Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence Chapter 12 Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence

Erikson’s Theory: Identity vs. Role Confusion Constructing an identity involves defining who you are, what you value, and your direction you chose to pursue in life According to Erikson, teenagers experience an identity crisis, which is a temporary period of distress as they experiment with alternatives before settling on values and goals Erikson called the psychological conflict of adolescence identity versus role confusion

Erikson’s Theory: Identity vs. Role Confusion Lack of direction and self-definition Earlier psychosocial conflicts not resolved Society restricts choices Unprepared for challenges of adulthood

Self-Concept in Adolescence In describing themselves, adolescents unify separate traits (smart and curious) into more abstract descriptors (intelligent). At first their generalizations are not interconnected and are often contradictory Gradually, cognitive changes enable teenagers to combine their traits into organized system

Self-Esteem in Adolescence Teenagers add several new dimensions: close friendship romantic appeal job competence Self esteem rises, but drops temporarily at school transitions Parenting style affects quality and stability of self-esteem Authoritative parenting predicts high self esteem Teenagers who experience feedback that is negative and inconsistent may rely on peers to affirm their self esteem

Path to Identity Identity Status Description Page Identity achievement Identity achieved individuals are committed to a clearly formulated set of self-chosen values and goals. They feel a sense of psychological well being and have a sense of where they are going 320 Identity moratorium Identity moratorium means delay. These individuals have not yet made definite commitments. They are in the process of exploring, gathering information and trying out activities, with the desire to find values and goals to guide their life. Identity foreclosure Identity foreclosed individuals have committed themselves to values and goals without exploring alternatives. They accept a ready made identity chosen for them by authority figures, usually parents but sometimes teachers… Identity diffusion Identity diffused individuals lack clear direction. They are not committed to values and goals, nor are they actively trying to reach them.

Factors That Affect Identity Development Personality Child-rearing practices: Attachment Page 320 Peers, friends Schools, communities Culture Societal forces

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development- (p. 323-324) The Preconventional Level The punishment and obedience orientation The instrumental purpose orientation The Conventional Level The good boy-good girl orientation The social-order maintaining orientation The Postconventional or Principled Level The social contract orientation The universal ethical principle orientation

Sex Differences in Moral Reasoning Kohlberg: emphasis on rights and justice orientation Gilligan: emphasis on “ethic of care” orientation Each sex uses both orientations, but females may stress care more, because of greater involvement in activities involving care and concern for others Males either stress justice or focus equally on justice and care

Influences on Moral Reasoning Child rearing practices- adolescents who gain most in moral understanding have parents who engage in moral discussions, encourages prosocial behavior, and create a supportive atmosphere by listening and asking questions and presenting higher level reasoning Schooling-higher education introduces young people to social issues. Young people who are aware of social diversity tend to be advanced in moral reasoning Peer interaction- interactions among peers who present different viewpoints promote moral understanding Culture- individuals in industrialized nations advance to higher levels of moral understanding that individuals in village societies. Why is this the case?

Moral Reasoning and Behavior Factors influencing behavior include maturity of moral reasoning emotions: empathy, sympathy, guilt temperament cultural experiences and beliefs moral identity parenting practices: inductive discipline, moral standards schooling: just educational environments

Religious Involvement and Moral Development Formal religious involvement declines in adolescence Religious involvement linked to responsible academic, social behavior; less misconduct

Gender Intensification The arrival of adolescence is typically accompanied by gender intensification Gender intensification refers to increased gender stereotyping of attitudes and behavior and movement towards a more traditional gender identity When gender intensification is evident, it seems to be stronger for adolescent girls In young people, who do exhibit gender intensification, biological, social, and cognitive factors are involved. For example parents with traditional gender role beliefs may encourage gender appropriate activities and behavior more than they did earlier on Gender intensification declines by late adolescence

Parent-Child Relationships A variety of changes within the adolescent support autonomy As young people look more mature, parents give them more independence and responsibility Adolescents at this stage begin to solve problems and make decisions more effectively And an improved ability to reason about social relationships leads teenagers to idealize their parents, viewing them as “just people” As a result, adolescents no longer bend as easily to parental authority as they did when they were younger Facilitates adolescents’ identity and autonomy Signals parents to adjust parenting style

