1. ED5390 – Psychology of Adolescents
Trinity Graduate School
Mary McClure, Ed.D., LPC, NCC

2. As we get started… About our perspective About your instructor
About our class time
Overview of syllabus and assignments
So much material – so little time!
About our perspective
Seek to understand
Maintain agape…. Really?
Yep – it is scientifically proven to be helpful
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3. assignments Weekly Papers 1 – 4 Cement grasp on text content material
Reflect on how issues covered may have impacted you at earlier stages of development
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4. Assignments Presentation – given 5/10
Student selects topic of interest, with approval
15-20 minutes, supported by PowerPoint
Min. 10 references from professional journals or sites
Sample topics from prior classes:
Bullying
Social media
Skill building areas: emotional regulation, decision making
Educational strategies for adolescents
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5. Assignments Reflection paper:
Your 5 – 10 most meaningful ‘take-aways’ from the course,
Not a summary of course material, but of areas that may have been an ‘ah-ha’ for you in one way or another
5 – 7 page written reflections on these
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6. Topical Agenda Introduction & Background Interpersonal Neurobiology
Mindfulness
Gender & Sexuality
Child & Adolescent Career Development
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7. Introduction & Background

8. Early History In the Middle Ages – In the 18th century –
children and adolescents were viewed as miniature adults – considered like property
In the 18th century –
French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau introduced the belief that being a child or an adolescent is not the same as being an adult
Child Guidance Movement 1920’s
Progressive reform movement was based on belief that society could be changed by changing / controlling child development
Reliance on scientific findings to direct child development in juvenile justice, parenting, education, mental and physical health
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9. Different views… G. Stanley Hall’s Storm-and-Stress View –
expect conflict
Margaret Mead’s Sociocultural View –
we create the conflict
The Inventionist View –
‘modern’ world created this stage of development
‘cohorts’ continue to be different
are generations facing the same issues with different packaging?
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10. Stereotyping of Adolescents
Stereotypes of adolescents are plentiful - negative
“They are all lazy”
“All they think about sex”
“They are so self-centered”
Compared to what???
What stereotypes do we have about adolescents???
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11. So what?
the youth of every generation have seemed radical, unnerving, and different from adults –
‘what goes on here’ depends on the eye of the beholder…
We want to have an informed ‘eye’
Be aware of…
Bio-psycho-social-spiritual developmental stages –
Attachment theory – physical vs. conceptual secure base
Learning theories – how we come to know things
Scientific work on interpersonal neurobiology
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12. Child – Adolescent - Adult
The transition from childhood to adolescence begins with more biologically based changed in the onset of pubertal maturation
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is determined by cultural standards and experiences
Education / career
Personal identity / roles
Financial and physical independence
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13. Positive Psychology The “Five Cs” of PYD
Competence (sense of agency, self-efficacy)
Confidence (self-esteem)
Connection (meaningful relationship)
Character (identity)
Caring/compassion (social interest, empathy)
To develop these characteristics, youth need access to positive social contexts and competent people —such as caring teachers, community leaders, and mentors
Shaping vs. controlling – moving toward something rather than away from something
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14. ??????
Do you see movements toward a more ‘Positive Psychology’ approach…
In your educational experience?
In the media coverage?
Efforts in military? Troubled youth?
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15. Emerging Adulthood ( Arnett, 2006)
Identity exploration, especially in love and work.
Instability. Residential changes peak during emerging adulthood, also is often instability in love, work, and education.
Self-focused. Few obligations, duties and commitment to others.
Feeling in-between.
The age of possibilities, a time when individuals have an opportunity to transform their lives.
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16. Classic Developmental Topics
Resilience – Adapting positively and achieving successful outcomes in the face of significant risks and adverse circumstances
temperament or learned? Consider emotional intelligence, divergent thinking, positive psychology
Nature / Nurture Debate - whether development is primarily influenced by nature (biological inheritance) or nurture (environmental experiences)
Timing of changes? Direction or changes?... Epigenetic principle, culture
Continuity vs. Change - the extent to which development involves gradual, cumulative change (continuity) or distinct stages (discontinuity)
Early vs Later experience - the degree to which early experiences (especially early in childhood) or later experiences are the key determinants of development
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17. Interpersonal Neurobiology

