Week 7 - Adolescence (10 > 20 years)

Question 1

explain cognitive changes in adolescence

Answer 1

Brain -
Corpus collosum thickens (connection between two hemispheres)
Amygdala develops a lot (emotions)
Prefrontal cortex develops less so (judgement)
Synaptic pruning occurring in frontal lobes
Myelination - makes the brain faster but less flexible.
Selective/focused attention ability develops
LTM improves
Social cognition improves
Adolescent Egocentrism - Includes:
1: the imaginary audience (belief that others are acutely aware of their appearance and behaviour) and
2: the personal fable (belief in ones personal uniqueness leading to invulnerability and consequences)

Piaget - Formal operations stage
Characterised by greatly increased reasoning and problem solving ability (systematic thinking)

Question 2

discuss identity and religious/spiritual development in adolescence

Answer 2

“Identity” is composed of -
Career aspirations, political views, achievements, sexual identity, religious views, intellectual ability, relationships, physical self-concept, cultural &/or ethnic identity, personality and interests.

Kohlberg’s theory of moral development -
Preconventional: likelihood of rewards/punishments
Conventional: value conforming to moral others
Postconventional: objective principles of right and wrong.
Kohlberg suggests moral development is due to cognitive development (due to education) but recent research supports that its from culture.

Religion -
less in developed countries, more in developing countries.
Can help support adolescents

Question 3

describe changes that take place in adolescents’ relationships with parents and peers

Answer 3

Conflict - increases due to sexual maturation, cognitive issues and emerging independence. Friendships increase in importance.
Clique - small group of exclusive friends
Crowd - larger more reputation based group

Love and sexuality -
permissive (tolerate sexuality)
semi restrictive (cultures that have prohibitions)
restrictive (strong prohibitions and low tolerance)

Self esteem fluctuates, heightened pressure on physicality and social acceptance.

Question 4

summarise how culture and schooling influence adolescence

Answer 4

Developing countries -
Only 50% of adolescents attend high school.
Most adolescents would be long working by now

Developed countries -
Australia: 75% of non indigenous complete high school (44% of indigenous)
Work is merely to support leisure
39% of 14-15yo work
Doesn’t often lead to future careers
Above 10 hrs/week harms connections and grades.

Culture -
permissive: culture that encourages and expects sexual activity
Semi restrictive: culture that has prohibitions on pre-marital adolescent sex, but aren’t strictly enforced and are easily evaded (teen pregnancy high in this culture)
Restrictive: culture that places strong prohibitions and sexual activity before marriage.

Question 5

identify the problems, including health problems, that can arise during adolescent development.

Answer 5

Anorexia
Bulimia
Early maturation: negative for girls but positive for boys
Late maturation: opposite
Substance abuse: experimental, social or addictive. Smoking and illicit drug use down but drinking remains high.
Narcissism: self-centred and self-concerned perceptions of social interactions
Crime and delinquency: rise mid teens and peak at 18 then decline
Depression