Cognitive Development in Adolescence Children 16 Cognitive Development in Adolescence John W. Santrock

Cognitive Development in Adolescence How Do Adolescents Think and Process Information? What Characterizes Adolescents’ Values, Moral Education, and Religion? What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? How Do Adolescents Experience Career Development and Work?

Piaget’s Theory Stage of formal operations Abstract thinking Idealism How Do Adolescents Think and Process Information? Piaget’s Theory Stage of formal operations Abstract thinking Idealism Hypothetical-deductive reasoning Develop and test hypotheses; deduce best ways to solve problems Challenges to Piaget’s ideas

Adolescent Egocentrism How Do Adolescents Think and Process Information? Adolescent Egocentrism Heightened self-consciousness Two types of social thinking Imaginary audience Believe others are as interested in them as they are in themselves Personal fable Sense of personal uniqueness and invulnerability

Information Processing How Do Adolescents Think and Process Information? Information Processing Improvements in Memory Decision making Critical thinking

Memory Short-Term Working Long-Term Improvements in problem solving Improves through early 20s Related to reading comprehension Long-Term Continues to improve in adolescence

Decision Making Increased decision making How Do Adolescents Think and Process Information? Decision Making Increased decision making Older adolescents better than younger adolescents at decision making Adolescent decision making linked to some personality traits Need opportunities to practice and discuss realistic decision making

How Do Adolescents Think and Process Information? Critical Thinking Adolescence is important transitional period with increases in Speed, automaticity, and capacity of information processing Breadth of content knowledge Ability to construct new combinations of knowledge Range and more spontaneous use of strategies

Values Beliefs and attitudes about the way things should be What Characterizes Adolescents’ Values, Moral Education, and Religion? Values Beliefs and attitudes about the way things should be Changing values: more concern for own well-being than service to others Self-fulfillment Self-expression

What Characterizes Adolescents’ Values, Moral Education, and Religion? Values and Education Service learning: education that promotes social responsibility and service to community Moral education Hidden curriculum Character education: teaching basic moral literacy

What Characterizes Adolescents’ Values, Moral Education, and Religion? Values and Education Values clarification: helping people clarify what their lives are for and what is worth working for Cognitive moral education: learn to develop such values as democracy and justice

Religion Positive effects Better grades What Characterizes Adolescents’ Values, Moral Education, and Religion? Religion Positive effects Better grades Encourages socially acceptable behavior; caring and concern for others Role models Religious organizations serve community Exploration of meaning of life

Developmental Changes and Religion Erikson’s Theory Adolescents grapple with religious questions as part of search for identity Piaget: Stages of Religious Thought Preoperative intuitive: up to 7–8 years Concrete operational: 7–8 to 13–14 Formal operational: 14 onward

Religious Beliefs and Parenting Religion: created to socialize children Most adults adopt the religion raised in Affected by quality of parent-adolescent relationship; securely attached more likely to adopt parents’ choice Religious changes and reawakenings most likely during adolescence

Religion and Adolescent Sexuality Aspects of religiousness related to Selecting friends with restrictive attitudes Fewer partners outside romantic relationship Perception of unprotected sex as high risk Responsible contraceptive use Fewer sexual encounters

The American Middle School What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? The American Middle School Transition Can be stressful Occurs during time of many changes Puberty Cognitive development Changing relationship with parents Top-dog phenomenon

Effective Middle Schools What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Effective Middle Schools Lessen impersonal nature; be smaller Lower student-to-counselor ratios Involve parents and community leaders Develop challenging curricula Team-teach in flexible curriculum blocks More fitness and health programs

The American High School Prepare for modern, demanding jobs Enable all students to graduate Hold higher achievement expectations; especially in senior year Get students better part-time jobs with shorter hours; keep grades up

High School Dropouts Serious educational, societal problem What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? High School Dropouts Serious educational, societal problem Adults with educational deficiencies Affects economic and social well-being Overall rates declined in 21st century Native Americans may have highest rate; Latino rate also remains high Males more likely to drop out than females

Causes of Dropping Out School-related Economic and family-related What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Causes of Dropping Out School-related Don’t like school; suspended, expelled Economic and family-related Low SES more to help support families Peer-related Personal reasons Pregnancy or marriage

Reducing the Dropout Rate What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Reducing the Dropout Rate Provide effective programs in Early reading and tutoring Counseling and mentoring Create caring environment Offer community service opportunities Implement early detection

What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Career Development Ginzberg’s stages of development career choice theory Fantasy: lasts to about age 11 Tentative: from ages 11 to 17 Realistic: from ages 17 to 18 Criticisms of theory Ignores individual differences

Career Development Super’s Career Self-Concept Theory What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Career Development Super’s Career Self-Concept Theory Self-concepts play central roles in choices; constructed during adolescence Occurs in five phases

Career Development Stage Age Description Crystallization 14-18 What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Career Development Stage Age Description Crystallization 14-18 Develop ideas about work with existing global self-concept Specification 18-22 Choices narrow; initiates behavior to enter some career Implementation 21-24 Complete education or training; enter world of work Stabilization 25-35 Decide specific/appropriate career Consolidation 35+ Seek advancement, high status

Career Development Holland’s Personality-Type theory What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Career Development Holland’s Personality-Type theory Make effort to match individual to career Matching personality to career promotes: Happiness in job Longevity in workplace Six main personality types

Career Development Personality Career Realistic What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Career Development Personality Career Realistic “masculine” traits; construction, labor, truck driving, or farming Intellectual “thinkers”; math and science careers Social “feminine” traits; teaching, social work, or counseling Conventional Structure: bank teller, clerk, secretary Enterprising “verbal” and dominating; politics, sales, or management Artistic “expressive”; art and writing

Exploration, Decision Making, and Planning What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Exploration, Decision Making, and Planning Important roles in adolescents’ choices Approached with ambiguity, uncertainty, and stress Many adolescents Receive little direction from school guidance counselors Do not know what information to seek and how to seek it

Sociocultural Influences on Career Choice What Are Schools for Adolescents Like? Sociocultural Influences on Career Choice Genetic limitations Parents and peers School influences Counselors and teachers Socioeconomic status Ethnicity Gender

Work Sociocultural context of work How Do Adolescents Experience Career Development and Work? Work Sociocultural context of work Three-fourths of high school seniors have had work experience Most work 16 to 20 hours per week Most work in service jobs Males work longer hours and are paid more per hour than females

Advantages and Disadvantages of Part-Time Work How Do Adolescents Experience Career Development and Work? Advantages and Disadvantages of Part-Time Work Pros Understand how business world works Learn how to get and keep a job Manage money Budget time Take pride in their accomplishments Evaluate goals Cons Little on-job training; distanced to adult coworkers Give up sports Miss sleep, social affairs with friends More stress to life Lower grades

Work Profiles of Adolescents Around the World How Do Adolescents Experience Career Development and Work? Work Profiles of Adolescents Around the World Many developing countries Adolescents do not attend school Boys earn more income than girls Girls do more unpaid labor than boys Unschooled populations: labor exceeds 8 hours per day European and East Asian adolescents work much less than U.S. adolescents

Children 16 The End