Regulating Emotions Crying Frequency in infancy, childhood, adolesecnce Sex differences emerge in early childhood and gets larger Developing sexual identity Developing self-concept understanding enduring nature of personality is linked to valuing consistency in behavior

Relationships with Peers Major Changes Time spent with peers increases More time unsupervised Increased size and diversity of groups Increased intensity of friendships

Friendships A close relationship between two individuals. Commitment and reciprocity Sex differences in intimate friendships Homophobia: fear of homosexuality Self monitoring to avoid the perception of being perceived as homosexual

Peer Pressure and Conformity Homophily The degree to which friends are similar to each other in terms of behaviors, tastes, views, and goals.

Relationships with Parents Conflicts Continual influence

Deviance Deviancy training: rule breaking and deviant forms of behavior are reinforced Therapeutic interventions with adolescents Group vs. individual

Identity Development The process through which individuals achieve a sense of who they are, and of their beliefs, preferences and relationships to their culture. Erikson’s psychosocial stages identity / role confusion (identity diffusion) the adolescent asks again and again to himself is about how he seems from other people’s perspectives and how he feels in himself. The fusion of these constitutes his identity.

Marcia’s Patterns of Identity

Marcia’s Patterns of Identity Moratorium: crisis, no commitment may change majors, social groups and explore relationships. Person needs to “shop around” to make committments. Moratorium: rebellious, nonconforming Identity diffusion: unpredictable, reluctant to act Foreclosure: conventional, moralistic Identity achievement: clear, consistent, productive

Marcia’s Patterns of Identity

Self-Concept Who Am I? the totality of a complex, organized, and dynamic system of beliefs, attitudes and opinions that each person holds to be true about his or her personal existence.

A New Sense of Self Changing conceptions of the self Changes in sense of self parallels the changes in cognitive and social processes

Self-Concept Distinction made in infancy between own body and everything else 2-3 years, sex and age are identified 4-12 years, self-concepts are based mainly on developing talents and skills Social comparison Increased perspective taking and self-consciousness Objective self-awareness: seeing oneself as an object of others’ attention

Self-Esteem Events that are important to our sense of self will have a strong impact on our sense of self. If not part of self-concept, it will not affect us much. Self-complexity: the more complex or differentiated your self-concept, the better you can cope with a failure in any one aspect of the self

Self-Evaluations An “ideal self” versus “actual self” Perceived degree of discrepancy may determine effect Whether the domain is a core part of sense of self determines its impact Parental characteristics for high self-esteem: acceptance of children and respect for individuality

Social and Emotional Problems of Adolescence Internalizing problems Externalizing problems

Internalizing Problems Disturbances in emotion or mood E.g., depression, worry, guilt, and anxiety Research shows that feelings of depression, sadness, and anxiety surge during adolescence. Gender differences Biological and social changes Puberty, transition to different school, new friends Increased family conflict, increased pressure to achieve

Externalizing Problems Social and behavioral problems E.g., aggression and delinquency Gender differences Two developmental patterns Adolescent onset: Emerging in adolescence and having a fairly brief time course Childhood onset: Emerging in preschool and persisting into adulthood

Externalizing Problems

Emerging Adulthood A new stage of development Between the ages of 18 and 25 Reflects new challenges in technologically advanced societies

Developmental Issues Social and identity issues Intellectual changes Epistemic development: Changes in the individual’s reasoning about the nature of knowledge