Adolescence Exam 2

Autonomy

Expressing independent reasoning and confidence in one’s opinions

Relatedness

Showing validation toward others

Good vs. bad argument

Healthy conflict clarifies misconceptions; harmful conflict damages the relationship

Undermining autonomy

Ignoring or invalidating another’s viewpoint (“too young to understand”

Undermining relatedness

Interrupting, mocking, or being dismissive during disagreements

High autonomy + relatedness outcomes

Linked to higher self-esteem, less depression, and better peer/romantic relations

Low autonomy outcomes

More delinquency, hostility, and depression

Role of fathers

Patterns of hostility with fathers predict later interpersonal hostility.

Attachment link

Authoritative parenting best

Autonomy in risky environments

Expectations vary by safety and context

Peer group

People of similar age sharing norms and experiences

Clique

Small, tight friendship group with common interests

Crowd

Larger, reputation-based group (“jocks,” “nerds”)

Age segregation

Spending more time with same-age peers during adolesce

Cohort effects

Shared experiences unique to a generation

Gender segregation

Preference for same-gender friends during childhood

Racial/social segregation

Friend groups often form within same race or class

Conformity trend

Peaks in early adolescence; declines later

Sources of conformity

Low self-image and desire to fit in

Real vs. apparent peer influence

Teens often select peers like themselves more than peers change them

Autonomy vs. conformity

Teens with more autonomy are less susceptible to peer pressure

Benefits of peer influence

Encourages social learning and adjustment

Parents vs. peers

Parents shape values; peers shape day-to-day behavior

Preference-based popularity

Being genuinely liked; linked to secure attachment and empathy

Status-based popularity

Visibility and dominance; often aggressive or pushy

“Cool-kid effect”

Acting older to gain status but risking negative outcomes

Close friendships long term effects

Predict later romantic quality and well-being

Selection vs. influence

We choose friends similar to us (selection) and are also shaped by them (influence)

Peer rejection

Being disliked or excluded by peers

Types of rejected adolescents

Aggressive, withdrawn, or both (highest risk)

Loneliness

Perceived lack of connection; highest during adolescence

Expectation effect

Higher social expectations increase loneliness when unmet

Intimacy

Emotional closeness, trust, and self-disclosure

Functions of intimacy

Buffers stress and peer pressure; promotes empathy

Sullivan vs. Erikson

Sullivan: intimacy builds identity; Erikson: identity enables intimacy

Gender differences in intimacy

Girls disclose more; boys’ intimacy grows with age

Co-rumination

Excessive talking about problems, common among girls

Secure attachment

Foundation for healthy peer and romantic intimacy

Jealousy in friendship predictor

low self esteem

Social media & intimacy

Maintains friendships but can amplify existing issues

Parental relationships

Good parent-teen relations predict better romantic ones

Loneliness vs. solitude

Solitude can be healthy; loneliness involves distress

Sequence of dating

Same-sex groups → mixed groups → 1-1

Early dating (<15) effects

Linked to delinquency, poor grades, and depression (especially for girls)

Late dating

Linked to social immaturity or insecurity

LGBTQ+ youth differences in dating

secrecy, harassment, and limited dating pools

Romantic experience

conflict management and intimacy skills

Relationship dissolution

Breakups increase stress and depression

Dating violence how many think its ok?

About half of teens think hitting a partner is acceptable

average age at first intercourse

Around 17 yrs average; varies by context and culture

Predictors of later first sex

Authoritative parenting and good parent-child communication

Predictors of earlier first sex

Single-parent home, peer norms, substance use

Early sex outcomes

Linked to other risky behaviors

Gender differences in meaning of sex

Boys: status/physical; girls: intimacy/emotion

Gender intensification

Increased conformity to gender norms during adolescence

Masculinity markers

Toughness, dominance, heterosexuality

Chodorow’s theory

Gender identity stems from early mother–child dynamics

Androgyny

Blend of masculine and feminine traits; linked to social success

LGBTQ+ health in sexual identity

Peer/parental rejection raises suicide risk; physical health normal

Sexual risk behavior

poor planning and low perceived vulnerability

Rape statistics

14 % of women, 4 % of men experience rape; often unreported

Victim blaming

Assigning responsibility to victims based on appearance or behavior

Historical change in schooling percentage attendance

From 25 % attendance to near-universal requirement.

Functions of school

Transmit culture, sort labor, prevent delinquency

School dropout predictors

Low Socieconomic status, grade repetition, and poor achievement

School-to-prison pipeline

Harsh discipline policies increase dropout risk

Achievement motivation

Intrinsic (learning) vs. extrinsic (rewards)

Mastery vs. performance goals

Mastery sees ability as improvable; performance as fixed

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Teacher expectations influence student outcomes.

Socioeconomic status and race effects

Socioeconomic status explains most racial gaps in academic performance

Creaming

Selecting high-achieving or well-supported students to boost school performance while excluding lower-performing ones

What age do boys and girls start dating

12-13 girls, 13-14 boys

Dropout rate

20% but has been declining

3 types of societal restrictiveness in terms of sex: 

• Restrictive: prohibited

  • discontinuous 

• Semi-restrictive: not talked about (US)

  • semi-continuous  

• Permissive: talked about

  • continuous

Age of marriage w divorce rate

 later is better

• Before 18, 4x higher

• Buffers: delay pregnancy, more money, long term relationship, higher education

Different facets for education

• Performance: grades

• Achievement: IQ

• Educational attainment

Simmons and Blythe vs Eccles on autonomy

• Simmons and Blythe: adolescence having problem because adolescence -> less motivation

• Eccles: autonomy taken away so hard -> less motivated