18. Basic Brainstorm concepts… (Siegel,2013)
Attachment shift… peers become critical
Brain Remodeling
Pruning – use it or lose it
Myelin –
‘practice lays down myelin to enable a skill’
Hyper-rational thinking –
‘accentuate the positive’
Impulsivity – emotion unchecked by cognition

19. How might we leverage these toward positive growth???
ESSENCE
Emotional Spark-
intense, vital, moody, erratic
Social Engagement
peer relationships, morality
Novelty
new and exciting experiences
Creative Exploration
adaptivity, innovation, change

20. “Consilience …
finding truths that are common and derived from independent ways of knowing. “
(Siegel, 2009, 140)

21. Themes in adolescent development… (or any stage of development…)
Bio-psycho-social-spiritual growth
Integration … AKA reflection, critical thinking, holism
Emotional Intelligence
Attachment – seen, safe, soothed, secure
Relationship goals unconditional love, intimacy, grace, empowerment … genuineness, empathy,
Pattern formation.. thought, emotion, behavior
Mindfulness

22. Exercise: Leveraging ‘ESSENCE’
How might our planning of learning experiences leverage the adolescent ‘brain changes’ ?
Design an exercise or assignment that engages the characteristics that can be seen as so challenging!
Work with a partner,,, 15 minutes
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23. How might we leverage these toward positive growth???
ESSENCE
Emotional Spark-
intense, vital, moody, erratic
Social Engagement
peer relationships, morality
Novelty
new and exciting experiences
Creative Exploration
adaptivity, innovation, change

24. Whew… that was a lot of stuff to absorb
Consider – we have great ability to be aware of and in control of ourselves… these are learnable skills…

25. Mindsight (Siegel, 2013) Ability to ‘see’ or ‘know’ the mind
3 basic skills:
Insight: sense your own inner life
Empathy: sense the inner life of others
Integration: link different parts into an interconnected whole
The key is intentional awareness of our internal world

26. Exercise 1: SIFT
Close your eyes and focus your attention and awareness toward your inner mental experiences … use one or more of these areas…
Sensing – what are you sensing in your body?
Imaging – what images, situations or memories?
Feelings – what emotions are you experiencing?
Thoughts – what thoughts are in your mind

27. Exercise 2: Mindsight Map
Look at a person around you. You may perceive them on a physical level, but also may imagine what they are experiencing in their minds.
Take some time to imagine what the ‘map’ of their inner mental experience may reflect.

28. Exercise 3: Empathy Tune-in to ‘signals’ received from other people
Verbal words, tone, volume, etc
Non-verbals, such as body language and facial expression, are as much as 80% of communication
Strengthen empathy skills…Watch a TV or movie with the sound off – imagine the content, intent, and perspective of communications between characters.

29. Exercise 4: Sensing the Harmony of Integration
A state of harmony has qualities of being
Flexible, Adaptive, Connected, Energized, Stable
Consider your own state of mind, and whether your overall needs are being met in harmony
or perhaps the relationship you have with another, and whether your relationship honors differences and cultivates compassionate communication
A sense of chaos or rigidity indicates a lack of harmony.. Perhaps the need for repair

30. Exercise 5: Name it to tame it
At times when we feel out of control, flooded and reactive to emotional burst without benefit of thoughtful consideration, it would be helpful to
Build the habit of pausing for consideration
Consider the type of chaos or rigidity we are feeling – name the emotion
Consider the circumstance that triggered this
Begin to integrate and repair
Recall a time when you felt emotionally flooded

31. References
Dobson, J. (1992). The new dare to discipline. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House.
Gottman, J. (1997). Raising an emotionally intelligent child. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Koonce, K. (2006). Parenting the way God parents: Refusing to recycle your parent’s mistakes. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah.
Siegel, D. J. (2003). Parenting from the inside out: How a deeper self-understanding can help you raise children that thrive. New York: Penguin.
Siegel, D. J. (2009). Mindful awareness, mindsight, and neural integration. The Humanistic Psychologist, 37, DOI: /
Siegel, D. J. (2013). Brainstorm: The power and purpose of the teenage brain. New York: Penguin.

