Adolescent and Adult Development & Gender Identity & Roles

Adolescent Development: Warm up: What is the most difficult part of adolescence?

Family Conflicts Percentage of Male and Female Adolescents Rating Issues as Leading to Family Conflict Eating dinner with family 19.4 Arguing 15.8 Church attendance 15.6 Spending time with certain boy or girl 15.3 Not being home enough 15.3 Getting to use the car 13.3 Understanding each other 11.4 Responsibility at home 11.2 Source = Kinloch, G. C. Parent-youth conflict at home. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1970, 40(4), 661. Copyright 1970 by the American Orthopsychiatric Association, Inc. Have things changed? How?

G. Stanley Hall…Storm and Stress!!! Problem Areas = Parent-child conflicts Mood changes (self-conscious, awkward, lonely, ignored) Risky Behavior (aggression, unprotected sex, drug and alcohol use)

Physical Development Puberty = the time when sexual organs mature and additional physical and emotional changes take place What are some psychological & social effects of puberty?

Social Development Major task of Identity Formation = “Who am I?” Crash course video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzy XGUCngoU

Adolescent Brain

Cognitive Development Capable of logical, hypothetical and abstract thinking Development of introspection Metacognition = Growing awareness of one’s own mental process

“To adulthood & beyond…”

Physical Changes Early adulthood (20-40) = development continues Middle adulthood (40-65) = Abilities peak and begin a gradual decline…signs of aging Fertility declines in both sexes & women undergo menopause Late adulthood (65 on) = Susceptibility to heart disease & increased deterioration of body

Social Changes Relationship development Career Selection / longevity Parenting (pre-parenting, parenting and Empty-Nest Syndrome) Generativity– producing something that will outlast you Identity Crisis (“mid-life” crisis or “middle age crazy”) Retirement Social Isolation

Cognitive Changes Early & Middle = Cog. abilities improve Experience, information accumulation, refine skills = adult thought process is more complex & adaptive than adolescent Late Adulthood = speed of information absorption slows Decline in memory Unfamiliar tasks more difficult

Cognitive Changes Declines continue Memory- changes observed in secondary memory (the learning of new material) Intelligence shows minor decline with age Terminal Drop –a drop in mental functioning that precedes death by up to about 5 years Dementia & Alzheimers

Gender roles

Common Stereotypes: Masculine Traits Feminine Traits Active Aggressive Ambitious Competitive Dominant Feels superior Independent Self confident Considerate Devotes self to others Emotional Gentle Home oriented Kind Likes children Passive

Sex v. Gender Identity In a society filled with gender stereotypes, children regularly learn to adopt gender roles.   Gender stereotypes: widely held beliefs about characteristics thought appropriate for males and females  Gender roles: the reflection of gender stereotypes in everyday behavior  http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/01/the-genderbread-person/

Costs of gender role stereotypes? Limiting opportunities for both sexes “When children are exposed to non-stereotyped models, for example, mothers who are employed or fathers who do the ironing and cooking, they are less traditional in their beliefs and behaviors. These children  have been found to have higher self-esteem, higher levels of identity achievement and more flexibility in dating and relationships” (Berk, 2000 and Witt, 1997).  Children’s book: I’m Glad I’m a Boy, I’m Glad I’m a Girl…

Video: Born a Boy, Brought Up a Girl How do we perpetuate? Cartoons or movies (ex: Disney!) Clothing stores and ads Music and music videos Toy stores Video: Born a Boy, Brought Up a Girl