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Questions and Answers
What is a critical aspect of establishing a stable self-identity during adolescence?
What is a critical aspect of establishing a stable self-identity during adolescence?
In the context of hypothetical-deductive reasoning, which question is most relevant for self-assessment?
In the context of hypothetical-deductive reasoning, which question is most relevant for self-assessment?
According to the concept of the 'Barometric' self, how does self-identity fluctuate?
According to the concept of the 'Barometric' self, how does self-identity fluctuate?
Which factor is least likely to influence adolescents' perceptions of their social identity?
Which factor is least likely to influence adolescents' perceptions of their social identity?
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What are adolescents likely to question about themselves in the process of developing social identity?
What are adolescents likely to question about themselves in the process of developing social identity?
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What is a key outcome associated with positive peer relationships during adolescence?
What is a key outcome associated with positive peer relationships during adolescence?
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According to Social Identity Theory, what is a common behavior exhibited by adolescents regarding group affiliation?
According to Social Identity Theory, what is a common behavior exhibited by adolescents regarding group affiliation?
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What process do adolescents typically engage in to maintain positive social identity, according to Social Identity Theory?
What process do adolescents typically engage in to maintain positive social identity, according to Social Identity Theory?
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What is a potential consequence of social isolation during adolescence?
What is a potential consequence of social isolation during adolescence?
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What did the Tarrant et al. (2001) study primarily investigate?
What did the Tarrant et al. (2001) study primarily investigate?
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What was one of the findings from Tarrant et al. (2001) regarding the items rated by adolescents?
What was one of the findings from Tarrant et al. (2001) regarding the items rated by adolescents?
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Which of the following is NOT a focus of Social Identity Theory as it relates to adolescents?
Which of the following is NOT a focus of Social Identity Theory as it relates to adolescents?
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What factors do adolescents often consider important in their social comparisons according to Social Identity Theory?
What factors do adolescents often consider important in their social comparisons according to Social Identity Theory?
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What factor significantly predicted group identity scores in Tarrant et al.'s study?
What factor significantly predicted group identity scores in Tarrant et al.'s study?
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What was the mean favouritism score when the ingroup was rated first?
What was the mean favouritism score when the ingroup was rated first?
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What effect does making social comparisons explicit have on identity salience according to the study?
What effect does making social comparisons explicit have on identity salience according to the study?
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Which statement best reflects the concept of ingroup favouritism?
Which statement best reflects the concept of ingroup favouritism?
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According to the content, why are peer groups crucial in the formation of self-identity?
According to the content, why are peer groups crucial in the formation of self-identity?
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What do adolescents often use to maintain inter-group distinctions, as described in the study?
What do adolescents often use to maintain inter-group distinctions, as described in the study?
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What is an example of how adolescents might discriminate socially desirable qualities of self?
What is an example of how adolescents might discriminate socially desirable qualities of self?
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What is a potential risk for individuals who are unable to identify with a positive peer group?
What is a potential risk for individuals who are unable to identify with a positive peer group?
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What psychological scale was used to measure the importance of group identity to individuals?
What psychological scale was used to measure the importance of group identity to individuals?
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Which aspect did the order effect influence in group evaluations according to the study?
Which aspect did the order effect influence in group evaluations according to the study?
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Study Notes
Adolescence: Theories about Self-Identity - Lecture Notes
- Week 1: Sensory memory, working memory (WM), and long-term memory (LTM) encoding and processing change throughout primary school years. WM shows developmental trends during primary school which can be trained.
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Week 2: Reading difficulties/interventions in the classroom.
- Sound categorization (e.g., Bradley & Bryant)
- Memory (e.g., Gathercole & Baddeley)
- Comprehension (e.g., Oakhill et al.)
- Inference skills
- Grasping text structure/story threads
- Monitoring understanding (metacognition)
- Comprehension, memory automation, organisation, and retrieval strategies show developmental changes.
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Week 3: Adolescent development (neuro and cognitive changes).
- White matter increases
- Development of hypothetical thinking
Freudian Theory
- Freud's theory proposes five stages of psychosexual development.
- Oral stage (0-1): Focus on oral stimulation.
- Anal stage (1-3): Focus on bowel and bladder control.
- Phallic stage (3-5): Focus on genital region and Oedipus/Electra complexes.
- Latency stage (5-12/13): Libido is less prominent.
- Genital stage (13+): Represents the onset of adolescence, with the libido relocating to the genitals.
