ch. 15 child development study guide

what is piaget’s stage of formal operation?

• 12 years to adulthood

• the last stage

  • possibilities

  • better problem solvers

  • alternatives

  • analyze each options

  • narrow it down

  • decide

  • hypothetical & abstract concepts

  • possible futures

hypothetical-deductive reasoning

• it involves a methodical, scientific approach to problem solving

  • allows to develop & consider test hypotheses

  • example: dead batteries

    • observation: the music player won’t turn on

    • hypothesis: the batteries are dead

    • prediction: if replacing the batteries with the new one, the player will turn on

    • test: replace batteries, if worked, hypothesis is confirmed & not is rejected

idealism & criticism

• envision the ideal world falls short

• ultra-conscious of hypocrispy

• believe that they can run the world better

• frequently find fault in parents & other authority figures

argumentativeness

• look for opportunities to try to their reasoning abilities

• becomes argumentative

indecisiveness

• keep many alternatives in mind

• lack effective strategies for choosing

apparent hypocrisy

• teens may not notice the difference between expressing ideal & making necessary sacrifices

self-conscious

• imaginary audience

  • all eyes are on them

  • affects behavior

specialness & invulnerability (personal fable)

• they are special

• emotions/experiences are unique

• no one else understands

• not subject to the rules that govern the rest of the world

specialness & invulnerability (invincibility fable)

• they take risks, make foolish decisions

• they know consequences

• the consequences DO NOT apply to them

kohlberg’s stage 1

• preconventional level: choosing to follow the rules & what’s expected of us

  • act under externals control

  • emphasis is on getting rewards/avoiding

  • egocentric view “what’s the benefit?”

  • punishment (praised for doing the right thing)

  • typical of children ages 4-10 years

• example: “I didn’t think I was going to get caught”

• avoided punishment/thinking about benefits is the main focus

• no help if there’s nothing in it for them

kohlberg’s stage 2

• conventional level: internalize the standards of authority figures

  • follow rules to get praise/recognition “be good” (desire to be seen a good person)

  • rules maintain a social order

  • typically reached after age 10, some people never move beyond it

• example 1: “Oh I went out to feed the homeless” “What a great person”

• example 2: There’s a speed limit to keep me safe, wearing a seatbelt to be safe! stopping at a redlight to avoid car accidents

kohlberg’s stage 3

• post-conventional level: the highest level of moral (most internalizing)

  • principle of right, fairness & justice (not just for me, but for everyone)

  • morality becomes internalized

  • we create our own moral code/standard

  • may be reached in early adolescence, more typically in young adulthood, if ever

  • we should take consideration! “how does it affect everyone?”

gilligan’s criticism

• kohlberg originally studied MALES only

• gilligan believes that it is a good point, but it doesn’t apply to all genders

  • she believes that it is a good point, but it doesn’t apply to ALL genders

  • males: morality of justice (logically)

    • rules, rights, abstract principles, can evaluate impartially

  • females: morality of care (compassionate)

    • interpersonal relationship, ethnics involve compassion & caring, ties morality to real relationship, not hypothetical/abstract dilemma

• not tied to genders/sex specific, just different ways!

brain development (adolescents)

• adolescents are more likely to:

  • act on impulse

  • misread/misinterpret social cues & emotions

  • get into accidents of all kinds

  • get involved fights

  • engage in dangerous/risky behavior

• adolescents are less likely to:

  • think before they act

  • pause to consider the potential consequences of their actions

  • modify their dangerous or inappropriate behaviors

brain development (teens)

• responsive to rewards & emotions

• the prefrontal cortex (front of the brain) helps us think about the consequences of your actions

• the teenage brain is constantly changing, even right now, this moment

• the teenage brain is very responsive to the environment

• the teenage brain gets really excited about rewards, emotions & new experiences