Lecture 2- What is Adolescence? Flashcards
Adolescence
- Transitional period
- American psychologist G. Stanley Hall first described adolescence as a period of storm and stress
What influences age requirements- Drinking (Biological vs. Cognitive Reasoning)
Biological Reasoning:
- Brain development -> Not finished until 20s, harmful for young children
- Smoking, drugs, alcohol -> Starting earlier in life increases the likelihood of addiction behaviors
Cognitive Reasoning:
- Driving
-> Reason why the US has a drinking age of 21: moved back up to 21 in late 70s after Vietnam War
-> US has a deep dependence on cars relative to other countries
-> Can drive at 16 in US, people are not good drivers here
What influences age requirements- Minimum age to enter life-endangering professions (Biological vs. Cognitive Reasoning)
Biological Reasoning:
- Physical Development (able to carry heavy equipment)
Cognitive Reasoning:
- Cognitive Development (able to handle emotional stress, death, life experience, understanding responsibility, maturity)
What influences age requirements- Minimum age to watch graphic violence (Biological vs. Cognitive Reasoning)
Only Cognitive Reasoning:
- Desensitizes young children
- Have a horrible reaction to first time seeing it, afterwards having no reaction
- Affects morals, thoughts about the world
- Is description not enough, do you need to watch it?
- Excessive violence not necessary
- How true crime makes people overly weary
What influences age requirements- Minimum age to watch graphic sex (Biological vs. Cognitive Reasoning)
Biological Reasoning: Addictive nature, can incapacitate people during instances of real sex
Cognitive Reasoning: Skews ideas of intimacy, unrealistic
What influences age requirements- Minimum age to vote
Only Cognitive Reasoning:
- Affects society
- Responsibility (don’t understand significance)
- Requirements- general knowledge of civics, candidates, inform yourself
- Not compulsory-> people who do not have knowledge of civics/responsibility may not go to polls
What influences age requirements- Minimum age to marry
Cognitive/Biological Reasoning:
- Finances
- Emotional Regulation
- Not mature (sense of self, identity, life experience, responsibility)
Who is Adult (Compare US, Israel, Argentina, and India & China)
Up
Who is Adult? Compare the transition to adulthood in US vs. Israel, Argentina, and India & China
US:
- Characterized by Individualism
- Responsibility
- Independent decisions
- Financial independence
Israel:
- Military service
Argentina:
- Being able to support a family financially
India & China:
- Being able to support their parents financially
Why do we have age limits?
- Protection (of self and society)
Acknowledgement of changes
- Biological changes
- Cognitive changes
- Psychosocial changes
- Role changes
There are different boundaries in different contexts.
Who is an adolescent for researchers (Common method)?
Early adolescence (11-14)
Middle adolescence (15-18)
Late adolescence (19-22)
Who is an adolescent for researchers (Arnett’s way)?
Early adolescence (11-14)
Late adolescence (15-18)
Emerging adulthood (18-25)
