Understanding Emotional Development in Adolescence

1. Chapter 8 ADOLESCENCE

2. Emotional and Social Development Chapter 8 Section 3

3. Emotional and Self-DevelopmentStorm and Stress • Adolescence thought to be a time of storm and stress • Why are adolescents so moody? • Experience Sampling Method (ESM) has shown that • Wear a watch that beeps randomly, then you record thoughts, feelings, behavior • In U.S. it is a time of emotional volatility • Self-conscious, embarrassed, moody, lonely, awkward, ignored

5. Emotional and Self-Development • Adolescent self—conceptions become complex b/c of brain development • Composed of: • Actual self—true self conception • Possible self—what you could become • Ideal self—would like to be • Feared self—would like to avoid becoming • False self—what is shown to others (WHO?) • to romantic partners, parents, friends

6. Emotional and Self-Development LO 8.14 Changes in Self-Concept and Self-Esteem • Discrepancy between actual self and ideal self can lead to feelings of failure and depression • Self-esteem tends to fluctuate during adolescence WHY?????

7. Why does self esteem fluctuate? Imaginary audience Adolescents in Western cultures value the opinions of their peers highly.

8. Emotional and Self-DevelopmentSelf-Esteem • Eight domains of adolescent self-esteem (Susan Harter) • Self Perception Profile for Adolescents • Scholastic competence • Social acceptance • Athletic competence • Physical appearance • Job competence • Romantic appeal • Behavioral conduct • Close friendship • Global (overall) self esteem Which one of these is strongly related to global self esteem?

9. Emotional and Self-DevelopmentSelf-Esteem • Domains most strongly related to global (overall) self-esteem are: • Physical appearance • Social acceptance from peers Self-esteem tends to be lower in girls than boys during adolescence. Why?

10. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Family Relationships In Western countries, conflict with parents increases during early adolescence, then declines in later adolescence. • Why? • In traditional cultures, it is rare for parents and adolescents to engage in frequent conflicts. • Why?

11. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Family Relationships • Why so adolescents have conflict w/their parents? • Sexual issues • Cognitive development: challenge parents reasoning. • Teens want autonomy from their parents. Parents worry about sex, driving, drugs…

12. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Family Relationships 2. Why is it rare in traditional cultures for parents and adolescents to engage in frequent conflicts? • In traditional cultures parents have more authority • Duty and respect to parents

13. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Peers and Friends • Friends provide companionship and intimacy • In traditional cultures adolescents spend more time with family than peers • Intimacy most distinctive feature of adolescent friendships

14. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Peers and Friends • Girls talk more with their friends than boys do • Non-Western countries adolescents are close to families even as they are close to friends

15. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Peers and Friends • Adolescent social groups include: • Cliques—small group of friends • Crowds—larger, reputation-based groups; not necessarily friends • Crowds help adolescents define their own identities • What kind of crowds existed in your school?

17. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Peers and Friends • Three components of bullying: • Aggression—physical or verbal • Repetition—pattern over time • Power imbalance—bully has higher peer status than victim. • Negative effects include helplessness, anxiety, and unhappiness • Cyberbullying/online harassment: bullying via electronic means • highest in early adolescence

18. Did your parents talk to you about sex when you were an adolescent? • What was the conversation about?

19. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Love and Sexuality • Culture influences views on relationships and sexuality • Research by Clellan Ford & Frank Beach • Patterns of Sexual Behavior - 60 year old book • Compiled information on sexuality from 200 cultures • Permissive cultures tolerate/encourage adolescent sexuality (northern Europe, Sweden) • Semi-restrictive cultures have prohibitions, but not strictly enforced & easily evaded (most developed countries) • Restrictive cultures have strong prohibitions (although double standard is common) Asia, Mexico, Middle East

20. Group Work #5 • Cambodian Love Huts • What do you think about this practice? • What are some of the advantages of the love huts? • What are some of the disadvantages of love huts? • How is this practice similar or different from your own culture regarding teenage sex? • Let's Watch

21. Social and Cultural Contexts of Adolescence: Pregnancy Rates of premarital pregnancy: • Low in both restrictive and permissive cultures • Higher rate in U.S. than in any other developed country. Why? • There is no clear cultural message • Sexually active teens are not comfortable enough w/ their sexuality to prepare/obtain contraception

22. L.O. 8.18 Figure 8.11 Teenage Pregnancy Rates in Developed Countries Why are rates so high in the United States? Based on: WHO (2010)

23. Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Sexual Orientation • Adolescence is when sexual orientation is fully aware • Historically kept secret now more likely to “come out” • Homophobia can make coming out traumatic • Parental rejection a concern • Acceptance by peers may be increasing

24. Social and Cultural Contexts of Development Media Use • How many hours do adolescents spend on media? • Electronic games • Become more popular among boys • Favorite games involve violence • Could be related to anxiety and depression • Use may be related to feelings of power, fame, and dealing with stress

25. Problems and ResilienceCrime and Delinquency • Crime rates peak about 18 then decline • Two types of delinquency • Life course—persistent delinquents • Difficult temperament, ADHD, low income family, single parent, learning disabilities • Adolescence limited delinquents

26. Problems and ResilienceDepression • Types of depression • Depressed mood: temporary sadness • Major depressive disorder: clinical diagnosis of depressed mood, appetite & sleeping disturbances, fatigue • Two types of treatment • Anti-depressant • psychotherapy

27. Problems and ResilienceResilience in Adolescence • Resilience—good outcomes in spite of threats to adaptation and development • Protective factors are: • High intelligence • Effective parenting • Adult mentor • Physical attractiveness • Religiosity

28. Erik Erikson Identity vs. Role Confusion • The adolescent will develop a sense of identity through sexual,emotional,educational, ethnic, cultural, vocational exploration. or • The adolescent can be confused about who they are if they do not have the opportunity to explore and figure it out.

29. James Marcia’s Identity Status • took Erikson’s theory and expanded it. • Two components: 1. crisis/exploration: we question and think about what we know about ourselves, how it all fits together, how it compares to our ideal selves. 2. commitment: after some time thinking we come to a conclusion/decision about who we are.

30. Paths to Identity • Identity Achievement • Explored alternatives • Committed to set of self-chosen values & goals • Sense of psychological well-being • Identity Foreclosure • Adopts values & goals of parents, authority & culture without exploring alternatives

31. Paths to Identity • Identity Moratorium • Experiment w/ alternative activities & identities • In process - Not yet made commitment to values & goals to guide their lives • Identity Diffusion • Lack direction – indifferent to commitments to values, goals or roles

32. Let's Watch Let's Watch