Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Cognitive, Gender, and Social Development

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering cognitive development, gender socialization, identity formation, parenting styles, and peer relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Reductionism

A limitation of the information processing approach that fails to consider how human cognition works as a whole rather than a set of isolated parts.

Perspective taking (theory of mind)

Robert Selman's concept where individuals, especially in emerging adulthood, develop more assumptions about what others are thinking or feeling.

Imaginary audience

A component of adolescent egocentrism where individuals believe others must be thinking about them a great deal.

Personal fable

A component of adolescent egocentrism characterized by the belief that 'no one understands me' and an optimistic bias.

Sex

The characteristics of males and females (and intersex individuals) that have a biological basis.

Gender

The characteristics of males, females, and non-binary individuals due to cultural and social beliefs, influences, and perceptions.

Gender identity

People's sense of themselves as male, female, non-binary, or transgender.

Gender socialization

The process where gender is marked and socialized starting in infancy, with youth becoming more aware of cultural expectations during adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Glass ceiling effect

An invisible systemic barrier that prevents women from moving up in professional settings.

Achieving manhood (Traditional)

The expectation in most cultures that adolescent boys demonstrate three capacities: Provide (economically useful skills), Protect (contribute to group safety), and Procreate (gain sexual experience).

Achieving womanhood (Traditional)

Socialization in most cultures focusing on three capacities: Procreation, Childcare, and running/managing the household.

Hill & Lynch Gender Intensification

The theory of intensified social pressure to conform to culturally prescribed roles in adolescence, which is greater for girls and pronounced in physical appearance.

Gender transcendence/flexibility

Not using gender to make decisions, but instead deciding on ability or interest regardless of gender.

pSTEM

Physical sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics; fields where female-identifying and ethno/racial minoritized youth are often underrepresented.

Social identity theory

A framework where individuals gain a sense of belonging from group membership (ingroup) and may feel de-identification if they feel different (outgroup).

Balanced identity theory

A framework where people seek balance in their self concepts, stereotypes, and group identity.

Self-conception

The way individuals think about and characterize themselves through specific traits and attributes.

Self-esteem

An aspect of self-concept more emphasized in independent cultures, which begins to decline in early adolescence and rises through late adolescence.

Possible selves

Hazel Markus's concept regarding development motivation, comprising the Ideal (desired) self and the Feared self.

Psychosocial moratorium

Erik Erikson's term for a period free from heavy adult responsibilities that allows individuals to safely explore different identities, roles, and values.

Identity versus identity confusion

The central developmental issue of adolescence according to Erik Erikson.

Negative identity

An identity chosen to resist or reject sociocultural and familial options by purposefully adopting an opposite, sometimes undesirable identity.

Private regard

How an individual feels about being a member of their specific group or race.

Public regard

How an individual thinks that others view their group or race.

Racial centrality

How important race is in defining an individual's identity.

Families as systems

The concept that changes in one family member affect others and the family must adjust to restore equilibrium.

Parental responsiveness

The degree to which the parent responds to the child’s needs in an accepting, supportive manner, according to Diana Baumrind.

Parental demandingness

The degree to which a parent expects and insists on mature, responsible behavior from the child, according to Diana Baumrind.

Authoritative parents

Parents who use warmth, firm control, and rational, issue-oriented discipline with an emphasis on the development of self-direction.

Authoritarian parents

Parents who use punitive, absolute, and forceful discipline and place a premium on obedience and conformity.

Indulgent parents

Parents characterized by responsiveness but low demandingness, mainly concerned with the child’s happiness.

Indifferent parents

Parents characterized by low levels of both responsiveness and demandingness.

Distancing hypothesis

Proposed by Anna Freud and G Stanley Hall, suggesting that emotional distancing from parents is healthy during development.

Individuation

The balance of individuality and connectedness typically achieved in late adolescence, identified by Grotevant and Cooper.

Cliques

Small groups of friends ($3$ to $12$ individuals) who consistently spend time together and work out peer group norms.

Crowds

Identity or reputation-based groups (such as elites, athletes, academics, or deviants) made up of cliques who may not interact.

Informational support

One of Thomas Berndt's types of friend support involving providing advice and guidance.

Selective association

The tendency of adolescents to choose friends who have similar levels of behaviors, such as alcohol or substance use.

Reciprocal socialization

The developmental process where friends become more similar to each other over time.