Personal Development Chapter 4 Section 2

I. Cognitive Development “I found myself thinking about my future, and then I began to think about why I was thinking about my future, and then I began to think about why I was thinking about why I was thinking about my future.” - An adolescent’s thoughts.

Cognitive Development Shows an adolescent’s ability to think abstractly (Piaget’s formal operations stage). Rationalization: a process in which an adolescent seeks to explain an often unpleasant emotion or behavior in a way that will preserve his or her self-esteem. Example: “I failed my English test because my teacher hates me” or “I failed because I was nervous about my date tonight”.

David Elkind: Problems teenagers face because of immaturity (1984). Finding fault with authority figures. Argumentativeness Indecisiveness Apparent hypocrisy Self-consciousness Invulnerability

II. Moral Development Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory Teenagers become less egocentric as they mature. Many stay at Stage 4 forever (laws are moral rules established by authority). Many like the idea of “civil disobedience” (Stage 5 or 6).

What stage of Moral Development is this? Young Vietnam War protesters

III. Identity Development A. Erikson’s Theory of the Identity Crisis: Adolescence is where you build your identity. Children live in the present (care-free); adolescents think about the future. Most adolescents go through an identity crisis: inner conflict, worry about who you are. Role confusion exhibited by childish behavior and impulsive decision making.

Marcia’s view of the identity crisis (1966): Four attempts to achieve sense of identity: Identity moratorium: seriously consider issues, but haven’t made any decisions. Identity foreclosure: have made decisions, but based on others’ suggestions. Identity confused or diffused: no serious thought given to making decisions; no sense of identity. Identity achievement: considered many identities and have freely committed themselves to occupations and other matters.

Social Learning View of Identity When crisis does develop, it is usually because of an external factor (i.e. divorce, death, new friends, etc.) Albert Bandura: individuals develop by interacting with others.