1. Adolescence: Physical Development Moral Theory of Development Social Theory of Development

2. Physical Development Puberty: Starts around: 11 for girls 13 for boys
Surge in hormones triggers rapid physical development, sexual maturation
Growth spurts can occur early or late—when you develop secondary sex characteristics has little effect on your adult physical features, such as final height…

3. Physical Development

4. Physical Development

5. Adolescent Brain Development
Frontal Cortex (judgement, reasoning part of brain) development lags behind limbic system (emotional part of brain) development
Frontal Cortex is not FULLY developed until around age 25, if the individual is able to abstain from chronic alcohol and drug use
Not fully equipped for making long-term plans or controlling impulses
Can lead to risky behavior: Smoking, drinking, drug use, unprotected sex, etc.

6. Brain Development…
Synaptic pruning is still occurring. The connections/networks of neurons (brain cells) that we do not use wither and die while the ones that are used frequently are made stronger and more ‘streamlined’
Cognitive skills are given a “boost” when pruning occurs
Also called the “Use it or lose it” Principle
The reason why the limbic system may be maturing faster than the frontal cortex is because there is a hypothesis that the pruning takes place from the back of the brain to the front of the brain—thus the frontal cortex is last to be pruned and its connections are a bit more disorganized.

7. Limbic System

8. Frontal Cortex

9. Implications for Frontal Cortex Development Delays in Adolescents
2004: American Psychological Association joined 7 other medical and mental health associations in filing petitions with the Supreme Court
Argued against the death penalty for 16- and 17-year olds
Presented evidence of adolescent brain immaturity in “areas that bear upon adolescent decision making”
Teens are “Less guilty by reason of adolescence”
Supreme Court agreed and juvenile death penalties are now considered unconstitutional

11. Cognitive Development Developing Reasoning Power
Piaget’s formal operations
At first, early teen years are self-focused…”you don’t know how it feels to be me…”
Later teens develop:
Abstract Logic as the concrete images/ideas of childhood are mastered
Adolescents often search for deeper meaning in life
Ability to detect hypocrisy and spot inconsistencies in another’s reasoning
Potential for mature, moral reasoning develops…

12. Cognitive Development: Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
How do kids/teens/adults know what is right and what is wrong?
Lawrence Kohlberg:
Agreed with Piaget that children’s moral judgements build upon their cognitive abilities
As a child is able to think with more complexity, their ability to reason morally increases

13. Analyzed the answers to find evidence of stages of moral development….
Kohlberg’s Experiment:
Presented “moral dilemmas” and asked children, adolescents and adults if an action was right or wrong
Example: Should a person steal medication in order to save a loved one’s life?
Analyzed the answers to find evidence of stages of moral development….

14. Preconventional Morality (Before age 9)
Self-interested; obey rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards.
“You shouldn’t steal because you could get caught”
Conventional Morality (Early adolescence)
Morality is focused on caring for others and on upholding laws and social rules simply because they are laws and rules
“You shouldn’t steal because it’s against the law”
Postconventional Morality (Adolescence and beyond)
Actions reflect a belief in basic rights and self-defined ethical principles
“People have a right to live, and you should do whatever possible to preserve life”

16. Social Development Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory (1963)
Theorized that the relationships we have with others influence the development of our personalities
Believed we resolve specific social crises at each stage of life
Infants: Trust vs. Mistrust (Attachment style to caretaker)
Adolescents: Identity vs Role Confusion