Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 Adolescence 9th edition By Laurence Steinberg, Ph.D. Chapter Nine: Autonomy Insert Textbook Photo

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 2 Chapter 9 Overview Why is autonomy development an adolescent issue?Why is autonomy development an adolescent issue? How does emotional autonomy develop?How does emotional autonomy develop? –How do parenting styles influence this? How does behavioral autonomy develop?How does behavioral autonomy develop? How does value autonomy develop?How does value autonomy develop? –What are the major theories of moral development? –How do political and religious beliefs change during adolescence?

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 3 What is Autonomy? IndependenceIndependence –An individual’s capacity to behave on his or her own AutonomyAutonomy –Emotional components (feeling separate from parents) –Behavioral components (the growth of independent decision making) –Cognitive components (developing personal beliefs and values)

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 Autonomy Development in Modern Society –Today’s teens spend much more time away from the direct supervision of adults than prior generations –But today’s teens also have become more economically reliant on their families than prior generations Insert Photo from DAL

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 Why Is Autonomy an Adolescent Issue? Early adolescence is a period of growing independence and autonomyEarly adolescence is a period of growing independence and autonomy Establishing healthy sense of autonomy is actually a lifelong processEstablishing healthy sense of autonomy is actually a lifelong process Puberty and the development of autonomyPuberty and the development of autonomy –Cognitive changes –Biological changes –Social changes

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 6 Three Types of Autonomy Emotional AutonomyEmotional Autonomy –Gaining emotional independence in relationships with others, especially parents Behavioral AutonomyBehavioral Autonomy –Making independent decisions and following through on them Cognitive AutonomyCognitive Autonomy –Developing an independent set of beliefs and principles, resisting peer and parental pressures

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 7 Development of Emotional Autonomy Psychoanalytic Theory: Anna Freud –Physical changes of puberty disrupt family system –Resurgence of sexual impulses increase family tensions –Detachment: Adolescents are driven to separate emotionally from parentsAdolescents are driven to separate emotionally from parents Conflict is normal part of detachment in adolescenceConflict is normal part of detachment in adolescence

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 8 Development of Emotional Autonomy Modern Theories: Individuation –Process of individuation begins during infancy –Does not involve stress or turmoil –Acceptance of responsibility for choices and actions Measure emotional autonomy by examining: –Extent to which teens deidealize parents –Extent to which teens see parents as people –Extent to which adolescents depend on themselves, rather than on parents –Extent to which the adolescent feels individuated within the relationship with his/her parents

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 9 Age differences in four aspects of emotional autonomy

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 10 Development of Emotional Autonomy What triggers individuation?What triggers individuation? –Changes in teen’s appearance provoke changes in how teen views self and how parents view teen. This alters parent-adolescent interactionsThis alters parent-adolescent interactions –Social-cognitive development stimulates movement toward individuation

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 11 Development of Emotional Autonomy Emotional Autonomy and Parenting PracticesEmotional Autonomy and Parenting Practices –Healthy individuation and positive mental health are fostered by close, not distant, family relationships –Conditions that encourage both individuation and emotional closeness facilitate autonomy Insert DAL photo

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 12 Development of Behavioral Autonomy Changes in Decision- Making AbilitiesChanges in Decision- Making Abilities –How do decision-making abilities improve from 7th to 12th grade? –Older adolescents showed more sophisticated abilities in: awareness of risksawareness of risks considering future consequencesconsidering future consequences turning to a consultantturning to a consultant recognizing vested interestsrecognizing vested interests

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Changes in Decision-Making Adolescent improvement in decision- making likely due to two developments:Adolescent improvement in decision- making likely due to two developments: –Decline in the extent to which decisions are influenced by their potential to produce an immediate reward –Improvement in adolescents’ ability to control their impulses 13

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Changes in Decision-Making 14

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Legal Decision-Making When do adolescents make decisions as well as adults?When do adolescents make decisions as well as adults? –Debate about young people’s abilities to make decisions in the real world –Where should we draw the legal boundary between adolescence and adulthood? Difficult debate because decision-making is product of cognitive abilities and psychosocial factorsDifficult debate because decision-making is product of cognitive abilities and psychosocial factors »Develop along somewhat different timetables 15

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Legal Decision-Making 16

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 17 Development of Behavioral Autonomy Changes in susceptibility to influenceChanges in susceptibility to influence Conformity to peers is higher during early and middle adolescenceConformity to peers is higher during early and middle adolescence –Parents are more influential regarding long-term issues, basic values –Peers’ opinions are more influential for day-to-day matters (music tastes or clothing style)

