COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
IN ADOLESCENCE
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Chapter 15
PIAGET’S THEORY
• Formal Operations
• Abstract thinking, logical inferences
• Idealism and possibilities
• Hypothetical-deductive reasoning
• Develop and test hypotheses; deduce best ways to solve
problems
• Evaluating Piaget’s theory
• There are challenges and controversy
• Theory generated volumes of research
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ADOLESCENT EGOCENTRICISM
• Heightened self-consciousness
• Two types of social thinking
• Imaginary audience
• Believe others are as interested in them as they are in
themselves
• Personal fable
• Sense of personal uniqueness and invulnerability
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INFORMATION PROCESSING
• Abilities improves in adolescence
• Areas of improvement
• Memory (short-term, working, and long-term)
• Decision making (more complex, options)
• Social context plays a key role
• Emotional state at the time has impact
• Critical thinking
• Thinking reflectively and productively, and evaluating evidence
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VALUES
• Beliefs and attitudes about the way things
should be
• Attached to important things
• Reflect intrepersonal dimension of morality
• Changing values: more concern for own well-being than
service to others
• Self-fulfillment
• Self-expression
• Damon: youth lack clear sense of direction
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VALUES
• Service learning
• Form of education promoting social responsibility and
service to community/others
• Adolescent volunteers
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Tend to be extraverted
Have high level of self-understanding
Committed to others
Girls volunteer more than boys
• Benefits adolescents in many ways
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VALUES
• Positive effects of service learning
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Better grades, more motivation and goals
Deeper appreciation of ‘right’ behaviors
Self-esteem improves
Improved sense of making a difference
Become less alienated
More reflection on aspects of society
• Required by 265 of U.S. high schools
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MORAL EDUCATION
• Hotly debated in educational circles
• Hidden curriculum
• Conveyed moral atmosphere in schools by:
• School and classroom rules
• Moral orientation of teachers, administrators
• Text materials
• Character education (used in 40 of 50 states)
• Implement explicit moral code defining sanctions for violations
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MORAL EDUCATION
• Values clarification
• Encouraged to define own values, understand values of
others
• Different from character education: does not tell student
what values should be
• Cognitive moral education
• Democracy and justice valued as moral reasoning
develops
• Instructor is ‘facilitator,’ not director of class
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MORAL EDUCATION
• Gilligan’s view: Emphasize caring, sensitivity
to others’ feelings, relationships
• Cheating
• Takes many forms in academia; of great concern
• Many students cheat; why do they do it?
• Pressure for higher grades, time pressures
• Poor teaching, lack of interest
• Cheating depends on ‘power of the situation’
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MORAL EDUCATION
• Integrative approach
• Reflective moral thinking
• Commitment to justice
• Child Development Project
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Many opportunities in perspective taking
Self-reflection on fairness, social responsibility
Adults coach ethical decision making
Caring community extended beyond classroom
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RELIGION
• Issues important to adolescents
• Belief in God or universal spirit, and prayer
• Learn religious faith
• Recently, religiosity declined in ages 14 to 20
• Positive role in adolescent lives
• Meaningful part of life; way to cope
• Better grades in school, social competence
• Impacts on health; regulates behaviors
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RELIGION
• Developmental changes
• Cognitive
• More analysis of religion and concepts
• Questioning and better logical reasoning
• Erikson: stronger search for identity
• Religious beliefs and parenting
• Created to socialize children, most adopt religion raised
in; affected by quality of parent-adolescent relationship
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RELIGION
• Religion and sexuality in adolescence
• Aspects of religiousness related to:
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Selecting friends with restrictive attitudes
Fewer sexual partners, relationships
Perception of unprotected sex as high risk
Responsible contraceptive use
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THE AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
• Most often grades 6 through 8
• Watered-down versions of high school?
• Mimics high school curriculum?
• Critics argue there are unique differences
• Extracurricular activities reflect individual differences
(biological, psychological)
• High schools foster passivity, not autonomy
• Schools should create variety of pathways for students to
achieve identity
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THE AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
• Transition of middle or junior high school
• Simultaneous changes
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In student, family, and in school
Puberty and body image concerns
Cognition change; formal operations
Social cognition: responsibility, autonomy
Small, homogeneous classroom changes into impersonal, large
heterogeneous one
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THE AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
• Transition of middle or junior high school
• Simultaneous changes
• More stress on achievement, performance assessment
• Top dog phenomenon
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Moves from top position to lowest position in student hierarchy
Being youngest, smallest has more risks
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THE AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
• Effective Middle Schools
• Develop smaller schools
• Lower student-to-counselor ratios
• Involve parents and community leaders
• Develop effective curricula in literacy, sciences, health,
ethics, and citizenship
• Team teaching in integrated/flexible curriculum
• More health and fitness programs
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THE AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
• Extracurricular activities
• Involvement associated with:
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Better academic adjustment
Superior psychological competencies
Positive peer relations
Countering negative expenses
• Quality matters
• Highest quality promotes best positive outcomes
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THE AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL
• Many graduates poorly prepared for college and
modern workplace
• Many companies have set basic skill standards
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Ability to read at relatively high level
Minimum of elementary algebra
Minimum use of personal computers for word processing
Solve semi-structured problems where hypothesis is formed and
tested
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THE AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL
• Many graduates poorly prepared for college and
modern workplace
• Many companies have set basic skill standards
• Communicate effectively (orally and in writing)
• Work effectively in diverse groups
• Schools should focus on psychological factors
involved in motivation
• Replace low expectations, alienation
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HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS
• Serious educational, societal problem
• Dropout numbers have been declining
• Highest rate is Native American, high rate for concern in
Latinos
• Male rate higher than that of females
• Largest gender gap in Latinos and African Americans
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HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS
• Causes
• Most dislike school, suspended, expelled
• Economic reasons (help support families)
• Many girls have personal reasons such as pregnancy or
marriage
• Linked to having ‘dropout’ friends
• Parental involvement in school during early
years lessens dropout risk
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HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS
• Reducing the Dropout Rate
• Gates Foundation give funds for programs
• Provide effective programs in:
• Early reading and tutoring
• Counseling and mentoring
• Create caring environment
• Offer community service opportunities
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VIEWS OF CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
• Less idealistic, more realistic about career
• Explore careers in high school
• Establish career in college, improve and climb ladder of
success as adult after college
• Some jobs unsuitable for personality
• Holland’s types
• Not that clear-cut in real-life individuals
• Incorporates Strong-Campbell Vocational Interest
Inventory
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HOLLAND’S PERSONALITY-TYPE
THEORY
Personality
Realistic
Intellectual
Social
Career
“masculine” traits; construction, labor, truck driving,
or farming
“thinkers”; math and science careers
“feminine” traits; teaching, social work, or counseling
Conventional
Structure; bank teller, clerk, secretary
Enterprising
“verbal” and dominating; politics, sales, or
management
Artistic
“expressive”; art and writing
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EXPLORATION, DECISION
MAKING, AND PLANNING
• Important roles in adolescents’ choices
• Approached with ambiguity, uncertainty, and stress
• Many adolescents
• Receive little direction from school guidance
counselors
• Do not know what information to seek and how to seek
it
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SOCIOCULTURAL INFLUENCES
• Not all persons are able to enter ‘desired’
careers
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Genetic limitations
Parents and peers
School influences
Socioeconomic status
Ethnicity
Gender
© 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.