the hypothesis
Step 5 - draw conclusions and form new or more questions & hypotheses
What are the ethical guidelines of the Institutional Review Board?
- Protection from physical and psychological harm
- Informed consent prior to participation
- Confidentiality
- Deception and debriefing
What are the types of research methods?
Questionnaires- Closed question, Open ended question
Interviews - Qualitative data, Quantitative data
Observations - look at behaviour
Ethnographic research - live among participants
Case studies - follow a small group / one person and collect data
Biological measurements
Experimental research - Experimental research method, Experimental group vs. control group,
Independent variable vs. dependent variable,
Interventions
Natural experiments - Adoption studies, Twin studies
What is reliability?
Reliability: consistency of measurements
What is validity?
Validity: measures what it claims to measure. More difficult to establish.
What is inter-rated reliability?
The same guidelines are provided to several observers of the same thing, should result in equal results. If everyone agrees, it is inter-related reliability.
What is test-retest reliability?
Regardless of when or how many times the measurement is taken, it it should be the same.
What is inter-rated reliability?
The same guidelines are provided to several observers of the same thing, should result in equal results. If everyone agrees, it is inter-related reliability.
What are known-instruments in concurrent validity?
If you have a group of of individuals with a common characteristic and a known instrument, to test another instrument you can compare both to the same group of people.
What are known-groups in concurrent validity?
If you have 2 groups you know are different, and an instrument to tell the difference.
What is a cross-sectional study in research design?
Sample of people on single occasion.
Correlation: positive and negative.
Correlation vs. causation
- quick & cheap but difficult to interpret
What are the challenges as well as the positive cultural traditions that African adolescents experience in the 21st century?
Challenges to physical health, higher food insecurity.
Birth rate is high, greater need for adolescents to join adult work force, faster than other countries. Or may serve as caregivers for younger siblings.
Collectivist = tradition is important.
How does Islam structure development for adolescents in North Africa and the Middle East?
Muslim religion is predominant. Patriarchal society/authority (dominance over women). Globalization is having an impact on this. Adolescents in North Africa and the Middle
East blend Islamic traditions with modern ways.
What are the distinctive features of the cultural context for Asian adolescents?
Both highly industrialized and recently industrialized countries.
Confucianism - (East Asia (China)) as a tradition. Filial piety is obedience toward elders. Emphasis on education.
Developing your own identity & following traditions can clash.
What are the main challenges for Indian adolescents in the 21st century?
Hindu and Muslim religions - diverse ideas.
No compulsory education for children - High illiteracy. Child labor widespread. Caste system - traditional system of hierarchy: prevents people from joining jobs, getting into college, following dreams, may be forced into child labor.
What are the common features of Latin American countries for today’s adolescents there?
LA is influenced by the requirements from NA for large amounts of narcotics, which leads to production and then instability. Decline in birth rate. Educational attainment is increasing, however it is not a stable environment.
What are the common features experienced by adolescents in the countries that make up “the West,” and
what is distinctive to minority adolescents?
Includes Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Stable, democratic, and affluent. High access to education. More leisure time.
Minority groups disadvantaged in education and employment. Southern U.S more like Latin America. “Race-based” caste system.
What are the disciplines that contribute to a complete understanding of adolescence and emerging adulthood?
Primarily psychology Anthropology Sociology Medicine Education History
How does the “global village” affect adolescents?
Adolescents having similar experiences because of travel and the Internet. Bi-cultural identities - aspects of 2 different cultures.
What is globalization?
different individuals coming into contact with different cultures - this has always happened but now is at an accelerated rate
Define: Adolescence
the stage of development that begins with puberty and ends when individuals transition into adulthood (roughly 10- early 20s)
Define: Early Adolescence
approx. ages 10-13, middle school/junior high years
Define: Middle Adolescence
approx. ages 14-17 - highschool years
Define: Late Adolescence
approx. ages 18-21 - college years
Define: Emerging Adulthood
approx. ages 18-25 - transitions from adolescence to adulthood
What is the framework for studying adolescent psychology?
- fundamental changes
- biological (puberty) & cognitive (advanced thinking abilities) - context
- the way the environment influences the psychological impact of biological, cognitive, and social change
- family, peer groups, schools, work/leisure/media - psychosocial development
- identity, autonomy, intimacy, sexuality, achievement
Define: psychosocial
aspects of development both psychological and social in nature (ex. identity)
Define: identity
self-conceptions, self-esteem, sense of who one is
Define: autonomy
the development and expression of independence
Define: intimacy
the formation, maintenance and termination of close relationships
Define: sexuality
development and expression of sexual feelings
Define: achievement
behaviours and feelings in evaluative situations
What are examples of psychosocial problems?
drug & alcohol use/abuse, delinquency (externalizing problems), depression (internalizing problems)
What are the theoretical perspectives on adolescence, ranging from extremely biological to extremely environmental?
(biological) biosocial organismic learning sociological historical/anthropological (environmental)
What are biosocial
theories?
emphasize the biological changes of the period
- halls theory of recapitulation
- dual systems theory
What are organismic theories?
emphasize the interaction between the biological changes of the period and the contexts in which they take place
- freudian theory
- eriksonian theory
- piagetian theory
What are learning theories?
emphasize the ways in which patterns of behaviour are acquired through reinforcement and punishment , or through observation and imitation
- behaviourism
- social learning theory
What are sociological
theories?
emphasize the ways in which adolescents, as a group, are treated by society
- adolescent marginality
- intergenerational conflict
What are historical/anthropological theories?
emphasize adolescence as a development period that has varied considerably from one era to another
- adolescence as an invention
- anthropological perspectives
