Social Development in Adolescence: Social Relationships (Chapter 12) Flashcards
Two Main Changes in Family Patterns
-Shift from asymmetric interactions between parents and children to symmetric interactions between parents and adolescents
-A focus on the negotiation of powers within the family dynamic
Parent-Adolescent Conflict
Escalates in early adolescence
-adolescents seek autonomy and responsibilities
-demand explanations of rules set by parents
-exhibit idealistic thinking and criticalness
Decreases from mid to late adolescence
-adolescents and parents understand each other better
-both adjust their approaches
*Most conflict involves minor everyday issues
Parent-Adolescent Conflict II
Minor everyday conflicts can serve positive functions:
-Help explore identity development actively.
-Facilitate learning of conflict resolution and negotiation.
Only about one-fifth of adolescents have severe, unresolved, and persistent conflicts with their parents.
Ethnic differences in the timing of parent-child conflict:
-For Chinese, Korean, and Mexican-American youth, conflict often peaks in late adolescence.
Parenting
-Recognizing the gradual transition from dependence to independence in adolescents.
-Emphasizing warmth, support, and connectedness as a security base.
-Balancing autonomy-granting with appropriate levels of control and guidance.
-Gender difference: Boys often receive more independence from parents than girls.
-Importance of parent-adolescent communication and parental monitoring.
Adolescent Friendship
Adolescents rely more on friends than parents for companionship, intimacy, social acceptance, and self-worth reassurance.
Friendship Characteristics:
-Mutual understanding.
-Intimacy (e.g., self-disclosure).
-Self-disclosing conversations increase significantly in early and middle adolescence.
-Commitment (e.g., trust, loyalty, confidence) leading to exclusivity.
Late Adolescence:
-A broader range of friends (less exclusive)
Gender Differences
Intimate Interactions
-G>B
Disagreement
-G>B
Negative feelings after a disagreement
-G>B
Conflict issues
-Girls: betrayal of secrets
-Boys: friends pressuring them to do drugs
Cliques
Close-kit group of a few friends, often of the same gender
Membership of cliques peaks in early adolescence (middle school)
Crowds
Large and loosely organized group
Jocks, populars, druggies, nobodies, independents, etc.
Peer Interactions
-Adolescents spend twice as much time with peers as parents or other adults
-Identification with a peer group (especially in early adolescence)
-As adolescents become more autonomous from parents, they become more dependent on peers
Peer Influences
It can be both positive and negative.
Conformity to the peer group is common.
Developmental changes: Peaks in early adolescence.
Increased social comparison skills and self-consciousness about others’ opinions.
Individual differences:
-Some adolescents are more susceptible to peer influence.
Source of peer influence: Friends have a stronger influence than acquaintances
Domains of Influences
Peers
-superficial behaviors
-peer social status
Parents
-basic beliefs and values
-important life decisions, education and ethics
Romantic Involvement
Increases in romantic interest and involvement during adolescence:
-Cross-sex interaction and thinking about the other sex become more prevalent.
Stability of romantic relationships varies.
Early romantic involvement is associated with inadequate adjustment:
-Lower grades and reduced school involvement.Greater deviant behavior and school-related problems.
Increased risk of adolescent pregnancy.
Romantic relationships in early adolescence often serve different functions:
-Exploring personal attractiveness.
-Considering how it appears to their peers
Emotion and Romantic Relationships
Strong emotions are involved:
-58% positive emotions and 42% negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, anger, jealousy, depression).
These strong emotions can be disruptive:
-Romantic breakups can lead to depression.
Romantic relationships offer an opportunity for adolescents to learn to manage their strong emotions
