Adolescent Psych Chapter 9- Autonomy

what is the difference between independence and autonomy?

independence is an individual’s capacity to behave on their own, whereas autonomy is an individual feeling independent with the capability to think for themselves

puberty and the development of autonomy

puberty alters the emotional relationships an adolescent experiences. they turn towards their peers more than their parents; it is believed that this is stimulated by their emerging sexual interests

cognitive change and the development of autonomy

since adolescents are turning to peers for advice, their cognitive development comes in when they are able to acknowledge differing opinions (asking a teacher vs. a friend). This requires intellectual abstraction that develops during this time period

social roles and the development of autonomy

new roles require independent decision making (voting, driving, drinking)

define emotional autonomy

the establishment of more adult like and less childish close relationships with family members and peers

define behavioral autonomy

the capacity to make independent decisions to follow through with them

define cognitive autonomy (value autonomy)

the establishment of an independent set of values, opinions, and beliefs

the development of emotional autonomy

the adolescents begin to see their parents as people instead of all-knowing/powerful beings. adolescents being to prefer outside family relations, but are capable of sympathizing with their parents

define detachment

the psychoanalytic theory, the process through which adolescents sever emotional attachments to their parents or other authority figures

detachment vs. individuation?

Anna Freud argued that the physical changes of puberty caused disruption and tension between the adolescent and family. to avoid this tension, the adolescent would then become detached from the family and focus on peer relationships, particularly those with the opposite sex. however, many studies demonstrated that this is false. adolescents may argue more with their parents compared to childhood but in late adolescents will say they fell closer than ever with their parents.

detachment vs. individuation pt 2

instead of detachment, maybe individuation! this begins during infancy and continues into late adolescence; the gradual, progressive sharpening of one’ sense of self as autonomous, competent, and separate from one’s parents.

relinquishing childish dependencies in favor of a more mature and less dependent relationship

define individuation

the progressive sharpening of an individual’s sense of being an autonomous, independent person

signs an adolescent is gaining emotional autonomy?

1. start to notice parents’ flaws

2. depends less on them to fix things that have gone wrong

3. there are things abt themselves their parents aren’t aware of

4. drop in the # of friends their parents know (increased social network)

5. less likely to say they have the same opinions as their parents

de-idealization

adolescents shed their childish images of their parents before replacing them with more mature ones

what’s the importance for maintaining connection to parents

adolescents who become emotionally autonomous but who also feel distant from their parents score poorly on measures of psychological adjustment, whereas adolescents who still feel close to their parents are psychologically healthier

what 2 different models have been suggested to trigger individuation?

1. puberty: changes in appearance change how adolescent is viewed( by themselves & parents) which changes the way they interact

   —> bickering peaks during early adolescence and tapers off during late

2. cognitive development: more sophisticated understanding of themselves and their parents leads them to consider other perspectives

Parenting and Emotional Autonomy

1. in asian and western countries, adolescents’ parents who impede their individuation are more likely to show signs of psychological distress.

2. adolescents who already do not feel very good about themselves and who have very intrusive parents are esp. vulnerable to depression

3. teens who are provided more support for their autonomy are more likely to disclose information about their social lives to their parents (allows for better parental monitoring) —> can better parental mental-health

psychological control

parenting that attempts to control the adolescents emotions and opinions

what happens to adolescents who experience psychological control?

the adolescent may have difficulty individuating themselves which may lead to depression and anxiety and feelings of incompetence and dependence

—> esp. when the controls are not in their best interest

consequences of pyschological control pt. 2

1. less psychologically mature and well-liked, lead to lack of romantic partners

2. potential problems self-regulating

3. adolescent can rebel controlling parent

emotional autonomy in an authoritative family

in authoritative families, guidelines are established and standards upheld, but the parents are open to discussion; parents are actively involved in monitoring their teenagers’ behavior, but in a way that supports development of autonomy

—> final decisions are reached after consulting with the child (give and take)

emotional autonomy in authoritarian families

in authoritarian households rules are rigidly enforced but rarely explained which makes adjusting to adolescence difficult. authoritarian parents see the child’s emotional independence as rebellious/disrespectful and resist their independence.

