PSY302 LEC 10 cogn dev in adolescence

formal-operational st

thinking more rationally and systematically about abstract and hypothetical concepts

abstract thinking

logically and mentally manipulate ideas;

reflect on situations that are not real

propositional thinking

statements are logically true just from the wording, without needing to experience the situation.

“If A → B, and A happens, then B must happen.”

Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning

way of solving problems by creating hypotheses, testing different variables, and deducing which explanation is correct.

Piaget’s Hypothetical-Deductive Tasks

• Combinations of Liquids Task: Children test different liquid combinations to figure out which mixture (always including liquid g) produces a yellow color. Measures ability to test variables systematically.

• Pendulum Problem: Children determine what affects pendulum speed (string length, weight, force). Requires testing one variable at a time to find the true cause.

Evaluating Piaget’s Theory

Contributions:

• Founded the field of cognitive development

• children’s active role

• thinking changes with age

• practical implications

Challenges:

• Stages are less consistent in real life

• performance or true competence

• Vague in processes and mechanisms

• Underestimates social and cultural influences

Perspective Taking

Point-of-view tasks show teens’ better ability to understand others’ perspectives. 

Two types of tasks:

1. First-person:
   “How would you feel if this happened to you?”

2. Third-person:
   “How would she feel if this happened to her?”

Teens are faster and more accurate at both.

Affective TOM (understanding others’ emotions) is harder than cognitive TOM (understanding thoughts).

Egocentrism

Teens become highly self-focused, making it hard to understand others’ perspectives.

• Personal fable: believing their thoughts and feelings are unique and special.

• Imaginary audience: believing everyone is watching and judging them.

Moral Reasoning 

• Conventional: social approval and following laws/rules.

• Postconventional: social contract, universal ethical principles (few adults reach this level).

So-Moral Tasks 

people judge real-life moral dilemmas (e.g., reporting cheating).

• Low-level reasoning: focused on personal consequences (e.g., “I might get caught”).

• High-level reasoning: focused on fairness and respect for others.
  In ages 13–20, moral reasoning is strongly linked to cognitive dev (cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency)

social domain theory

many factors (e.g., group loyalty, social context) influence how someone acts.

Vocabulary & Grammar Development

Adolescents gain 10–15 new academic words per day and begin using more complex sentences with embedded clauses.

Reading & Writing Skills

Writing becomes more logical, thematic, and audience-focused.

unpack complex words

understand complex sentenses

connect ideas

track themes

appreciate organizational logic of texts

Gender Differences in Academics

Boys > girls in math; girls > boys in reading.

Boys choose physics/math;

girls choose chemistry/biology. Few girls enter engineering/tech.

Gendered Socialization

parents read more to girls;

boys play puzzles/blocks and more video games, boosting skills linked to STEM.

Cultural Messages & Stereotypes

Men seen as system-focused; women as emotion-focused. Male-dominated fields viewed as requiring “innate talent.”

school engagement

relates to school performance and future educat ambitions

3 components:

beh (learning activities)

emotional (sense of belonging to school)

cognitive (self regulated approach to learning)

Academic Motivation & Performance

Academic motivation declines in adolescence

• Can create a snowball effect → worsening grades

• High motivation helps maintain grades

Motivation predicts intelligence & test scores

• Very high scores → high aptitude + high motivation

• Low scores → low aptitude, low motivation, or both

• Incentives improve scores for low-scoring teens

• Grit = what’s need to do well

Motivation factors (1)

Choice matters: choosing to do something → higher motivation

Goal orientation:

• Performance goal = outcome

• Mastery goal = focus on learning

Expectations for success: believing “I can do this well” predicts better grades

Theories of intelligence:

• Entity theory (fixed): performance goals → avoids challenges, low persistence

• Incremental theory (malleable): learning goals → seeks challenge, high persistence

Motivation factors (2)

Test anxiety: fear of failing; includes worry (“What if I fail?”) and negative emotions/physical symptoms.

Task value: how important or worthwhile a task feels, based on:

• Interest (fun or rewarding?)

• Attainment value (important to identity: e.g., “I’m a math person”)

• Utility value (useful for future)

• Cost (stress, boredom, time/effort)

Parenting Context (Academics)

• Emotional support: balance of warmth and structure

• Instrumental support: giving information and guidance

Peer Influence (Academics)

• Peers help each other with schoolwork

• Bidirectional influence: peers with similar engagement can raise or lower each other’s academic performance

Student–Teacher Relationship & Stereotype Threat

• Student–teacher relationship quality drops from middle childhood onward.

• Support helps performance, but too much control can hurt it.

• Stereotype threat: fear of confirming a negative group stereotype → anxiety + lower performance.

School Context: Discrimination & Cross-Ethnic Friendships

• Feeling discriminated against can lower academic performance.

• Strong same-group identity can help buffer discrimination.

• Cross-ethnic friendships reduce negative effects of discrimination and improve school belonging.

Poverty affects teens through:

• institutions: low-quality schools, unsafe neighborhoods, limited resources

• Relationships: weaker parent–child security, more conflict

• Individual factors: stress and coping

• These shape physical/mental health, cognitive development, and academic success.