Module 7: Cognitive Development during Adolescence

Question 1

adolescent egocentrism

Answer 1

a characteristic of adolescent thinking that leads young people (ages 10-13) to focus on themselves to the exclusion of others (according to David Elkind)

Question 2

analytic thought

Answer 2

thought that results from analysis, such as a systematic ranking of pros and cons, risks and consequences, possibilities and facts. Analytic thought depends on logic and rationality

Question 3

behavioral decision-making theory

Answer 3

proposes that adolescents and adults both weigh the potential rewards and consequences of an action. However, research has shown that adolescents seem to give more weight to rewards, particularly social rewards, than do adults

Question 4

constructivist perspective

Answer 4

based on the work of Piaget, a quantitative, stage-theory approach. This view hypothesizes that adolescents’ cognitive improvement is relatively sudden and drastic, as adolescents learn by acting on their environment and they actively construct knowledge

Question 5

deductive reasoning

Answer 5

reasoning from a general statement, premise, or principle, though logical steps to figure out (deduce) specifics. Also called top-down processing

Question 6

divided attention

Answer 6

the ability to pay attention to two or more stimuli at the same time; this ability improves during adolescence

Question 7

dual process model/dual processing

Answer 7

the notion that two networks exist within the human brain, one for emotional processing of stimuli and one for analytic reasoning

Question 8

formal operational thought

Answer 8

the fourth and final stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, characterized by more systematic logical thinking and by the ability to understand and systematically manipulate abstract concepts

Question 9

hypothetical thought

Answer 9

reasoning that includes propositions and possibilities that may not reflect reality

Question 10

imaginary audience

Answer 10

the other people who, in an adolescent’s egocentric belief, are watching and taking note of their appearance, ideas, and behavior. This belief makes many adolescents very self-conscious

Question 11

information-processing perspective

Answer 11

derives from the study of artificial intelligence and explains cognitive development in terms of the growth of specific components of the overall process of thinking

Question 12

intuitive thought

Answer 12

thoughts that arises from an emotion or a hunch, beyond rational explanation, and is influenced by past experiences and cultural assumptions

Question 13

invincibility fable

Answer 13

an adolescent’s egocentric conviction that they cannot be overcome or even harmed by anything that might defeat a normal mortal, such as unprotected sex, drug abuse, or high-speed driving

Question 14

metacognition

Answer 14

refers to “thinking about thinking” and it is relevant in social cognition and results in increased introspection, self-consciousness, and intellectualization during adolescence

Question 15

mnemonic devices

Answer 15

mental strategies to help learn and remember information more efficiently; improves during adolescence

Question 16

personal fable

Answer 16

an aspect of adolescent egocentrism characterized by an adolescent’s belief that their thoughts, feelings, and experiences are unique, more wonderful, or more awful than anyone else’s

Question 17

relativistic thinking

Answer 17

thinking that understands the relative, or situational, nature of circumstances

Question 18

selective attention

Answer 18

the process by which one focuses on one stimulus while tuning out another; this ability improves during adolescence