Adolescent Psychology

1. Adolescent Psychology Chapter 1

2. Today we will… • Cover some history • Talk a bit about periods of development • Discuss a couple of developmental issues • Talk over a few theories • Touch on research methodology • By the way…all of this is from chapter 1!

3. What is Adolescence? • Adolescence: The period of transition from childhood to adulthood; it involves biological, cognitive, socioemotional changes. • Preparation for adulthood • From development of sexual functions to abstract thinking to independence

4. Historical Views on Adolescence • Early Greek philosophers: a time of developing reason & self-determination • Middle ages: no distinction made between children, adolescents, and adults • 18th Century French philosopher Rousseau: period between ages15-20, when selfishness is replaced by interest in others • 20th &21st Centuries: scientific exploration of adolescence begins

5. Development of the Concept • G. Stanley Hall’s Storm and Stress view (1904) • Adolescence is a turbulent time charged with conflict & mood swings • Development determined by heredity & environment • Margaret Mead’s Sociocultural View (1928) • No conflict is necessary, if culture provides smooth gradual transition • Development determined by socio-cultural factors, not biology • Inventionist View • Concept of adolescence is a socio-historical creation • Industrial Revolution, WWI, WWII, Great Depression

6. Past to Present • “Those teenagers today…” • The problem with stereotypes • Adolescent Generalization Gap • Adolescents are NOT a homogeneous group • Generation gap bias • Toward a more positive view of adolescence • Positive Youth Development (2009) • Competence • Confidence • Connection • Character • Caring/compassion

7. Adolescents in the U.S. & Around the World In the U.S…. • Social context is changing… • Social Policy is fragmented for adolescents in U.S. Around the world… • Global youth culture • Many traditions remain constant, so adolescents in different cultures have varying experiences • Change vs. tradition

8. Development Defined • Development: The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues throughout the lifespan. • Includes both growth & decay. • Processes & periods • Biological, cognitive, &socio-emotional processes. Development is a direct result of the interaction between these 3 processes. • Biological = Physical changes • Cognitive = Changes in intelligence &thinking • Socioemotional = Changes in emotions, personality, relationships & social context • Emerging fields (development cognitive neuroscience & social developmental neuroscience) exploring interconnectedness!!

9. Developmental Processes Developmental Changes are a Result of Biological, Cognitive, and Socioemotional Processes Fig. 1.3

10. Terms to know continued… • Contexts: Settings in which development occurs. These settings are influenced by historical, economic, social, & cultural factors. (e.g. socioeconomic, ethic, gender, age, peer groups, families, schools) • How do you think various contexts influence development?

11. Periods of Development • Childhood: • Prenatal • Infancy (birth-18/24 months) • Early childhood (infancy – 5/6 years) • Middle & late childhood (5/6 – 10/11) • Adolescence: remember a combination of heredity, childhood & adolescent experiences contribute to the course of adolescent development. • Early: Middle school/Junior High (puberty) • Late: Career interests, dating, identity exploration are main tasks • Adulthood: • Early • Middle (many of adolescent’s parents) • Late

12. Adolescence • The key task in adolescence is preparation for adulthood. • This period begins at between 10-13 & ends between 18 -22. • Transition from childhood  adolescence determined biologically • Transition from adolescence  adulthood determined by experiences & culture • Emerging adulthood (18-25) – experimentation & exploration • 5 key features • Changes occurring during this period range greatly. • Development of sexual function, abstract thinking processes, independence, identity…

13. Developmental Issues: The Debates • Nature vs. Nurture • Determined by biological inheritance? • Determined by environmental experiences? • Continuity vs. Discontinuity • Gradual & continuous? • Discrete, abrupt, changes? • Early vs. Later Experience

14. Id Superego Ego Psychoanalytic Theories • Freud: • Psycho-sexual stages (1st stages of development) • Development as an unconscious, emotional process Personality Structure

15. Psychoanalytic Freud • Defense Mechanisms • Unconscious methods the ego uses to distort reality and protect itself from anxiety • Examples: Repression and Regression Revisions of Freud’s Theories • Less emphasis on sexual motivations • More emphasis on social aspirations

16. Psychoanalytic: Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages

17. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development: Individual actively constructs understanding of the world through ongoing process of organization & adaptation Organization: to make sense of world, organize experiences and observations Adaptation: adjust to new environmental demands Cognitive Theories Fig. 2.4

18. Cognitive Theories • Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Cognitive theory: • Emphasizes how cultural &social interaction guide cognitive development • No stages • Information-processing theory: • No stages • Individuals manipulate, monitor, & strategize about information • Develop a gradually increasing capacity for processing information, allowing one to acquire more complex knowledge & skills

19. Behavioral Skinner’s Operant Conditioning • The scientific study of observable behavior responses and their environmental determinants • Behavior is learned and often changes according to environmental experience

20. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory: Observational Learning Self-Efficacy Social Cognitive Fig. 2.5

21. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Contextual Theory • 5 Environmental Systems with individual at the center: • Microsystem: contexts • Mesosystem: connections between contexts • Exosystem: links between contexts & other environments • Macrosystem: culture in which individual lives • Chronosystem: environmental events & transitions over the life

22. The Scientific Method • Conceptualize the problem • Collect information (data) • Analyze data • Draw conclusions

23. Theory • An interrelated, coherent set of ideas that helps to explain and make predictions

24. Hypothesis • Specific assumptions and predictions that can be tested

25. Descriptive Research Observe and record behavior • Observation • Surveys and Interviews • Standardized Tests • Experience Sampling • Physiological Measures • Case Studies

26. The Correlational Method Describes the strength of the relationship between two or more events or characteristics • Correlation Coefficient • +1.00 to -1.00 • Negative vs. Positive • Size of the number • Correlation does not imply causation

27. Correlational Research Possible Explanations of Correlational Data Fig. 2.10

28. Random Assignment/Experimental Design Fig. 2.11

29. Experimental Research • Experiment is a carefully regulated procedure in which one or more factors believed to influence the behavior being studied are manipulated, while all other factors are held constant. • IV = the factor that is manipulated (E.G. Peer tutoring) • DV = the factor that is measured; it can change as the IV is manipulated (% correct on exams)

30. Time Span of Research • Cross-sectional research • Research that studies people all at one time • Longitudinal research • Research that studies the same people over a period of time, usually several years or more

31. The Field of Adolescent Development Research • Journals • Journal of Research on Adolescence • Journal of Early Adolescence • Journal of Youth and Adolescence • Adolescence • Child Development

32. Research Challenges • Conducting Ethical Research • Gender Bias • Culture and Ethnic Bias • Ethnic Gloss

33. Being a Wise Consumer of Information • Be cautious of what is reported in the popular media • Recognize the tendency to over generalize a small or clinical sample • Be aware that a single study usually is not the defining word • Remember that causal conclusions cannot be drawn from correlational studies • Always consider the source of the information and evaluate its credibility

34. Taking it to the Net • Master the material in this chapter by visiting the Online Learning Center: http://www.mhhe.com/santrocka13e • Please complete Self Assessment: Do I Have the Characteristics of an Emerging Adult, and bring results to class with you!