Child Development, 3/e by Robert Feldman Chapter 15 Cognitive Development in Adolescence Created by Barbara H. Bratsch

How does cognitive development proceed during adolescence? What aspects of cognitive development cause difficulties for adolescents? Through what stages does moral development progress during childhood and adolescence? What factors affect adolescent school performance? Who attends college, and how is the college experience different for men and women? How do adolescents make clear choices, and what influence do ethnicity and gender have on career opportunities?

Piagetian Approaches to Cognitive Development Formal operational stage – the stage at which people develop the ability to think abstractly. This stage is generally reached around the age of 12. Hypotheticodeductive reasoning – start with a general theory about what will produce a particular outcome and then deduce explanations for specific situations in which they see a particular outcome Propositional thought – reasoning that uses abstract logic in the absence of concrete examples

Metacognition The knowledge that people have about their own thinking processes and their ability to monitor their cognition. Adolescents are more adept at understanding their own mental processes than younger children.

Self-Absorption Adolescent egocentrism – a state of absorption in which the world is viewed from one’s own perspective Imaginary audience – fictitious observers who pay as much attention to adolescents’ behavior as they do themselves Personal fables- the view held by some adolescents that what happens to them is unique, exceptional, and shared by no one else

Moral Development Kohlberg suggested that adolescents are in level 3, postconventional morality. At this level, people use moral principles that are seen as broader than those of any particular society Gilligan suggested that boys view morality in terms of broad principles such as justice or fairness and girls see morality in terms of responsibility toward individuals and a willingness to sacrifice themselves to help specific individuals in context of a particular relationship

School Performance and Cognitive Development

Adolescents and Cyberspace

Dropping Out of School

Graduates Attending College

Gender and College Both male and female college professors treat men and women differently in their classes Women may do better in single sex colleges because they receive more attention than they would in coeducational settings.

Choosing Life’s Work Ginzberg (1972) suggested several stages people move through in choosing a career Fantasy period – the period of life when career choices are made – and discarded – without regard to skills, abilities, or available job opportunities Tentative period- the second stage which spans adolescence, in which people begin to think in pragmatic terms about the requirements of various jobs and how their own abilities might fit with those requirements Realistic period – the stage in late adolescence and early adulthood during which people can explore career options through job experience or training, narrow their choices, and eventually make a commitment to career

Holland’s Six Personality Types Realistic – down-to earth, practical problem solvers, physically strong, mediocre social skills Intellectual – theoretical and abstract orientation, not particularly good with people Social – verbal skills and interpersonal relations are strong, good at working with people Conventional – prefer highly structured tasks Enterprising – risk takers and take-charge types, good leaders Artistic – use art to express themselves and prefer the world of art to interactions with people

The Gender Wage Gap