Emerging Adulthood: Cognitive Development How do year olds think?

What is post-formal thought? O Problem finding O Not just problem solving O Anticipating problems & dealing with them O More open to ideas less concerned with absolutes Thinking of multiple choices or perceptions

What is delay discounting? O Discounting the effects of delaying O Favoring immediate gratification over future consequences O E.g. going to the beach instead of studying for final O Sex & pregnancy

What is the difference between subjective & objective thought? O Post-formal thought combines subjective and objective thinking O Combines emotion with logic O Subjective thought O Based on personal qualities O Experiences, culture, goals O Objective thought O Thinking based on facts and numbers O Not personal qualities

Do you remember? O What are two of the main developments in post-formal thought? O Can you give an example of “delay discounting”? O What two types of thinking does post-formal thought focus on?

How can we counter stereotypes? O Needs cognitive flexibility to counter previously ingrained stereotypes and assumptions. O Stereotype threat O Possibility of being negatively stereotyped creates anxiety and interferes with cognition (thinking) and emotional regulation (feelings).

What is cognitive flexibility? O Realizing there are many perspectives on any topic O Each problem has many possible solutions

What is dialectical thought? O Thesis O Idea O Antithesis O Opposite idea O Synthesis O Combination O Not a compromise O Synthesis can become new thesis O Process continues

How does our morality and religion develop? O Maturing values, moral reasoning, and religion develops O Culture & nationality determines moral values O Females – Reluctant to judge right and wrong as absolutes O Males – Do tend to judge right and wrong as absolutes O Emphasize justice over compassion

Do you remember? O What are the effects of the stereotype threat? O What would be an example of the concept of cognitive flexibility? O What would be an example of the concept of dialectical thought? O What main forces create our concepts of morality and religion? O How do men and women differ regarding moral absolutes?

Cognitive Growth and Higher Education

What are the effects of college? O Secure vocational and financial future O Correlates with better health & longer life O E.g. Less likely to smoke O Improves: O Verbal and quantitative (math) abilities O Professional knowledge O Reasoning skills O More females than males in college O More students in business and professions (Law and Medicine) than liberal arts

How are colleges changing? O U.S. has twice as many colleges as 50 years ago O More career programs O More part time faculty O Income = most important reason for college O Stronger correlation between college education and income because of loss of unskilled jobs O No education = no job

Do you remember? O What are some of the main effects of college? O Why does college education correlate with better health? O How are colleges changing?