1. Infancy to Adulthood

2. Last term we finished on gender
GENDER refers to the psychological meaning of being male or female, which is influenced by learning.
GENDER SCHEMAS are mental representations that associate psychological characteristics with each sex.
GENDER SOCIALISATION refers to how we are shaped by our culture as to the role of male and female gender (reward and punishment by peers).
Text book pages 63 – 64.

3. This week…. Adolescent development What the stage theorists say
Physical development and consequences
Identity formation

4. Today’s objectives
Be able to clearly identify what level of development stage theorists claim adolescents to be operating at.
To consider conflicting views on adolescents.
To know what physical developments occur during puberty.
To evaluate advantages/disadvantages of early onset of puberty.

5. Adolescent development
What do the stage theorists say?
Piaget
Kohlberg
Erikson
Freud
Write down where these theorists say adolescents are in terms of their development…..

6. Adolescent development
What do the stage theorists say?
Piaget
Formal operations: potential for mature moral reasoning.
Kohlberg
Conventional: upholding social order (some may reach post-conventional).
Erikson
Identity vs role confusion: developing a sense of self.
Freud
Genital stage: growing independence from parents and development of sexuality.

7. Conflicting views of adolescence
Hall (1904) – time of “storm and stress.”
Write this down…
Macfarlane (1964).
Need for peer approval
Sense of life direction in flux
Alienation from parents at its deepest

8. Conflicting views of adolescence
Write this down…
Coleman (1980)
Vitality without the cares of adulthood
Rewarding friendships
Heightened idealism
The sense of possibilities
Which one do you identify with?

9. Conflicting views of adolescence
Conflict model: Argues that adolescents need to go through a period of crisis to separate themselves psychologically from their parents and carve out their own identity. Studies do show that adolescents experience a wider range of moods over a shorter period of time. Adulthood sees an increase in diligence, self-control and congeniality.

10. Conflicting views of adolescence
Continuity model: Argues that adolescence is not a turbulent period but is essentially continuous with childhood and adulthood. Supporting research finds that roughly 80% of adolescents show no signs of severe “storm and stress”

11. Puberty
Write this down… Definition: The early adolescent period of rapid growth and sexual maturation.

12. Puberty Physical development
Primary sex characteristics
Growth of reproductive organs (penis and testes)
Secondary sex characteristics
Facial hair
Pubic and underarm hair
Voice deepens
Growth spurt as much as 5 inches a year.

13. Puberty Physical development
Primary sex characteristics
Growth of reproductive organs
Secondary sex characteristics
Pubic and underarm hair
Enlargement of breasts and hips
Growth spurt as much as 3 inches a year.

14. Puberty
Average age for girls is 11. Average age for boys is 13. Can start as early as 9 or as late as 16. Consider the psychological consequences of when your development occurs…

15. Puberty
Is early maturation an advantage or disadvantage? In terms of advantage or disadvantage, is it the same for boys and girls?

16. Puberty BOYS (Jones 1950s) Advantage GIRLS (Peterson 1987)
Tend to be more popular
Stronger and athletic
More self-assured and independent
More sociable then their less developed peers
GIRLS
(Peterson 1987)
Disadvantage
Early development may bring teasing from peers
Embarrassment could lower self-confidence
May lead to mixing with older group of teenagers

17. Adolescence and increase in gender difference
Boys tend to overestimate their academic ability
Girls tend to underestimate their academic ability
Boys body satisfaction increases at puberty
Girls body satisfaction decreases at puberty in Western cultures

18. Today’s objectives – did we make it?
Be able to clearly identify what level of development stage theorists claim adolescents to be operating at.
To consider conflicting views on adolescents.
To know what physical developments occur during puberty.
To evaluate advantages/disadvantages of early onset of puberty.