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Susceptibility to Peer Influence 18

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 19 Development of Behavioral Autonomy Adolescents whose parents are authoritarian or permissive are most easily influenced by peers, especially in antisocial situationsAdolescents whose parents are authoritarian or permissive are most easily influenced by peers, especially in antisocial situations Adolescents from authoritative homes are less susceptible to antisocial peer pressure but more so to positive peersAdolescents from authoritative homes are less susceptible to antisocial peer pressure but more so to positive peers

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Ethnic and Cultural Differences in Expectations for Autonomy White adolescents and their parents living in America, Australia, or Hong Kong have earlier expectations for adolescent autonomy than do Asian adolescents from these same countriesWhite adolescents and their parents living in America, Australia, or Hong Kong have earlier expectations for adolescent autonomy than do Asian adolescents from these same countries No sex or birth order differences in expectationsNo sex or birth order differences in expectations –BUT there are sex differences in the extent to which parents grant autonomy Depends on the constellation of sons and daughters in the household and on the parents’ attitudes toward sex roles.Depends on the constellation of sons and daughters in the household and on the parents’ attitudes toward sex roles. 20

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 21 Development of Behavioral Autonomy Changes in feelings of self-reliance In general, the subjective feelings of autonomy increase steadily over the adolescent yearsIn general, the subjective feelings of autonomy increase steadily over the adolescent years Adolescent girls report feeling more self-reliant than adolescent boys doAdolescent girls report feeling more self-reliant than adolescent boys do Adolescents who have a stronger sense of self- reliance report havingAdolescents who have a stronger sense of self- reliance report having –higher self-esteem –fewer behavior problems

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The Development of Cognitive Autonomy Changes in the adolescent’s beliefs, opinions, and valuesChanges in the adolescent’s beliefs, opinions, and values –Studied mainly by looking at how adolescents think about moral, political, and religious issues Three trends:Three trends: –Adolescents become increasingly abstract in the way they think about moral, political, and religious issues –Beliefs become increasingly rooted in general principles –Beliefs become founded in the young person’s own values 22

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 23 Moral Development During Adolescence How individuals think about moral dilemmas and make moral judgmentsHow individuals think about moral dilemmas and make moral judgments Lawrence Kohlberg’s TheoryLawrence Kohlberg’s Theory –Used morally challenging stories (Heinz) –More interested in the reasoning behind people’s explanations than whether the answer was right or wrong

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 24 The Development of Cognitive Autonomy KOHLBERG’S THREE LEVELS OF MORAL REASONING Preconventional Moral Reasoning (worrying about punishment/reward) Conventional Moral Reasoning (following societal rules and norms) Postconventional Moral Reasoning (most abstract and advanced)

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 25 The Development of Cognitive Autonomy Moral Development during AdolescenceMoral Development during Adolescence –Research has shown that moral behavior does not always match moral reasoning –Contextual factors influence how a person acts when facing moral dilemmas in the real world –Postconventional reasoning is relatively rare Studies have confirmed Kohlberg’s theoryStudies have confirmed Kohlberg’s theory –Moral reasoning becomes more principled over the course of childhood and adolescence

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 26 The Development of Cognitive Autonomy Prosocial reasoning, behavior, and volunteerism:Prosocial reasoning, behavior, and volunteerism: –Prosocial behavior (helping others) –Prosocial reasoning becomes more sophisticated But changes in actual prosocial behavior, such as helping others or empathizing with others, are not consistently found in adolescenceBut changes in actual prosocial behavior, such as helping others or empathizing with others, are not consistently found in adolescence Involvement in community service leads toInvolvement in community service leads to –Gains in social responsibility –Gains in tolerance

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 27 The Development of Cognitive Autonomy Political Thinking Becomes more abstractBecomes more abstract Becomes less authoritarian and less rigidBecomes less authoritarian and less rigid Becomes more principled (an increase in a consistent set of attitudes; an ideology)Becomes more principled (an increase in a consistent set of attitudes; an ideology)

Copyright © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 28 The Development of Cognitive Autonomy Religious Beliefs Become more abstract, more principled, and more independent during the adolescent yearsBecome more abstract, more principled, and more independent during the adolescent years The stated importance of religion—and participation in an organized religion— declines somewhat during the adolescent yearsThe stated importance of religion—and participation in an organized religion— declines somewhat during the adolescent years