Lifespan Development Chapter 12: Socioemotional Development in Adolescence

1. Lifespan Development Chapter 12: Socioemotional Development in Adolescence McGraw-Hill © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. The Self and Emotional Development in Adolescence • Self-esteem: The overall way we evaluate ourselves. • Emotional development is characterized by • Increased interest in self-protrayal • Search for an identity • Emotional swings • Girls’ self-esteem declines due to puberty • Some studies suggest that boys’ self-esteem increases, although other studies suggest that boys’ self-esteem also declines, but to a lesser degree than girls. • Identity confusion is gap between the security of childhood and autonomy of adulthood

3. Girls Boys Impulse control Educational tone Body image Social relationships Morals Vocational/educational aspirations Mastery of the world Psychological problems Adjustment Category of self-esteem Familial self Sexual self -.4 -.2 0 +.2 +.4 Statistical score Gender Comparisons of Adolescents’ Self-Images

4. Adolescent Identity Formation • Erikson’s stage for adolescents: Identity vs. Identity Confusion. • Identity is a self-portrait of many parts: • Desired career path • Religious beliefs • Social and intimate relationships • Sexual and gender identity • Cultural or ethnic identity • Personality traits • Physical body image • Identity formation occurs gradually over time, occurring before and continuing after adolescence

5. Identity Confusion • Identity Confusion can take two paths: • Withdrawal • Loss of Identity in a crowd • Identity formation begins before and continuous after adolescence.

6. James Marcia suggested four identity statuses that involve commitment: • Diffusion (not sure who you are and not trying to find out) • Foreclosure (having accepted a ready-made identity without considering it or exploring any alternatives) • Moratorium (actively exploring possible identities) • Achievement (having explored possible identities and made a commitment to an identity. • Adolescents also show a • Need for confidence in parental support • Need for a developed sense of industry • Gain in self-reflective view of their future

7. Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity Fig. 13.1

8. Adolescents’ identity development affected by • Individuality: consists of self-assertion (ability to have and communicate a point of view) and separateness (use of communication patterns to express how one is different from others) • Connectedness: consists of mutuality (sensitivity to and respect for others’ views) and permeability (openness to others’ views) • Ethnic and cultural group membership • Gender (may be more complex for females) • Although, in general, gender differences in the process of identity formation are declining, some researchers still suggests that; • Male identity formation may precede intimacy stage • Female intimacy may precede identity formation

9. Emotional development in adolescence • State of “storm and stress” is not constant • But emotional highs and lows increase • From 5th to 9th grades, both sexes experience some moodiness and decreased happiness • It is normal to be moody • Moodiness may be affected more by environmental experiences than hormonal changes • Pubertal changes are associated with an increase in negative emotions

10. 30 Fathers Mothers 25 Adolescents 20 15 10 5 Very unhappy Very happy Self-Reported Extremes of Emotion by Adolescents, Mothers, and Fathers Using the Experience-Sampling Method Percentage of self-reports Fig. 13.2

11. Families • Adolescent desires for autonomy and responsibility occur through appropriate adult reactions • Heated emotional exchanges may occur as parents feel a child is slipping away from their control or discarding their advice and views • Examination of gender differences show boys being given more independence than girls • Cross-culturally, U.S. adolescents seek autonomy earlier than Japanese adolescents

12. Adolescent–parent attachments are moderately correlated to adolescent outcomes • Securely attached adolescents are less likely to engage in problem behaviors and may have better peer relations. • However, these correlations are moderate. • Many parents see the child change from compliant to oppositional and resistant to parental standards • Unwise parental reactions include demanding immediate compliance or giving no supervision • Everyday conflicts in parent–adolescent relationships may serve a positive developmental function and help adolescents achieve autonomy.

