Adolescence: Cognitive, Social & Behavioral Development

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture on cognitive, social, and behavioral aspects of adolescence.

Adolescence

Developmental period between childhood and adulthood characterized by rapid physical, cognitive, and social changes.

G. Stanley Hall

Psychologist who in 1904 coined the term "adolescence" and described it as a period of "storm and stress."

Storm and Stress

Hall’s description of adolescence marked by heightened emotions, sensitivity to peers, and increased risk-taking.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget’s final cognitive stage (≈12 + yrs) in which individuals can think abstractly, logically, and hypothetically.

Piaget’s Pendulum Problem

Task used to test formal operations by isolating variables (string length, weight, height) to see what affects pendulum speed.

Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning

Ability to generate and test hypotheses systematically; hallmark of formal operations.

Adolescent Egocentrism

Elkind’s idea that teens see themselves as the center of others’ thoughts and feel unique and highly scrutinized.

Personal Fable

Belief that one’s life is unique, heroic, and immune to harm, fostering risk-taking.

Imaginary Audience

Teen conviction that everyone is watching and judging their every move.

Invincibility Fable

Egocentric belief that nothing bad can happen to the adolescent, even from risky acts.

Peer Group

People of similar age, status, and interests who influence each other’s behavior.

Clique

Small (≈6 members), intimate group of close friends, often same-sex in early adolescence.

Crowd

Larger, less intimate group based on shared reputation or stereotype (e.g., jocks, brains).

Unisex Clique

Same-sex friendship group common in early adolescence before mixed-sex socializing.

Mixed-Sex Clique

Friend group of boys and girls that emerges in high school.

Sociometric Status

Measure of how much a child is liked or disliked by peers (popular, rejected, etc.).

Popular Children

Youth receiving many positive and few negative peer nominations in childhood.

Neglected Children

Youth receiving few positive or negative nominations; often overlooked by peers.

Rejected Children

Youth receiving many negative and few positive nominations; linked to later problems.

Aggressive-Rejected Children

Disliked youth who are confrontational and prone to overt bullying.

Withdrawn-Rejected Children

Disliked youth who are timid, anxious, and socially withdrawn.

Controversial Children

Peers who receive many positive and many negative nominations—highly polarizing.

Average Children

Youth with an average number of positive and negative peer nominations.

Jocks

Athlete crowd; self-identifying as a jock is linked to higher alcohol use and risky sex.

Intellectuals / Brains

Crowd focused on academics; may show increased depression across high-school years.

Deviants / Burnouts

Crowd known for early drug use, sex, and rule breaking; at risk for life-course problems.

Residual Type Crowd

Goths, loners, independents—groups that don’t fit other major crowd categories.

Deviancy Training

Process by which peers reinforce talk about antisocial acts, promoting delinquency.

Bad Crowd

Peer group that fosters risky or antisocial behavior (e.g., deviants, gangs).

Gang

Close-knit delinquent group providing status, protection, and income via crime.

Hostile Attribution Bias

Tendency to interpret ambiguous acts as intentionally hostile; common in deviant youth.

Executive Functions

Cognitive skills for working memory, self-control, and flexible thinking; linked to thriving.

Adolescence-Limited Turmoil

Antisocial behavior confined to teenage years, not persisting into adulthood.

Life-Course-Persistent Pathway

Antisocial behavior that begins in childhood and continues into adult life.

Experience Sampling Technique

Method of paging participants randomly to report current emotions and activities.

Peer Pressure

Influence from age-mates to conform in behavior, dress, or attitudes; especially strong in teens.

Dopamine Reward System

Brain circuitry that processes pleasure; shows heightened reactivity in adolescence.

Prediction Error

Difference between expected and actual outcomes that triggers dopamine release, fueling risk-taking.

Risk-Taking

Choosing behaviors with potential negative outcomes; peaks in adolescence due to reward sensitivity and immature control.

Bickering

Peevish, repeated arguments between parents and teens over everyday issues.

Autonomy

Adolescents’ drive for independence in decision-making and identity formation.

Mentor

Trusted non-parent adult who supports and guides adolescents, promoting positive outcomes.

Acquiescence to Peer Norms (Allocentrism)

Tendency to align with group expectations; linked to better adult health when combined with quality friendships.

Adolescent Dilemma

Conflict where popularity predicts immediate social benefits but links to later substance and legal problems.

Chronic Stress of Social Isolation

Long-term lack of supportive friendships causing physiological stress and poorer adult health.

Formal Operations Non-Universality

Piaget’s claim that not all adolescents—or adults—reach formal operational thinking, especially outside Western cultures.

Superior School & Community Context

Environments rich in nurturing activities that foster adolescent thriving.