Social & Emotional Development in Adolescence PDF

Social & Emotional Development in Adolescence PSY 323 – Professor Agbayani THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT What are Erickson’s psychosocial stages? Approximate Age Birth to 1 1-3 years 3-6 years 6-11 Adolescence year...

Social & Emotional Development in Adolescence PSY 323 – Professor Agbayani THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT What are Erickson’s psychosocial stages? Approximate Age Birth to 1 1-3 years 3-6 years 6-11 Adolescence year years Erickson (Psychosocial) Trust vs. Autonomy vs. Initiative vs. Industry vs. Identify vs. Mistrust Shame and Doubt Guilt Inferiority Role Confusion Babies either Children Children either Children busily Adolescents try trust that either want to learn to be to figure out others will become self- undertake many competent and “Who am I?” care for their sufficient in adultlike productive in They estabilish basic needs, many activities or mastering new sexual, or develop activities or internalize the skills or feel political, mistrust about doubt their limits and the inferior, religious, and the care of own abilities prohibitions set unable to do vocational others by parents. anything as identities or well as they are confused They feel either wish they about what adventurous or could roles to play guilty Artwork ©Worth Publishers 5 Erikson: Identity vs. Role Confusion Identity – what is it? Personality attainment. Crucial step toward becoming a productive, content adult. Involves who you are, what you value, and your direction in life. Underlies our choices of employment, interpersonal relationships/group membership, ideals. Erikson: Identity vs. Role Confusion Role confusion Weak sense of trust, lack of faith in ideals Little autonomy or initiative Not much active exploration May result in failure to choose vocation that fits interests & skills Erikson: Identity vs. Role Confusion Important notes for Erikson: His approach focused on polarities (extremes) But for most people, extremes of development are typically not seen ○ Even in adults we don’t always see folks who are 100% fulfilled in their personal identity! Self-Concept in Adolescence Beliefs about general personal identity including: ○ Personal attributes, physical characteristics, behaviors, competencies. ○ Contradictory traits are expressed/explored in different social situations More emphasis on social virtues and on being viewed positively by others ○ We start caring more about what other people think! Self-Esteem in Adolescence New components can include close friendship, romantic appeal, job competence Self-esteem rises from mid- to late adolescence Individual differences are increasingly stable Factors affecting self-esteem include ○ parenting styles and attachment styles. ○ larger social environment. Identity Status and Psychological Well-Being Adolescents who feel that their lived experience aligns with their ideals/identity, or who are free to explore aspects of their identity: ○ have higher self-esteem. ○ are open to alternative ideas and values. ○ feel more in control of their lives. ○ are more advanced in moral reasoning and more concerned with social justice. ○ This is collectively referred to as “identity achievement” Factors That Affect Identity Development Family: Identity development is enhanced when family serves as “secure base.” (secure attachment!) Peers: Warm, trusting peer ties provide emotional support, assistance, models. School, community, culture: Promote identity development by offering opportunities for exploration. Supporting Healthy Identity Development Caregivers and educators should engage in warm, open communication. Initiate discussions that promote high-level thinking at home/school. Provide opportunities to talk with adults and peers who have worked through similar identity questions. Provide opportunities to respectfully explore differences, like culture Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Understanding Kohlberg (1984) argued that we learn our moral values through active thinking and reasoning. He built off of Piaget’s theory that we change over time in a specified pattern. To study moral development, Kohlberg looked at how people (children, adolescents, adults) respond to moral dilemmas, including the Heinz dilemma. Moral reasoning Adolescents become more concerned with matters of personal choice. Adolescents think more deeply about conflicts between personal choice and obligations to others. Adolescents realize that social conventions may be at odds with their morals (what is accepted as “right” may not always be lawful) Challenges to Kohlberg’s Theory Some researchers claim Kohlberg’s stages don’t adequately account for everyday morality. Another approach may be more realistic: ○ People make moral judgments at varying levels of maturity, depending on context and motivations. Kohlberg’s theory is influential – but like all theories, may not hold in 100% of situations Parent–Child Relationships in Adolescence Autonomy: ○ Sense of oneself as separate, self-governing individual Teenagers deidealize parents. Effective parenting strikes balance between connection and separation. Parenting Practices That Foster Adolescent Competence Authoritative parenting practices: examples? Adolescents and Their Families Reorganized parent–child relationship: ○ Parent–child relationship quality predicts mental health in adolescence. ○ Mild conflict facilitates adolescent identity and autonomy. ○ Decline in family time is not universal, depends on culture. Family circumstances: ○ Less than 10% of families with adolescents have seriously troubled relationships. ○ Teenagers who develop well despite family stress benefit from factors that foster resilience in earlier years. Friendships in Adolescence Most important characteristics of friendship are ○ intimacy (psychological closeness). ○ mutual understanding. ○ loyalty. Teenage friends tend to be alike in ○ identity status. ○ educational aspirations. ○ political beliefs. ○ willingness to engage in risky behaviors. Age-Related Self-Disclosure in Relationships – lots of change! (From D. Buhrmester, 1996, “Need Fulfillment, Interpersonal Competence, and the Developmental Contexts of Early Adolescent Friendship,” in W. M. Bukowski, A. F. Newcomb, & W. W. Hartup, (Eds.), The Company They Keep: Friendship in Childhood and Adolescence , New York: Cambridge University Press, p. 168. Friendships, Cell Phones, and the Internet Can support close friendships, even across distances. Adolescents use the Internet to: ○ meet new people. ○ explore central adolescent concerns in less threatening contexts. Potential downsides: very high social media use is linked to unsatisfying real-world social experiences. Parents & educators can point out risks of Internet communication Benefits of Adolescent Friendships Close friendships: provide opportunities to explore the self. provide a foundation for future relationships. help young people deal with stresses of adolescence. can improve attitudes toward and involvement in school. are based on mutual trust, honesty, good communication, and consent