Adolescent Emotional Development:
Foundation for a Healthy Life
Janis Whitlock
2011
Cornell University Family Life Development Center,
Cornell University Cooperative Extension of New York City, New York State Center for School Safety,
University of Rochester Medical Center Div. of Adolescent Health
What is emotion ?
“A mental state that arises spontaneously rather than
through conscious effort. “
“The part of the consciousness that involves feeling.”
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Why is emotion important?
Emotion and emotion
regulation is central to healthy
mental, cognitive, social, and
moral functioning
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Why is emotion important? (cont.)
Emotions are central to people’s capacity to make
meaning in their lives
Emotions are strongly linked to coping style and
capacity which is, in turn, linked to behavior and social
relationships
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Why is emotion important? (cont.)
Sticks & stones may break my bones…
Emotional pain registers in same
brain regions that register
physical pain
Recall of emotional pain elicits a
greater brain pain response than
recall of physical pain
What is emotional development?
The way human beings become aware of and
express feelings
The role of emotion in everyday life
The change over time in a person’s capacity to
cognitively identify, process, manage, and express
feelings
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Emotional intelligence
“The ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and
emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this
information to guide one's thinking and actions.”
- Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Emotional intelligence means that
adolescents need to learn:
About themselves:
Identify their own emotions
Accept emotion
Recognize common patterns in
emotion, thoughts, and behaviors
Separate their emotions from
others
Manage their emotions
About others:
Identify emotion
Accept emotion
Separate their emotions
from others
Practice compassion
Understand how to assist
without need to save
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Emotional development in early
adolescence: Challenges
Mood swings
Difficulty labeling and talking about feelings
Difficulty separating emotions from thoughts and
behaviors
Difficulty interpreting other people’s emotions and
intentions
Internalizing and / or externalizing behavior
Assume feelings represent reality accurately
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Emotional development in early
adolescence: Opportunities
Receptive to understanding more about emotions
Interested in other’s feelings (especially peers!)
Capable of intense emotion
Capable of learning to separate thoughts and
behaviors from emotions
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Emotional development in older
adolescence
Compared with early
adolescence, older
adolescence is better
integrated with and
moderated by cognitive
capacity.
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Emotion and gender
When compared to males, females:
Are more aware of their emotions and are more empathetic
Tend to nurture themselves and others and to form alliances with a larger
social group. Use “tend and befriend” responses to cope with emotional upset
When compared to females, males:
Show higher confidence, adaptability, and
optimism than females
Use internal and cognitively driven
mechanisms for managing emotions
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Emotion and culture
Basic emotions are universal but
vary significantly by culture
Social norms for managing
emotion
Desirable and undesirable emotion
Feeling rules
Display rules
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
How can we support healthy emotional
development?
Model
Build on strengths
Respect variations in style
Provide opportunities to practice:
Accepting and being with emotion
Self-reflection skills
Perspective-taking skills
Being in the moment
Questioning negative cultural messages
Sharing emotions
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
Web-based resources
Raise awareness and emphasize value of emotion and self-knowing
Enneagram: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
Multiple intelligence and types: http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html
Skill building activities to enhance emotional intelligence
Emotional Intelligence Activities for Teens Ages 13-18 (University of Illinois Extension)
http://my.extension.uiuc.edu/documents/257080502080208/Emotional_Intelligence_13-18.pdf
Emotional Intelligence Activities for Children Ages 8-10 (University of Illinois Extension)
http://my.extension.uiuc.edu/documents/257080502080208/Emotional_Intelligence_8-10.pdf
Social skills activities (WINGS): http://www.wingsforkids.org/experience/hot-wings
Reachout.com: http://us.reachout.com/
Understanding Adolescence
Understanding Adolescence: Adolescent Development, Sexual Health, Mental Health (ACT for Youth)
http://www.actforyouth.net/health_sexuality/
Adolescent Emotional Development
Janis Whitlock • 2011
ACT for Youth Center of Excellence
The ACT for Youth Center of Excellence connects positive youth
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beyond. The Center provides:

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Department of Health.

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narrated presentations, and the e-letter
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