Family Influences on Adolescents’ Adjustment Parents who are financially secure, not overloaded with job pressures, and content with their marriages usually find it easier to grant teenagers appropriate autonomy and experience less conflict with them Attachment between siblings remain strong for most young people Siblings who established a positive bond in early childhood continue to display greater affection and caring, which contribute to more favorable adolescent adjustment

Characteristics of Adolescent Friendships Fewer best friends More emphasis on intimacy or psychological closeness, mutual understanding and being loyal Friends tend to be similar in identity status, educational aspirations, political beliefs and deviant behavior

Sex Differences in Adolescent Friendships Girls Emotional closeness is more common between girls Get together to “just talk and provide support for each other Boys Boys gather for an activity usually sports and competitive games Boys focus on their accomplishments or achievements

Friendship Risks Internet communication: sexual obscenity harassment reduced quality of face-to-face interaction

Benefits of Adolescent Friendships Opportunities to explore self Opportunities to deeply understand another Foundation for future intimate relationships Help in managing stress Improved school attitudes and involvement

Cliques and Crowds Cliques: small groups: 5–7 good friends similar in family background, attitudes, and values Crowds: larger: composed of several cliques membership based on reputation, stereotype

Changes in Dating During Adolescence Mixed-sex cliques prepare teenagers for dating Dating goals change with age: early adolescence: recreation, peer status late adolescence: intimacy, compatibility, affection, social support Relationships with parents and friends contribute to security of romantic ties

Dating Problems Too-early dating: drug use, sex, delinquency poor academic achievement Along with a history of uninvolved parenting and aggression in family and peer relationships, increase the likelihood of dating violence For gay and lesbian youths: finding partners peer harassment, rejection

Depression in Adolescence Depression-feeling sad, frustrated, and hopeless about life, accompanied by loss of pleasure in most activities and disturbances in sleep, appetite, concentration, and energy is the most common psychological problem of adolescence About 15% to 20% of teenagers have had one or more major depressive episodes Teenage girls are twice as likely as boys to report persistent depressive moods Heredity plays an important role in depression Genes can induce depression by affecting certain structures in the brain Depressed parents can cause their children self esteem to be impaired

Adolescent Suicide Suicide rate jumps sharply at adolescence The number of boys who kill themselves exceed the number of girls Girls use methods from which they are likely to be revived such as taking an overdose of sleeping pills Boys tend to chose techniques that lead to instant death such as the use of firearms African Americans and Hispanics have lower suicide rates than Caucasians Suicidal adolescents have a family history of emotional and antisocial disorders In addition, they are likely to have experienced multiple stressful life events including those who are economically disadvantaged, those who parents are divorced and those who experience abuse and neglect. Suicides tend to occur in two types of young people Those who are intelligent, withdrawn Those who are antisocial

Preventing Suicides Provide adult and peer support Teach coping strategies Remove access to means: gun control legislation

Delinquency Juvenile delinquents are children or adolescents who engage in illegal acts. Widespread in early and middle adolescence, then declines low intelligence, poor school performance, peer rejection, association with antisocial peers are factors linked to delinquency Adolescents from low income families from certain ethnic groups are more likely to be arrested, charged and punished compared to adolescents from higher income families Boys are more likely to commit serious crimes than girls Ineffective parenting can promote and sustain children’s aggression and this can lead to violent offenses in adolescence

Path to Chronic Delinquency

Preventing Adolescent Delinquency Prevention must start early Positive family relationships, authoritative parenting, high quality teaching in schools, and communities with healthy economic and social conditions go a long way towards reducing adolescent antisocial acts. There is the need to implement zero tolerance policies which punish all disruptive behaviors usually with suspension or expulsion Using multisystematic therapy involves counseling combined with family intervention in which violent youths are made to work and perform leisure activities, thus preventing them in engaging with deviant peers.