—> cause prolonged dependencies by failing to allow the child to make decisions for themselves

—> if accompanied by extreme coldness/punitiveness then adolescents may rebel against their parents’ explicitly in an attempt to assert their independence isbily

emotional autonomy in indifferent and indulgent households

the parents do not provide sufficient guidance for their child, which leads to to the adolescent not having adequate standards for themselves . adolescents turn to their peers for advice instead, which is problematic bc they are also inexperienced

—> not genuinely autonomous

development of behavioral autonomy

the ability to act independently is seen within and outside the family (peers + parents)

—> capacity for independent decision making

changes in decision-making abilities

the cognitive development of adolescents allows them to hold multiple view points simultaneously, thinking hypothetically, and think of long-term consequences of their actions

improvement in self-regulation

due to 2 separate but related developments

1. decline over the course of adolescence in the extent to which decisions are influenced by their potential immediate rewards (pros and cons)

   —> in early adolescence they are more prone to the potential benefits rather than risks. this balances out as they mature.

2. ability to control impulses

   —> connections between brain regions responsible for self-regulation and reward circuits are developing

   —> authoritative parenting boosts self-control

when do adolescents make decisions as well as adults?

when they can utilize their cognitive and emotional abilities to make a decision (these 2 mechanisms develop at different paces)

changes in susceptibility to influence

a variety of situations arise where the adolescent feels their parents’ advice is less valid than the opinion of others (context dependent)

the influence of parents and peers

adolescents are more likely to conform to peers’ opinions when it comes to short-term , day-to-day, and social matters

long-term questions concerning educational or occupational plans or issues concerning values/religious beliefs/ethics, teenagers are primarily influenced by their parents

responding to peer pressure

most peer pressure happens when adults are absent

—> conformity is higher in early adolescence than alter

Individual Differences in susceptibility to pee influence

girls are less susceptible to peer influence than boys. black boys are more susceptible to influence than other ethnicities. adolescents from single, less supportive, or more controllingsrep parents are also more susceptible to peer influence.

Parenting and Behavioral Autonomy

behavioral autonomy is more associated with authoritative parenting. makes adolescents less susceptible to negative peer pressure (drugs) but more susceptible to positive peer influence (doing good in school)

Ethnic and Cultural difference in expectations for autonomy

white adolescents seek and achieve autonomy sooner than asian adolescents. autonomy promotes well-being in whites but does the opposite in asian adolescents.

the development of cognitive autonomy

1. adolescent becomes more abstract in the way they think about religious, political, and moral issues.

   —>this leads to more complicated decision making about one’s own morals and actions and conflict

2. beliefs become increasingly rooted in principle

3. beliefs become increasingly founded in one’s own beliefs not passed on from parents

Moral Development during adolescence

moral development involves both reasoning (how individuals think about moral dilemmas) and behavior (how they behave in situations that call for moral judgements)

pro-social behavior

behaviors intended to help others

pre-conventional moral reasoning

the first level of moral reasoning, which is typical of children and is characterized by reasoning that is based on rewards and punishments associated with different courses of actions

conventional moral reasoning

the second level of moral development, which occurs during late childhood and early adolescence and its characterized by reasoning that is based on the rules and conventions of society

post-conventional moral reasoning

the level of moral reasoning during which society’s rules and conventions are seen as relative and subjective rather than as authoritative; also called principal moral reasoning

moral reasoning and moral behavior

these 2 don’t always align. easy to say something vs. do

moral disengagement

rationalizing immoral behavior as legitimate, as a way of justifyings one’s own bad acts

emotional intelligence

the ability of individuals to accurately recognize and label their own emotions and those of others

civic engagement

involvemnet in politcal and community affairs as reflected in knowledge abt politics and current affairs. participation in conventional and alternative political activities and engaging in community service

service learning

the process of learning through involvement in community service

religiosity

the degree to which one engages in religious practices such as attending services

spirituality

the degree to which one places importance on the quest for answers to questions about God and the meaning of life