- Libido: (pleasure urge) changes location in the body during development.
- Adolescence task (1): Replacement of pre-genital (childhood) drives with genital primacy (sexuality).
- (Task 2): Resolution of Oedipal conflicts (detaching from parents, forming relationships with others).
The Role of the Ego
- The ego plays a crucial role in managing the demands of the id and superego during adolescence.
- Ego development involves developing an ideal self.
- Ego's job is to control sexual tension in a socially and personally acceptable way.
- The ego must find a balance between competing drives:
- The id's demand for sexual gratification
- The superego's focus on morality.
Identity Versus Identity Crisis
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A clear self-definition is crucial that is both personally and socially adaptive.
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Self-definition involves understanding beliefs, attitudes, and ideals.
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Positive self-identity: adolescents understand who they are and are comfortable with it.
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Identity crisis: If a teenager cannot form a self-definition.
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Individuals might experiment with different identities and try to find their place in the world.
Gap Years
- Purpose of gap years questioned in the context of self-discovery, potentially linked to identity development during adolescence
Freud and Erikson: Adolescence as Search for Identity
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Adolescence is a time of searching for identity according to both Freud and Erikson.
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Formal operations and hypothetical thinking are important tools during the search of identity.
Social Comparisons
- Social comparisons are frequent in adolescence, driven by social comparison theory.
- This involves constantly assessing oneself in relation to others/ideals (social media for example), and impacts on self perception and identity.
Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning
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Hypothetical-deductive reasoning is a cognitive capability that emerges during adolescence, which allows individuals to formulate hypotheses about potential scenarios and deduce their implications.
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This is a form of scientific thinking, permitting adolescents to predict consequences of events and actions.
Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning (cont.)
- Questions concerning why people may act the way they do. Evidence and confidence are key components of the process of decision-making.
Key Study: Tarrant et al. (2001)
- Participants: 150 males (ages 14-15).
- Method: Rating statements about various aspects of social identity (music, clothing, leisure activities).
- Results: Positive and negative valence items to establish the perceived importance of group affiliation.
- Group favouritism: Adolescents displayed stronger favouritism towards their own social groups than towards others.
Social Identity
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Social identity theory (e.g., Tajfel, 1978; Tajfel & Turner, 1979) explains how social comparisons between groups (ingroup vs outgroup) impact personal identity.
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Positive social identity is fostered by comparing to and favouring one's ingroup.
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Adolescents show an emphasis on their social identity compared to adults through social groups.
Social Identity (cont.)
- Adolescents strive to construct positive social identity through group affiliation. Establishing a sense of belonging is important for identity formation.
The 'Barometric' Self
- Self-identity is not always stable during adolescence, but rather constantly changing; like an instrument that fluctuates (e.g. Barometer).
- This fluctuating sense of self is essential before a stable self-identity forms in adulthood.
Peer Groups
- Peer groups are important in adolescent development, aiding the formation of positive social identity.
- Positive peer relationships involve support, encouragement and are associated with improved social adjustment.
- Social isolation from positive groups can lead to serious problems.
Favouritism and Identity
- Scoring identity is based on rating various statements relating to group affiliation using an 11-point scale.
- An important reflection of self identity occurs when individuals feel valued as part of a group and are respected by others.
Ingroup Favoritism
- Order effect: How a statement is arranged or framed (whether it describes other groups first, or one's own group) makes a noticeable difference/effect on adolescent favouritism.
- Adolescents often view themselves more favourably when their own group's characteristics are compared to those of other groups.
Dimensions of Identity
- Dimensions of worth derived that possess no intrinsic measure, e.g. particular music tastes are socially valued more than others.
Revision and Reading
- Review materials on assigned chapters and slides from the lecture.
Check your Learning
- Goals of adolescence (Freud & Erikson): Identify main goals behind adolescence from respective psychological viewpoints.
- Piaget & hypothetical thinking: How formal operational thought and hypothetical thinking aids the process of identity formation in adolescents?
- Social Comparisons: What roles do social comparisons play in identity development?
- Peer Groups: Importance of peer groups in forming self-identities.
- Social Identity Theory: Briefly describe the theory's proposed mechanism of self-identification.
- Risks of not identifying with peer groups: Potential dangers of not identifying with a positive peer group?
Next Lecture
- Next topics will continue covering adolescents, neuro-risk taking, and moral decision-making.
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