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Theories of Adolescence
From Freud to Bronfenbrenner
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Brief Review of Last Time
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Defining Adolescence
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Social Roles
Historical Forces
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Psychological Characteristics
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Age
Biological Development
Stereotypes of Adolescents
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Not always true!
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Can lead to self-fulfilling prophesies
Can have consequence for social policies
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Brief Review of Last Time
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Two Major Figures in Adolescent Psychology
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Stanley Hall – Father of Adolescent Psychology; adolescence as “storm
and stress”
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Margaret Mead – Research in Samoa; adolescence smooth there
Statistics about Adolescents in the US
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More diverse than total population
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Growing in diversity (particularly increases in Hispanic/Latino and
Asian populations)
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Today
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3 major issues in Developmental Psychology
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Major theories in Adolescent Psychology
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Issue #1: Nature vs. Nurture
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Nature: Biological influences (heritability, genetics)
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Nurture: Environmental influences
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Examples à growth during childhood; hormones during puberty
Examples à influence of nutrition; medical care; family; peers;
schools; community; media; culture
A matter of emphasis – which one is more important.
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Example of Continued Debate: Gender
Differences in Math
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Larry Summers
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Issue #2: Continuity vs. Discontinuity
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Continuity: Development involves gradual,
cumulative change
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Development as being quantitative
Example – A child’s first word
Discontinuity: Development involves
distinct stages
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the next
n  Example – Abstract thinking
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Issue #3: Early vs. Late Experience
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Issue of which ones are the key determinants of
development
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Question: If an infant experiences a negative, stressful or
traumatic circumstance, can this be overcome by more
positive experiences in adolescence?
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Emphasis has traditionally been on early experience; now
more emphasis on growth and development over the lifespan
(e.g., Jerome Kagan’s work)
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Overall…
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Best not to take an extreme viewpoint in any of the three
debates
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Nonetheless, there continue to be arguments about the
nature of development (particularly for nature vs. nurture)
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Many, Many Theories
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Psychoanalytic Theories
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Psychoanalytic (Freud, etc.)
Psychosocial Theory (Erikson)
Cognitive Theories
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Cognitive Developmental (Piaget)
Sociocultural Cognitive Theory (Vygotsky)
Information Processing
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Behavioral Theory (Skinner)
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Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura)
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Ecological Theory(Bronfrenbrenner)
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The Many, Many Theories
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Psychoanalytic Theories
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Psychoanalytic (Freud, etc.)
Psychosocial Theory (Erikson)
Cognitive Theories
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Cognitive Developmental (Piaget)
Sociocultural Cognitive Theory (Vygotsky)
Information Processing
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Behavioral Theory (Skinner)
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Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura)
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Ecological Theory (Bronfrenbrenner)
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Psychoanalytic Theory –
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
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Freud emphasis the “unconscious”
(Really, he meant activity in our minds that is beyond our awareness)
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Freud: Parts of the Mind
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Id (unconscious)
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Aggressive and sexual impulses and instincts
Superego (mostly unconscious)
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The “conscience,” moral part of the mind
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Leads to guilt about id impulses
Ego (mostly conscious)
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“Executive Branch” of the mind, makes rational decisions
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Resolves conflicts between the id, superego and reality
An Artistic Explanation
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Freud on Personality
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Just the tip of the iceberg!
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Tensions between different
parts of the mind resolved
through defense
mechanisms.
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Repression: pushing
unacceptable id impulses and
painful memories into the
unconscious mind
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Freud: Psychosexual Stages
Each stage represents the shifting of
the focus of sexual pleasure and
conflict;
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Stages Relevant to Us
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Latency Stage (6 yrs – puberty)
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Sexual impulses are repressed
Child develops intellectual and social skills
Genital Stage (puberty on)
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“Sexual reawakening”
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Source of sexual pleasure is now outside of the family
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Is Latency for Real?
Latency on South Park
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Some Critiques of Freud
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Overemphasis on sexual instincts
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Lack of scientific support
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Overly negative image of people
+ Behaviorist View:
B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)
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Operant Conditioning
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The consequences of an action produce
changes in the probability of that action
occurring again
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Reinforcement: Increases the likelihood
of a behavior
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Punishment: Decreases the likelihood of
a behavior
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Social Cognitive Theory:
Albert Bandura (1925-)
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Behavior is learned through interactions with the social
environment
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Reciprocal influences between behavior, environment and
cognition.
Observational Learning (aka Imitation or + Modeling) Bobo Doll Experiment
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Ecological Theory
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Urie Brofrenbrenner
(1917-2005)
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Developmental Psychologist,
Co-Founder of Head Start
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Development reflects the
influence of five
Environmental Systems
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Emphasis on environment (vs.
biology)
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Bronfrenbrenner’s Systems
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The Individual
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Microsystem
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Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Health, Age
Settings adolescent spends his/her time; and individuals within
them (Family, Peers, School, Neighborhood)
Adolescent helps shape these settings
Mesosystem
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Relationships between different Microsystems
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Examples: relationship between school and family experiences;
family and peer experiences
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Bronfrenbrenner’s Systems (cont.)
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Exosystem
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Links between adolescents immediate context and settings in which
adolescent does not have an active role
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Examples: mother’s experience at work; conflict between teacher and
his wife
Macrosystem
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Culture – “behavior patterns, beliefs and all other products of a group of
people, passed on from generation to generation”
Examples: Cultural ideas about what the role of a parent should be, what
the role of a teacher should be; laws and practices affecting adolescents
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Bronfrenbrenner’s Systems (cont.)
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Chronosystem
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Timing of Life Events
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of divorce on family functioning
decreases over time
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Historical Circumstances
n  Examples: Greater
career opportunities for girls;
Greater acceptance of GBLT community
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Recent Addition of Biological Influences = Bioecological Theory
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