AP Psychology - 8.3

Adolescence

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, beginning at puberty

Adolescence, as we  know it, did not come about until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when…

child-labor and compulsory education laws delayed the social onset of adulthood

What does the egocentric nature of childhood morph into?

a heightened self-awareness during the early teen years

• teenagers feel as if they have a spotlight on them [everyone watches/notices], and reasoning is self-focused, with the notion that their experiences are wholly unique

Puberty follows a surge of hormones, which may…

intensify moods and triggers bodily changes

The Teenage Brain

An adolescent's brain is still a work in progress - as teens mature, the frontal lobes continue to develop

• The continuing growth of myelin (the fatty tissue that forms around axons and speeds neurotransmission), enables better communication with other brain regions -> this brings better judgement better reasoning, increased impulse control, and long-term planning

Pruning

by the end of adolescence, teenagers' brains have fewer neural connections because those not used have decayed; but those remaining are stronger and more efficient

Lawrence Kohlberg

He posed moral dilemmas such as "Should a person steal medicine to save a loved one's life?" It doesn't matter what you decided to do (steal/not steal), it depends on why you decide to do it.

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

Preconventional morality, Conventional morality, & Post - Conventional morality

Preconventional Morality

 [Concrete rules: focus is avoiding punishment or gaining rewards]

• Before age 10

  1. Obedience/Punishment - it's wrong to steal/stealing is bad [No personal sense of right and wrong]

  2. Self interest/Rewards - if it leads to a reward it must be good/you're a hero if you save her

Conventional Morality

 [Moral rules: focus on broader rules/ethics of society]

• Adolescence

  1. Conformity - Social rules determine what is acceptable or not

  2. Authority (Law & Order)- Moral reasoning considers societal laws

Post-Conventional Morality

 [Moral rules: choice made based on personal moral principles]

• Adulthood (or never)

  1. Social contract - We need rules, but they are social agreements that can change if necessary

  2. We must follow our moral guidelines, which may/may not fit the law

What is a big part of moral development?

Self discipline - (the ability to control one's impulses)

What did psychoanalyst Erik Erikson contend?

each stage of life has psychosocial task that needs resolved

What was Erik Erikson?

A Neo-Freudian who based his theory off Freud's...but it is a life-span process focused on social not sexual, identity

Identity

 our sense of self

What do adolescents in individualistic cultures do to refine their sense of identity?

try out different 'selves' in different situation

James Marcia’s Four Identity Statuses

Identity diffusion, Identity foreclosure, Identity moratorium, and Identity achievement

Identity diffusion

a lack of clear understanding of one's identity, and not really working on it

Identity foreclosure

not having explored many identity options, an adolescent conforms to the identity expectations of others

Identity moratorium

the adolescent is exploring many identities and has not committed to any yet

Identity achievement

occurs in early adulthood -- has committed to a sense of identity that they chosen based on life experiences

Emerging Adulthood

the period from about age 18 to mid-20s, when many in Western cultures struggle with seeking their own independence, while doing so from their parent's home

• Now a days adolescents are taking more time to establish themselves as adults