Social Cognition

Egocentrism

Self-focus intensifies during adolescence, making it difficult for teens to understand others’ perspectives.

Personal fable

The belief that one's feelings are vastly unique and exaggerating differences between one's own experiences and those of others.

Imaginary audience

The intense preoccupation with what others think, leading to an exaggerated perception that others are attending to everything they say and do.

Moral reasoning (Kohlberg)

A six-stage model explaining how individuals reason about morality based on factors such as punishment, reward, and empathy.

Social domain theory

The concept that multiple factors influence how a person responds in social situations.

PACS (The preschool Attachment Classification System)

A ‘gold standard’ assessment of attachment in young children (ages 3-5) that involves four episodes related to separation and reunion with parents.

Play

Toddlers engage in parallel play while young children engage in cooperative play.