Myth #9 – Adolescence
is Inevitably a Time of
Psychological Turmoil
Developmental
Psychology
• Developmental psychologists study the lifespan from
prenatal development (in utero) through death.
• They research THREE major areas of development:
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Physical Development
Cognitive Development
Social Development
Adolescence
• This unit revolves around the period of your lifespan that
falls between childhood and independent adulthood.
• Our society defines adolescence as the period time that
begins with puberty (physical maturation) and ends with
social and financial independence (adulthood).
Lifeline
• Before we reflect on the myth of adolescence, let’s talk
about some of the major influences in your life physically,
cognitively and socially.
• Complete your lifeline.
Reflection
• 4.
What were the major influences?
What did you have in common? What were your
differences?
Nature vs. Nurture
Nature
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Our inherent (inborn) abilities,
talents, capacities.
We are who we are from the
inside (biology) out
Includes:
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genetics, biological
processes/brain/chemicals
Nurture
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Our learned skills, abilities, talents
and capacities.
We are who we are from the
outside (environment) in.
Includes Learning from:
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experience, conditioning, training,
observation, practice, reward,
punishment,teachers, friends,
society, parents, etc.
Where Do You Stand?
6. Mark the line. Think of your lifelines. What have you
been most influenced by in your life?
Genie the “Wild Child”
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As you watch, make a claim and
gather evidence to support that
claim. Is Genie the product of her
nature or her nurture?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=hmdycJQi4QA
What was your argument?
What evidence did you find to support your argument?
What is Adolescence?
• https://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/HdKjiN
JOGYKVPMq
Adolescence
• “Storm and stress” – G. Stanley Hall (1904)
• “To be normal during the adolescent period is by itself
abnormal.” – Anna Freud (1958)
• “The teenage years can be a parent’s worst nightmare.” –
Dr. Phil
• How do your responses compare?
Sources of the Myth
a. Stereotyped media portrayals
b. Kernel of truth
What Do People Think?
“The majority of adolescents show neurotic or antisocial
behavior sometime during adolescence.”
• 62% of medical residents agree
• 58% of nurses agree
Describe some shows/books/news portrayals that
support this statement.
The Facts
• At most 20% of adolescents experience turmoil
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Less in non-Western societies
• The substantial majority of people experience positive
moods and harmonious relationships with parents and
peers.
• Those that experience severe conflict with parents tend
to also exhibit one or both of the following:
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Clear-cut psychological problems (depression/conduct disorder)
Disrupted family backgrounds
Three Components of this Myth
(Where does the “kernel” come from?)
a. Conflict with parents (cognitive and social)
b. Moody instability (physical)
c. Risky behavior (physical and social)
Risky Behavior/Emotional Changes
and PHYSICAL Development
• Puberty:
Define: The beginning of adolescence.
Marked by the beginning of physical and
reproductive maturation.
Primary and Secondary Sex
Characteristics
Primary
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Required for reproduction
Secondary
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Only one per sex:
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Testes Mature – Males
Ovaries Mature – Females
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Any trait that develops at the
same time as primary traits
develop. NOT required for
reproduction
“Bonus” traits that develop
asymetrically
Examples:?
Dr. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
•
http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_j
ayne_blakemore_the_mysterious
_workings_of_the_adolescent_bra
in.html
Physical Development and the
Myth
• Moody instability (secondary characteristics, amygdala)
• Risky behavior (prefrontal cortex, amygdala)
Jean Piaget
• Developmental psychologist
• Outlined the stages of COGNITIVE development
• Piaget agreed that cognitive processes followed a series of
stages, and even though certain children may reach stages
before other children, the order of stages in invariable.
Cognitive Development
Cognition
All the mental activities associated with
thinking, knowing, remembering, and
communicating
Answer the following questions on
your own. List EVERYTHING you
can think of ….
• 18.
• 19.
