Adolescence and Morality

Baumrind Parenting Styles Authoritative: Exert control by setting limits, but encouraging input from the child and negotiation of rules, particularly with older children. Encourages discussion and cooperation.

Authoritative Parenting

Parenting types can affect self-concept ______________: demands unquestioned obedience. Do as I say!! Tend to be unresponsive. ______________: allow children to make own decisions without supervision. Submit to children’s whims, get them what they want. Rejecting-neglecting: disengaged, vest little, give little.

Behavioral Outcomes correlated with Parenting style Authoritarian: lacks good decision-making, tend to be moody, low self-esteem. Will cooperate with the group. Permissive: lack self-discipline and confidence; trouble making decisions. Authoritative: self-reliant, friendly and self-confident. Higher self- esteem. Feel in control of their lives.

Parental style and behavioral outcome: Correlational, so... Not necessarily causation. Perhaps temperament creates parenting style or the combination of parental temperament and children’s temperament creates parenting style. Do your parents treat your siblings differently?

Parental Influence Children have heavily influenced attitudes toward faith, politics and other social attitudes. (excluding sex and drug use). Parents provide children with much of their non-family environment (neighborhood, schools, friends, etc.)

Crafting an essay response - Can you explain how Ainsworth’s attachment research can lead to a self-reliant child? Can you explain how Baumrind’s research in parenting styles can lead to a positive outcome in terms of self-esteem?

Adolescence Adolescence is defined as a life between childhood and adulthood.

Physical Development Adolescence begins with puberty (sexual maturation). Puberty occurs earlier in females (11 years) than males (13 years). Thus height in females increases before males. Preview Question 9: What physical changes mark adolescence?

Primary Sexual Characteristics During puberty primary sexual characteristics — the reproductive organs and external genitalia — develop rapidly.

Secondary Sexual Characteristics Also secondary sexual characteristics—the nonreproductive traits such as breasts and hips in girls and facial hair and deepening of voice in boys develop. Pubic hair and armpit hair grow in both sexes.

Puberty Landmarks first period for girls (menarche) first ejaculation by boys (spermarche). Feelings associated?

Frontal Cortex: Develops until mid-20’s During adolescence, neurons in the frontal cortex grow myelin, which speeds up nerve conduction. The frontal cortex lags behind the limbic system’s development. Hormonal surges and the limbic system may explain occasional teen impulsiveness. If this is true, how do you biologically explain Piaget’s formal operational stage?

Developing Morality Lawrence Kohlberg sought to describe the development of moral reasoning by posing moral dilemmas to children and adolescents such as “Should a person steal medicine to save a loved one’s life?”

Preconventional (Before 9) based on rewards and punishments. Will I get into trouble?

Conventional : Early adolescence, rules are rules, right and wrong Conventional : Early adolescence, rules are rules, right and wrong. Law is black and white

Postconventional (formal op) Postconventional (formal op). Larger universal issues of morality and right and wrong, justice and fair play enter the process. What’s right? What’s fair?

Formal Operational morality questions You go through the checkout at Harris Teeter and give a 10 dollar bill and receive change for a 20? Is cheating wrong? Do you copy homework? Do you ask for questions on a test? Would you mark that you’d given money to church/charity to receive money back on your taxes?

Social influence and expediency will change behavior that is reasoned to be moral. Have you ever cheated because you saw others cheating? Is cheating right? Why or why not? Have you ever cheated?

Kohlberg Criticism: Haidt’s Social Intuitionist Are there some things that are viscerally disgusting, or innately immoral? Do they require moral reasoning? Examples?

Social Intuitionist Theory – Your “press secretary” vs Social Intuitionist Theory – Your “press secretary” vs. your inner reality… “Could human morality be run by human emotions?” Moral paradoxes

Morality and Social Influences Doing the right thing dependent on social situations Nazi concentration camp guards

Kohlberg Critics There is a discrepancy between moral thought and action

Cultural Criticisms postconventional reasoning appears mainly in Educated Western middle and upper class Males value individualism.

Interdependent/collectivist cultures respect group norms more than western individualistic cultures and therefore are less likely to post-conventional moral reason. Group cohesion more important than individual codes. African, Asia, Middle East more interdependent in thinking.

Moral Development, and Gender while men tend to make judgments based on their view of justice, women tend to make decisions based on relationships. Ex: Who chooses a movie? Who’s likely to cave first in arguments?

Gender Bias in Kohlberg: Carol Gilligan proposes that girls are more concerned with relationships and therefore develop identity through their relationships

Gilligan’s Stages of Ethic Care Approx. Age Range Stage Goal Not listed Preconventional Individual survival Conventional Self sacrifice is goodness Maybe never Postconventional Principle of nonviolence; do not hurt others or self

Preoperational Cognitive Mind Sets Preschoolers, although still egocentric, develop ability to infer others’ mental states Theory of mind – ability to read intentions Preschoolers can start to tease, empathize, and persuade

Children with autism What are the diagnostic principles of a child with autism?

Theory of Mind Test How would an autistic child answer?

Leo Vygotsky and Zone of Proximal Development Theorized by age 7 children become capable of thinking in words and using words to work out solutions Internalizing and relying on inner-speech Creates self-control tools – parent who says “No, no!” will have child who mutters “No, no!” when they do something bad before they realize it

Zone of Proximal Development Children learn through social interactions, including play with parents and peers ZPD – area of knowledge just beyond a child’s abilities Children learn best when they encounter information at this level and can interact with a more skilled person Scaffolding – support adults and teachers present when they provide progressively more difficult problems to ask children to explain their reasoning for learning Enables child to work independently so they can solve problems with their intellectual ability Metacognition?

Erik Erikson: Social Development psychosocial task to complete at each level of development throughout our lifetimes. If we do not achieve one level, it creates problems in our lives.

Stage 1: Basic trust vs. basic mistrust (0-18 months): Children must establish a sense of being able to rely on the environment (and caregivers) to take care of them.

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (18 months – 3 years): Children learn ways to be able to act independently from their parents without feeling afraid they will venture out too far. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqLMcyUFrSA

Stage 3: Initiative vs. guilt (3-5 years): This is the play stage in which children learn to express themselves creatively without fear they will engage in activities that will get them in trouble. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9nZ4j1yLmk

Stage 4: Industry vs. inferiority (5-12 years): During this stage, children learn to identify with the world of work and develop a work ethic.

Stage 5: Identity vs. identity diffusion (12-21 years): Adolescents establish a sense of who they are and develop commitments in the areas of work and values.

Stage 5: Parent and Peer Influence

Marcia’s Levels of Identity Achievement Extends Erikson’s work identity determined by choices and commitments rather than social traits Marcia believed that teens fall into four categories in their search for identity

Marcia’s Stages of Development Diffused: not really searching, living day to day, no direction. Foreclosed: a little parent, unquestioning, never searched for personal identity. Moratorium: actively searching and trying on new roles routinely. Achieved: developed a separate and unique identity they feel comfortable with.

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. isolation (21-30/40 years): Young adults are able to experience psychologically close relationships with others and develop long-term commitments.

Stage 7: Generativity vs Stage 7: Generativity vs. stagnation (40-65 years): Middle-age adults feel a sense of caring and concern for younger generation and determine what their legacy will be after they are gone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ethUKKW8PdE

Stage 8: Ego integrity vs Stage 8: Ego integrity vs. despair (65 years until death): In later adulthood, individuals come to grips with mortality and with achieving a sense of acceptance about the life they have lived. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIysXLiA5s0 The Last Lecture Revisited