1. Human Growth and Development
Chapter Eighteen
Early Adulthood:
Cognitive Development
PowerPoints prepared by Cathie Robertson, Grossmont College
Revised by Jenni Fauchier, Metropolitan Community College

2. Three Approaches Postformal picks up where Piaget left off
Psychometric analyzes components of intelligence (see Ch. 21)
Information-processing studies the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information during lifetime (see Ch. 24)

3. Postformal Thought
Adult thinking and adolescent thinking differ in 3 ways, with adult thinking more:
practical
flexible
dialectical

4. A Fifth Stage of Cognitive Development?
Postformal thought often viewed as fifth stage of Piaget’s theory
In it, adults consider every aspect of a situation
use intellectual skills for real life—work and relationships
understand that conclusions and consequences matter

5. The Practical and the Personal
During adulthood focus on skill application, not skill acquisition

6. Subjectivity & Objectivity
Arise from individual’s personal experiences and perceptions
Traditional models devalued subjective thought
Objective thought—abstract impersonal logic
For adults combination of the two works best

7. Emotions and Logic
Trying to combine both logic and emotions in dealing with an emotional issue is challenging
but at each stage of adulthood, adults can achieve this balance in contrast to adolescents who believe in subjective or objective reasoning

8. Cognitive Flexibility
Awareness that your perspective is not the only one
Awareness that each problem has many potential solutions and knowledge is dynamic

9. Flexible Problem Solving
Adult thought requires flexible adaptation, which allows adults to
cope with unanticipated events
come up with more than one solution to problem

10. Stereotype Threat
The possibility that one’s appearance or behavior will be misused to confirm another person’s oversimplified, prejudiced attitude. For example,
3 ways young minority people cope with prejudice
identification, or identifying with their own group
disidentification, or deliberately refusing to identify with their own group
counteridentification, or identifying with majority and believing stereotype to be accurate

11. Dialectical Thought Cognitive flexibility at its most advanced
Every idea or truth(thesis) bears within it suggestion of the opposite idea or truth(antithesis)

12. Do Love Affairs Fail?
Dialectical thinking involves considering the thesis and antithesis of an idea simultaneously and forging them into a synthesis—a new idea that integrates the original idea and its opposite, or the thesis and its antithesis
Dialectical thought gives one a broader and more flexible perspective

13. Culture and Cognition
There are notable differences between Eastern and Western thought
more polar; right vs. wrong; black vs. white—Western thought
more of a combination or compromise—Eastern thought

14. Culture and Cognition, cont.
Developmentalists feel culture helps to shape thought
Life-span perspective is multicontexual and multicultural, stressing adults change because of
maturation
experience

15. Adult Moral Reasoning Ethical issues often present themselves
Taking responsibility for one’s own actions perceived by young adults of all ethnic groups as marker of adulthood

16. Addressing Specific Dilemmas
Life Choices
parenthood
life events
New and different qualities of moral reasoning appear
Gilligan took into consideration that life experiences contribute to a broader understanding of moral reasoning

17. Every young adult must make choices about
sexuality
reproduction
marriage and child rearing
issues caused by increasing globalization and immigration
Dilemmas also arise from popular culture
television
The Internet
popular music

18. Measuring Moral Growth
Defining Issues Test
developed by James Rest
respondents rank their priorities, from personal benefits to higher goals; this in contrast to Kohlberg’s open-ended questions
ranking items leads to number score
scores generally rise with age and education which make people less rigid and more flexible

19. Measuring Moral Growth, cont.
The development of faith follows a similar path
stage 1: Intuitive-projective faith
believes in power of God and the mysteries of birth and death (3 -7)
stage 2: Mythical-literal faith
takes myths and stories of religion literally and believes in the power of symbols (8-13 and adulthood); prayers are “banked” for the future

20. Development of faith, cont.
stage 3: Synthetic-conventional faith
has tacit acceptance of cultural/religious values in the context of interpersonal relationships
conformist stage of faith characterized by concern about others and what feels right

21. Development of faith, cont.
stage 4: Individual-reflective faith
detaches from values of culture and approval of others
can be brought on by college or major life change such as divorce, etc.

22. Development of faith, cont.
stage 5: Conjunctive faith
incorporates power of unconscious ideas and rational conscious values
willingness to accept contradictions

23. Development of faith, cont.
stage 6: Universalizing faith
powerful vision of universal compassion, justice and love that compels people to live their lives in a way that seems saintly or foolish
personal welfare is put aside; a transforming experience can convert an adult to this stage

24. Cognitive Growth and Higher Education
The relationship between college education and adult development
healthier, wealthier, as well as deeper, more flexible thinkers

25. The Effects of College
Education powerfully influences cognitive development
improves verbal and quantitative skills, and specific subject knowledge while enhancing reasoning, reflection, and flexibility of thought

26. The Effects of College, cont.
Educational influences, cont.
year-by-year progression of students’ thinking
end of college finds students have generally moved from simplistic either/or ideas to recognition of multiplicity of perspectives

27. Possible Factors in Cognitive Growth During College
Other Factors To Consider
Change in Students
Change in Institutions

28. Change in the Students
The sheer numbers have increased greatly, worldwide
In all nations, increased student diversity
more women students
more older students
more culturally diverse students in United States
more low-income students
more working students

29. Changes in the Institutions
Structure of higher education changing with student population changes
Almost twice as many U.S. institutions of higher learning today than in 1970
community college enrollment up 144 percent
more career programs
more part-time faculty
more women and minority instructors

30. Evaluating the Research
Factors that may prevent college education from being as powerful a force in producing cognitive growth as it could be
cohort effects
selection effects
dropout rates

31. Evaluating the Research, cont.
The weight of evidence suggests that college
advances income
promotes health
deepens thinking
increases tolerance of different political, social, and religious views