Download Adolescence (Chapter 11)

Unit 9- RG 9e
●Adolescence technically begins with puberty
(between 11 and 14…sex organs mature)
●Has important implications for the way
adolescents feel about themselves
oSelf-image can be greatly affected by when one
physically matures
● Early maturing boys tend to do better in athletics, are generally
more popular and have a more positive self-concept
o yet they tend to have more difficulty in school, commit more
acts of delinquency and become involved with substance
abuse, seemingly due to the fact that because they “look
older” they are friends with older boy
o however, in the long run, it seems that early maturing boys are
typically more responsible and cooperative in later life
● early maturing girls are more sought after for dates and have
better self-esteem than later-maturing girls
o yet early development can be a bit embarrassing for girls
● Late maturation can produce psychological difficulty for both
boys and girls
o Boys who develop later are often smaller and less
coordinated which often leads to ridicule and being seen as
less attractive AND in time the boys may begin to view
themselves in this way
o Girls who develop later are at a disadvantage in junior high
and early high school…they hold a relatively low social
status and might be overlooked in dating YET they report
greater satisfaction with their bodies later in high school and
college, mainly because late maturers tend to be tall and
slim which is the societal idea of social beauty
●Usually by adolescence in formal
operational stage
●Begin to reason hypothetically and deduce
consequences
owhich leads to greater understanding and
comprehension of broad moral principles
●Lawrence Kohlberg
o Believed moral reasoning helps guide our
judgments and behavior…proposed dilemmas to
help people reason at different levels
o Theory assumes that people move through levels
in a fixed order
 no real ages match up with the levels…but believed that
one could not reach the highest level until at least 13
because cognitively couldn’t understand it before this
point
 Helped people progress through levels by posing moral
dilemmas to solve
● Preconventional – perform actions based on rewards
or punishment
o very selfish and self-centered morality…
usually young children
● Conventional – interested in pleasing others and
doing what is right by social laws
o consider more than self…think of family, loved ones
and society as a whole
●Postconventional – use higher reasoning
to guide behavior...think about terms of
justice, equality, and basic human rights
when making decisions
olive by the golden rule…Kohlberg didn’t think
that many people made it to this level of
reasoning
●Erik Erikson
oPsychosocial development – involves our
changes in our interactions and understanding
of one another a well as in our knowledge and
understanding of ourselves as members of
society
oBelieved that passage through the stage
required resolution of a conflict
●Trust vs. Mistrust (0-18mo.)
oCan I trust the world? Dependent on others to
meet physical needs and need for love
 If parents care and you become “attached” you’ll
develop a sense of trust and predictability
 Inconsistent or lacking care will cause infant
to develop a sense of mistrust or paranoia
●Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (18mo.-3)
oDo I have some control over my life?
 If parents set boundaries yet let child
make some decisions, they will develop
a “will” or a sense of independence
 If overly restricted, children will be unable
to assert themselves yet if parents are too lenient,
children become overly demanding and controlling
– child will also have a sense of shame, selfconsciousness
●Initiative vs. Guilt (3-6)
oAm I capable of doing things for myself?
Imagination developing, curious…
asserting independence
 If parents react positively to these items, child will
feel confident to take risks and have self-confidence
 If parents react negatively, child will lack selfsufficiency, have low self-esteem, and fear
punishment
●Industry vs. Inferiority (6-11)
oAm I capable of doing things socially?
Compare self with others in social and
academic aspects
 Feel that can do tasks, have a sense of pride and
that do fit it
 Feel inferior or not as good as others
● Identity vs. Role Confusion (12-20)
o Who am I and where is my place in this world? Going
through the transition from child to adult…trying to discover
who you are, what your strengths are and what kind of roles
you are best suited to play
 Have a sense of who you are and
a commitment to future adult roles
 Confusion over what role to play can
lead to an unstable identity and adoption
of a socially unacceptable roles
● Identity vs. Role Confusion (12-20)
o Pressures to identify with what one wants to do with one’s
life are acutely felt
 Separate selves from parents
 Tend to rely more on peer group
 Pivotal time period in a person’s life…
paving the way for continued growth and future
development of personal relationships
o Erikson believed that had to “find self” and figure out role
before could truly feel and express love
●Intimacy vs. Isolation (20-30)
oCan I love and be loved? Pondering entering
into a close, loving relationship
 Develop intimacy and a sense of connectedness
 Develop isolation – draw into self and avoid close
emotional contact
●Generativity vs. Stagnation (30-65)
oAm I productive and giving something back to
the world? Sense that making a difference
through children, job, community involvement,
etc.
 Happy with life and feel made a difference, a sense
of accomplishment
 Feel worthless and preoccupation with own needs
(mid-life crisis)
●Integrity vs. Despair (65+)
oHas it all been worth it? Review of life
 Look back at life happily, have strong sense of selfacceptance
 Develop a sense of despair, look back at life with
frustration, regret and disappointment