ADOLESCENCE

CHF 1500 - Dr. Bird

     

I.  Traits:

 

A.  They begin to explore all possibilities in their head.  Can consider unique, never- tried-before, hypothetical solutions to a problem.  Piaget referred to this new ability as the Formal Operational Period.

 

B.  Begin to challenge their parents’ beliefs (arguing) because they understand there are a number of different solutions to a problem.  Erikson referred to this conflict as Identity VS Role-confusion, and thought a healthy resolution would result in Fidelity.

 

C.  The changes in thought results in three common views that are often labeled adolescent egocentrism:

 

1.  Personal Fable - "I will live a socially important even heroic life",

 

2.  Invincibility Fable - "Bad things won't happen to me", and

 

3.  Imaginary Audience – “Everybody notices me.”

 

D.  Changes in hormones – HPA Axis (click here to see a diagram).  Pituitary gland stimulates testosterone and estrogen.  Males will receive 18 times the amount of testosterone they had in childhood.  Girls receive far less testosterone.

 

E.  Age of puberty is influenced by sex, genes, weight, and stress.

 

      Early maturing girls tend to have more depression and poorer body image.

 

F.  Drug use and abuse.  Do drug education programs work?  D.A.R.E.?  Cultural influences?

 

G.  Sexual behavior – Teaching adolescents about contraceptives does not increase sexual activity, onset of sexual intercourse, or the number of partners.  But, for those who do participate in sexual intercourse, it increases the use of condoms or contraceptives.

 

H.  Parental Monitoring, without imposing psychological controls (threatening withdrawal of love and support) is one of the most powerful deterrent of delinquency, risky sex, and drug abuse.

 

II.  PIAGET - Formal Operational Period - allows them to go beyond the real to the possible.

 

A.  Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning:  Start with a general theory about the possible causes of a problem, and then test this theory in an orderly and systematic fashion.

 

B.  Propositional Thought - Can evaluate the logic of propositions (verbal statement) that are not related to real world situations.

 

C.  Influences on Formal Operational thought

 

      1.  Cultural variables - some cultures do not provide the opportunity.

 

      2.  Personal experience with the information is required to complete the formal

            operational task.

 

      3.  Parenting style - Authoritative parenting enhances the development of Formal thought.

 

D.  Consequences of Formal Operational Thought

 

1.  Adolescent will often question parents’ logic behind rules and requests.

 

2.  Can reflect on their own thoughts and envision themselves in a variety of imaginary circumstances.

 

3.  Can reflect on other people’s thoughts and speculate how the other thinks about them - Imaginary audience - other people are as concerned about them as they are about themselves.

 

4.  Because of their belief that others are thinking about them, they have an inflated view of their own importance - Personal Fable.

 

III.  ERIKSON:  Identity VS Role Confusion (Virtue = Fidelity)

 

      A.  Common traits

            1.  Challenge Parent's Values - Co-regulation

 

            2.  Possible Erratic behavior

 

      B.  Four categories of Marcia’s Identity (for more information read pages 385 – 391 in Berger, K.)

 

           

	Commitment Absent	Commitment Present
Crisis Absent	Identity diffusion	Identity Foreclosure
Crisis Present	Moratorium	Identity Achievement

 

MARCIA’S - 4 CATEGORIES OF IDENTITY - (click here to view the emotional components of these categories)

 

1.  Lisa has thought hard and talked to many people before selecting a career in music.  When asked if she would change her mind if something better comes along, she said, “I doubt it.  I have given this some careful thought.” - Identity Achievement

 

2.  Shannon has begun to question her parent’s religious beliefs and is visiting other churches to find out about alternatives. - Moratorium

 

3.  Katarina accepts her family's political and religious beliefs without question. - Identity Foreclosure

 

4.  When asked about his career plans, John says, "Haven't thought about it. Doesn't make too much difference what I do." - Identity diffused

 

      C.  Factors that influence identity development

 

            1.  Personality -Flexible, open-minded approach to thinking about competing beliefs and attitudes.

 

            2.  Authoritative parents who provide emotional support and freedom for the adolescent to express their views.

 

            3.  Communities that are diverse and respect/embrace diversity.

 

            4.  Cultural and political systems that foster debate and expression of differences.

 

IV.  MORAL REASONING VS MORAL BEHAVIOR (for more information read pages 293-296 in Berger)

 

A.  Rules versus Principles.  “Thou shalt not...” or “Do unto others...”

 

B.  Moral realism versus moral relativism. 

 

Moral realism is a focus on the outcome of the behavior.

 

Moral relativism is based on the merits of the intention combined with the outcome. 

 

Moral relativism requires the person to consider the context and intention of a behavior (decentration).  This, in turn, requires higher cognitive abilities and a history of experience.  Thus, moral reasoning and behavior is influenced by maturation.

 

 

1.  Level one, Preconventional.  Emphasis is on avoiding punishments and getting rewards.

 

Stage 1.  Punishment and obedience - might makes right.

 

Stage 2.  Instrumental Hedonism - Scratch my back and I will scratch yours.

     

2.  Level two, Conventional.  Emphasis is on social rules.

 

Stage 3.  Good Girl, Nice Boy - Conforms to avoid disapproval.

 

Stage 4.  Law and Order - obeying laws, being a dutiful citizen.

     

3.  Level three, Postconventional.  Emphasis on moral principles.

 

Stage 5.  Social contract - morality of individual rights.

 

Stage 6.  Universal ethical principles - primary regard for life and human beings.

 

D.  Kohlberg’s stages seemed to be gender biased and focused on a moral perspective of “justice”.  This perspective emphasizes the right of the individual.  Another perspective, Gilligan, is on “care”, which emphasizes the relationship to others.  According to Gilligan, women tend to base moral decisions on care, whereas men base it on justice.

 

E.   According to Kohlberg, these stages are limited by experience, culture and ability to reason.

 

The following is a list of a variety of factors that influence moral development and moral behavior:

 

1.  Development and maturation.  Because of the changes in thought processes, which include ability to internalize thoughts more effectively and consider numerous possible solutions, the person can think more maturely about his/her moral behavior.

 

Cognitive development allows children to make sense out of out of their social interactions and real experiences; they form their own values.

 

Elementary age children have the ability to think logically.  They have the increased capacity to considered a variety of viewpoints and make a decision based upon the logic.  However, they continue to be heavily swayed by information that is clearly relevant to them.

 

Language allows the child to have access to their parents’ and their culture’s values.

 

Elementary age children have increased their oral language, ability to read, and social involvement (mental tools).  This enables them to gain wider exposure to differing values.

 

2.  Family.  The parenting style influences moral development.  Authoritative parenting style encourages moral decision-making.

 

3.  Peers.  Peers offer the child role taking opportunities, chances to challenge and be challenged about moral decisions and behavior, and exposure to alternative ways of thinking about situations.

 

4.  Situations.  As the child encounters new situations and becomes more independent the child their moral “reasoning” and moral “behavior” may be at odds.  The children may believe that people should be “honest” but copies their friend’s test.

 

5.  Personality.  The greater the need for approval from others the lower the level of moral judgment.  Impulsivity also has a negative impact on moral growth.

 

6.  School.  Authoritative schools that provide opportunities for children to participate in rule making, provide guidance with reasoning, provide positive role models, and offer group discussions for decision making typically enhance moral development.

 

7.  Mass media.  High television views tend to have lower moral development.

 

8.  Culture.  Democratic versus Authoritarian or Dictatorship.