Adolescent Development - Lecture Seven Flashcards
(24 cards)
What are some basic developmental tasks of adolescence?
Separating from the family, testing relationships with peers and authority figures, increasing autonomy, forming a healthy sexual identity, accepting one’s body, dealing with sexual orientation, preparing for the future, seeking belonging, developing peer relationships, and moral development.
Is separation from family a typical adolescent task in all cultures?
No, in some cultures separation from family is not typical or even considered a developmental task.
What does forming a healthy sexual identity involve?
Accepting one’s body and physique, learning to use it effectively, and addressing issues related to sexual orientation and body image.
What do adolescents seek in their social development?
They seek a sense of belonging and develop peer relationships and networks of friends they feel connected to.
What happens during adolescent moral development?
Adolescents start to understand and assess childhood beliefs and begin forming their own moral compass.
What was G. Stanley Hall’s view on adolescence?
He described adolescence as a period of “storm and stress,” marked by emotional turbulence and rapid mood changes, with a generally negative view of adolescence.
Do most developmental psychologists agree with Hall’s “storm and stress” view?
No, most do not. In fact, most adolescents report being usually happy and getting along well with their parents.
What was Arnold Gessell’s theory of adolescent development?
He believed in spiral growth patterns determined by genes, where abilities appear without special training and maturation solves problems gradually.
What was a limitation of Gessell’s research?
He studied mostly high socioeconomic status children from Connecticut, limiting generalizability.
How did Anna Freud describe adolescence?
As a period of internal conflict, psychic disequilibrium, and erratic behavior; adolescents are egoistic but capable of self-sacrifice and devotion; they experience passionate but unstable relationships and oscillate between submission and rebellion.
What inner conflict did Anna Freud emphasize in adolescence?
The war between the id (instinctual urges) and the superego (conscience formed by identification with the same-sex parent).
What did Erik Erikson say about adolescent development?
Each psychosexual stage requires mastering a task for positive ego identity; adolescence involves establishing personal identity and a psychosocial moratorium, a socially accepted period to try different roles.
What is puberty and when does it typically occur?
Puberty is a staged biological process involving the development of secondary sex characteristics; girls’ first period averages 12.5 years, boys’ first ejaculation averages 13 years; puberty typically starts between 9-15 for girls and 10-13 for boys, lasting about 4 years on average.
What psychosocial factors influence puberty timing?
Secular trends, earlier puberty in African American girls, presence of non-biological males in the home, and poor family relationships.
How does body image change during adolescence?
Girls’ satisfaction with their bodies usually declines, while boys’ body satisfaction tends to improve.
Why is attachment important in adolescence?
Attachment history forms a foundation for social relationships, supports self-esteem, and helps adolescents navigate stress.
What did Kurt Lewin’s field theory propose about adolescent behavior?
Behavior is a function of the person and their environment (“life space”); adolescents oscillate between childlike and mature behaviors depending on context and desires.
What is meant by the adolescent as a “marginal man”?
Adolescents partly belong to the child group and partly to the adult group, sometimes acting childlike to avoid responsibilities and other times acting adult-like to gain privileges.
What is Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of adolescent development?
A framework describing how multiple environmental systems influence development: microsystem (immediate contacts), mesosystem (interactions among microsystems), exosystem (indirect influences), macrosystem (cultural and societal context), and chronosystem (time and historical context).
What does the microsystem include?
People and settings with direct contact and influence on the adolescent (e.g., family, peers, school).
What is the mesosystem?
The connections and interactions between microsystems, like the relationship between family and school.
What is the exosystem?
Settings that indirectly affect the adolescent, such as a parent’s workplace.
What is the macrosystem?
The broader cultural, social, economic, and political environment that shapes adolescent development.
What does the chronosystem refer to?
The dimension of time, including life transitions and historical events that influence development.
