1. Adolescence
Ch. 9

2. What is adolescence?
Adolescence – the transition period between childhood and adulthood
Different in all societies – bar mitzvah’s, graduation, weddings
Some societies don’t even acknowledge adolescence – simply go from childhood to adulthood

3. Theories of Adolescence
Contradictory views of adolescence ever since 1904, when G. Stanley Hall presented his pioneering theory
Adolescence represented by a transitional stage in our evolution from beast to human
“fully grown animal in a cage” – sees freedom but doesn’t know how to handle it yet
Marked by storm and stress

4. Theories of Adolescence
Margaret Mead – found that adolescence is a highly enjoyable time of life in some cultures, not at all marked by storm and stress

5. Theories of Adolescence
Robert Havighurst
Every adolescent faces challenges, development tasks that must be mastered
Accepting ones’ physical make-up & acquiring a masculine or feminine sex role
Developing appropriate relations with age-mates of both sexes
Becoming emotionally independent of parents and other adults
Achieving the assurance that one will become economically independent

6. Theories of Adolescence
Deciding on, preparing for, and entering a vocation
Developing the cognitive skills and concepts necessary for social competence
Understanding and achieving socially responsible behavior
Preparing for marriage and family
Acquiring values that are harmonious with an appropriate scientific world picture

7. Personal Development
Becoming an adult involves much more than becoming physically mature.
Transition from childhood-adulthood involves:
Changes in patterns of
Reasoning
Moral thinking
Personality
Sexual behavior

8. Personal Development Many physical changes occur during adolescence
Puberty – sexual maturation; the biological event that marks the end of childhood
Asynchrony – condition during adolescence of uneven growth or maturation of body parts
Ex: feet or hands may be too large/too small for the rest of their body

9. Reactions to Growth Adolescents want to be accepted by their peers.
A study done by Haas in 1979, he found attributes that boys and girls were seeking in each other.
Girls want:
1. Intelligence
2.Attractiveness
3. Ability to hold conversation

10. Reaction to Growth Guys want: 1. Attractiveness 2. Friendliness
3. Intelligence

11. Moral Development in Adolescence
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
Psychologists agree that a person’s moral development depends on many factors, especially the kind of relationship the individual has with parents
Changes in college – WHY?

12. Erikson’s Theory of Identity Crisis
According to Erikson, building an identity is a task that is unique to adolescence.
Children are aware of what other people think and feel about them. (What stage of his Psychosocial Theory is this?)
Most adolescents must go through what Erikson called an identity crisis
Identity Crisis: A time of storm and stress during which they worry intensely about who they are
Factors
Physiological changes
Cognitive developments
Sexual drives
See future as a reality

13. Erikson & Marcia
A psychologist named James Marcia thought Erikson was correct in pointing out the existence of a adolescent identity crisis.
Crisis arises because individuals must make commitments on such important matters as occupation, religion, and political orientation.
Marcia points out 4 adolescent personality types

14. Marcia’s Adolescent Personality Types
Identity moratorium adolescents: Who have not experiences a crisis or made a commitment on any of the important matters facing them
Identity foreclosure adolescents: Who have not had a crisis but have made a commitment based not on their own choice, but on the suggestion of others

15. Marcia’s Adolescent Personality Types
Identity confused adolescents: Who are in a continual search for meaning, commitment, and self-definition, and thus experience life as a series of ongoing crises
Identity achievement adolescents: Who have experiences crises, considered many possibilities, and freely committed themselves to occupations and other life matter

16. Parenting Styles Diana Baumrind (1971,1973)
Observed and interviews nursery school children and their parents. She observed and questioned both how the children interacted with their parents, and what the parents did
Follow-up observations when the children were 8 or 9 led to several conclusions about the impact of three distinct parenting styles on children.

17. Parenting Styles Authoritarian families: Parents are the bosses
Do not feel they have to explain their actions or demands
Parents may feel the child has no right to question parental decisions
Children raised in authoritative families
Resent all authority
Rebel without a cause

18. Parenting Styles Democratic or authoritative families:
Adolescents participate in decisions affecting their lives
Great deal of discussion & negotiation
Parents listen to their children’s reasons for wanting to go somewhere, do something, and make an effort to explain their rules & expectations
Adolescents make many decisions for themselves, but parents retain the right to veto plans they disapprove

19. Parenting Styles
Studies suggest children raised in democratic or authoritative families are:
More confident, more likely to make their own decisions
3 reasons
Child able to assume responsibility gradually, not given too much responsibility too soon
Child more likely to identify with parents who love and respect them than parents who treat them bad
Through behavior or child, parents present a model of responsible, cooperative independence for the growing person to imitate

20. Parenting Styles Permissive or Laissez-faire families
Children have the final say
Parents attempt to guide, but give in when children insist on having their way
Parents may give up their child-rearing responsibilities
Setting no rules about behavior
Making no demands
Voicing no expectations
Virtually ignoring young people in their house

21. Parenting Styles Children raised in permissive families
Tend to feel unwanted
Doubt their own self-worth
Often do not trust themselves
Tend to be more aggressive
Low self-esteem
Poor control over impulsive behavior

22. Parenting Styles Maccoby & Martin (1983)
Later identified a fourth parenting style
Uninvolved parents were typically very self-centered in their child rearing
Seemed uncommitted to their role
Distant from their child

23. Parenting Styles
Research says that authoritative parenting yields the best results
Why?
Establishment of limits on the child
Responding to the child with warmth and support
Are parents solely responsible for how their children turn out? What other factors are there?