32. Mindfulness
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33. Habits of Mind…
Habits of mind that support our survival – also create our suffering:
Revisiting the past – worrying about the future – planning with goal to optimize pleasure
Fearfulness of change – of loss or lack of optimal gain
Extends to worry for those we love
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34. Habits of mind
Judging ourselves harshly – comparing and ranking with others
Worry, judging, planning makes us feel in control – as if we are doing something
‘now’ often doesn’t hit our radar unless extreme
Auto-pilot – perpetually seeking more, better
Avoiding what is painful – will numb with activity, substance, self-sooth
Accept thoughts as real vs. facts
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35. Goals of mindfulness Awareness of mental processes now
Acceptance / compassion
Contemplation of activity that causes us pain
Begin with 1… some stay there 
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36. Mindfulness Informal vs Formal Mindfulness Practices = (examples)
Benefits:
Reduced anxiety, stress, frantic-ness
Enhanced sense of self, coping, resilience, joy
Greater insight, judgment, peace
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37. Gender & sexuality

38. Gender
Gender: The typical characteristics of people as males and females
Few aspects of adolescents’ lives are more central to their identity and to their social relationships than gender
One aspect of gender bears special mention
Gender role: A set of expectations that prescribes how females and males should think, act, and feel
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39. Gender Role Development
Influence of…
both nature
and nurture
attitudes and behaviors of educators
mass media
gender-role stereotypes for behavior, relationships
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40. What has changed from generation to generation???
Sexuality
What has changed from generation to generation???
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41. Sexuality
What messages do adolescents really receive about how they feel, think, and act on their sexuality?
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42. Sexuality
Discussions typically take a physical, problem oriented focus…
Pregnancy, disease, rape
Greater emphasis on
Relational development?
Emotional development?
Decision making?
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43. Five layers of erotic life
clarify normal sexual order and identify sexual disorders and dysfunction…
Sexual identity – physical, genetic
Sexual orientation – attraction to what sex?
Sexual interest – what creates arousal?
Sex role – what is displayed in public, closest to gender
Sexual performance – activity with preferred person
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44. Facebook has 50 gender options to select from…
Sex - physical, genetic characteristics at birth. (Intersex is atypical) Cannot be altered.
 Gender – cultural roles, behaviors, attributes typically associated with one’s sex
 Sexual identity – the sex one identifies as, typically matches their genetic characteristics
 Gender Identity – the gender characteristics one identifies with, typically matches those expected for their sex within their culture
 Sexual Orientation – nature of sexual attraction, such as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual
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45. Facebook has 50 gender options to select from…
Transsexual – Perceives self as being of sex opposite to genetic makeup. Transitions from one sex to another through use of hormones, surgery, etc. Cannot change genetics.
 Transgender – identity or sense of self is not consistent with typical gender characteristics/rolr for their sex in terms of behavior, dress, etc. Such as cross-dressers, and other patterns that are non-conforming to norms.   
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46. Facebook has 50 gender options to select from…
Are sexual identity, gender identity, and sexual orientation
More fluid than constant?
On a continuum rather than a dichotomy?
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47. Child & Adolescent Career Development

48. Career Development?
Lets talk about the key concepts you drew From these materials?
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49. Career Development What prompts this movement?
What is your sense of awareness and energy about this?
What are new concepts of ‘work’ and ‘career’
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