Developmental Psychology - Autonomy

Flashcards covering important vocabulary and concepts related to autonomy in developmental psychology.

Autonomy

The ability to act independently, self-reliant and self-sufficient; a process that evolves from childhood to adulthood.

Emotional autonomy

The extent to which an adolescent feels like a separate person, relinquishing child-like dependencies and establishing new attachments.

Behavioral autonomy

The capacity for independent decision-making, including co-regulation of decisions with parents and seeking advice when necessary.

Cognitive autonomy

The development of one's own values, beliefs, and opinions, especially in moral reasoning.

Individuation

A gradual process of coming to see oneself as independent and separate from parents, emphasizing personal responsibility.

De-idealization

The process where adolescents begin to see their parents as fallible and capable of mistakes, transforming the parental relationship into one involving real people.

Authoritative parenting

A parenting style that is supportive of autonomy and positively influences adolescent adjustment.

Psychological control

Parenting actions aimed at controlling adolescents' emotions and opinions, linked to negative outcomes like anxiety and depression.

Kohlberg's stage theory

A framework outlining three levels of moral reasoning development, each with two stages, characterized by increasing complexity in moral judgment.

Post-conventional reasoning

The highest level of moral reasoning where decisions are based on universal principles of justice and human rights, rather than societal conventions.

Social domain theory

A contemporary framework suggesting that moral reasoning is distinct from social conventions, allowing for nuanced understanding of morality in children.

Fairness

The concept of treating everyone equally, which evolves from equality in young children to considerations of equity in older children and adolescents.

Complexity in moral reasoning

The ability to consider multiple perspectives and competing concerns when making moral judgments, indicating a more sophisticated understanding of ethical dilemmas.