Paperclip
Three arms
Concrete vs. Formal Operational
Thought
Formal (12 )
Concrete (7-12)
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Object must be present to think
about it
Logical thought
Rational thought
Experience-based
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Objects don’t need to be present to think about them
Logical thought
Rational thought
Abstract thought
Hypothetical thought
Reasoning not tied to experience
Imagination, flexibility, range of comprehension
http://educ613piaget.weebly.com/formal-operationalstage.html
Arithemetic vs. Algebra
Sarcasm
21. Do you think formally or
concretely most of the time?
Explain.
22. Name some
common issues teens
face socially.
List anything and everything you can think of.
Erik Erikson
• Developmental psychologist
• Said that we go through eight stages of social
development in our lifespan
• Each stage involves an internal conflict that must be
resolved
• If we don’t resolve the conflict, we will fixate on it
throughout our lifespan until it is resolved and it might
affect later stages
Erik Erikson
Identity vs. Role Confusion
• The primary social accomplishment for adolescents,
according to Erikson is to develop an identity or live a life
filled with role confusion.
• Teenagers work at refining a sense of self by
testing roles and then integrating them to form a
single identity, or they become confused about
who they are.
James Marcia
• Take the OM – EIS to determine your Ego Identity Status
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Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status
• Where are you in the process of forming your identity?
• Answer each question as honestly as you can.
Scoring
• Add the numbers you listed for the following questions
four separate categories. Circle your high score at the
end.
1. 3, 17, 21, 24, 27, 28, 37, 38, 39, 41, 44, 50, 58, 62, 63, 64
2. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 16, 19, 23, 25, 29, 30, 52, 53, 56, 59
3. 8, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 33, 35, 40, 42, 45, 46, 49, 51, 55, 60
4. 5, 9, 11, 12, 14, 26, 31, 32, 34, 36, 43, 47, 48, 54, 57, 61
What is Your Stage of Identity
Formation?
• Foreclosure - #1
• Diffusion - #2
• Achievement - #3
• Moratorium - #4
The Identity Crisis (Marcia)
Stage 1 (moratorium)
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separate from parents/authority (figurative)
challenge their ideals
role play
experiment with “selves”
make peer comparisons/interactions
rebel
take risks
think about and process this experience
Stage 2 (achieved)
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determine “identity”
settle into a “personality”
plan for the future
set goals for school/work
Answer the question - Who am I?
The Four Stages
What Did Your Score Mean?
• Foreclosure
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Commitment without crisis
Not yourself – foreclose on another’s identity
Rigid
Fearful
Delayed
• Diffusion
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No crisis or commitment (early in adolescence)
No desire to test roles/take risks
“Pre” moratorium
What Did Your Score Mean
• Moratorium
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Crisis without commitment (yet)
In midst of stage 1
• Achieved
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Crisis and commitment
May return to moratorium
Completed stage 1 and in stage 2
Mask Projects
• See Guidelines
Parenting Styles and Identity
Formation
• Increased conflict with parents is a common concern.
• Is it as common as one would think?
• 80% of adolescents report that they enjoy time spent
with their parents and that they “rarely” fight or argue
• 20% do report consistent conflict – here is our kernal.
Perhaps the Conflict Relates to the
Style of Parenting Used
Authoritarian
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Authoritative
Punishment
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No questioning
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Strict
Totalitarian
Rule-focused
Structured
Control-oriented
- Foreclosure more often
- Conflict more often
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Structured
Rules and consequences
Consistent
Warm, yet not a pushover
Discuss rules openly
Child has an influence – connects to the “why?”
without being in control
-Moratorium and Identity Formation more
often
Conflicts resolved
Perhaps the Conflict Relates to the
Style of Parenting Used
Permissive
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Few rules
Inconsistent
Seeks child’s approval
Child in control
-Extended diffusion
Conflict arises when parent
attempts to assert control
Rejecting-Neglecting
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No interaction
No parenting
No emotional bond
No desire to connect
Evaluate
29.
What types of parenting do your parents use most of
the time?
How has this affected your relationship?
30.
How does the crisis (moratorium) perhaps relate to
the increase in parental conflict?
31.
Overall, what do you know about yourself now?