13. Parents are important attachment figures and support systems as adolescents explore a complex social world • Secure attachment can be good for the adolescent but is not a guarantee of success. • Most parent-child conflicts in adolescence involves everyday events rather than major dilemmas and generally escalates during early adolescence, remains stable during high school and then decreases during 17-20 years. • Prolonged, intense conflict at homecharacterizes 1 in 5 families and is associatedwith moving out of home, juvenile delinquency, school dropout, pregnancy and early marriage, membership in religious cults, and drug abuse. • In some cultures, there is less parent–adolescent conflict than in others

14. Positive Family Relations in Adolescence • Adolescents who did not eat dinner with a parent five or more days a week had dramatically higher rates of smoking, drinking, marijuana use, getting into fights and initiation of sexual activity. • Competent adolescent development is facilitated by parents who: • Show warmth and respect • Demonstrate sustained interest in their children’s lives • Recognize and adapt to their teenagers’ cognitive and socioemotional development • Communicate expectations for high standards of conduct and achievement • Display constructive ways of dealing with problems and conflict

15. Peer relations • Are very important in adolescent lives • The need for intimacy increases in adolescence, motivating teenagers to seek out close friends. • Most teens prefer a smaller number of peer contacts and more intimacy • Teens form cliques that shape their social lives • Teens seek reassurance of worth and companionship from friends • Teens with superficial or no friendships are lonely and depressed with lower self-esteem • Quality of adolescent friendships may be a predictor of self-worth in early adulthood

16. 4 Friend Self-disclosure in conversation score 3 Parent 2 1 2nd 5th 7th 10th College Grade Developmental Changes in Self-Disclosing Conversations Fig. 13.4

17. Peer pressure in adolescence • Conformity can be negative or positive • Conformity – especially to antisocial standards – peaks around 8th and 9th grades. • Pressure appears strongest for conforming to antisocial standards • Cross-culturally, there is more peer pressure in the U.S. than in Japan to resist parents • Cliques are based on friendship, common interests • Crowds are • Larger groups with reputations for what they do • Less personal than cliques

18. Adolescents spend considerable time either dating or thinking about it • Dating can function as a source of • Recreation • Status and achievement • Learning about close relationships • Mate selection • Strong emotional relationships • Exploring how attractive you are and how you should romantically interact with someone and how all of it looks to the peer group. • Girls’ early romantic involvement is linked to lower grades, less school participation, and more problems

19. 100 Announced “I like someone” Went out with same person 3 or more times 80 Had an exclusive relationship for more than 2 mo. 60 Planned an engagement or a marriage 40 20 0 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Grade Age at Onset of Romantic Activity Percentage of students Fig. 13.5

20. Adolescent romantic relationships • Many adolescents seek attachment or sex after acquiring basic competencies to interact romantically • Cyberdating is very popular among middle school children as young as 10 years of age • High school dating is more traditional • Most gay and lesbian youth do little same-sex dating due to social disapproval and other factors • Romantic relationships are usually described in terms of interpersonal qualities by girls and physical attraction byboys

21. Culture and Adolescent Development • Cross-culturally • Two-thirds of Asian Indian adolescents accept marriages arranged by their parents • Female adolescents in the Philippines sacrifice their futures to work and send money home • Street youth in Kenya survive economically by delinquency or prostitution • In the Middle East, many adolescents are segregated by sex, even in school • Russian youth are marrying earlier, while U.S. youth are marrying later than past generations

22. Adolescent Health • Rapid global change presents adolescents with more opportunities and challenges to health and well-being • Globally, adolescent experiences are affected by their gender, family, schools, and peers • Fewer die from infectious diseases or malnutrition than in the past • Risky adolescent behaviors, especially illicit drug use and unprotected sex, are increasing

23. Globally • Female and male adolescent experiences continue to be quite different and gap is not lessening • Some families remain closely knit with extensive extended kin networks, while others do not • Some trends have increased family mobility and reduced family resource abilities • Some cultures encourage stronger peer roles in adolescence and the need for formal education (others may not – some based on gender bias)

24. Rites of passage for adolescents • Vary among cultures • May be more influenced by social and religious groups in Western societies • Ethnic minorities in American society • Are overrepresented in the lower SES levels • Economic disadvantage still affects minority youth from middle-income backgrounds • Japanese Americans, often seen as “model minority,” still have ethnic minority status stress • Ethnic minority groups are not homogenous and eth nic minorities differ among themselves socially, historically, and economically • Assimilation: absorption into the dominant group • Pluralism: coexistence of distinct ethnic and cultural groups in the same society.

25. Adolescent Problems • Juvenile delinquency • Is a broad concept that includes many actions from minor infractions to murder • More likely to be committed by males (8/10) • Involvement by females is increasing • More males than females are arrested • Property offenses are committed more than any other crime, by both sexes • Rates are disproportionately higher for minority and lower SES youth • Minorities are judged delinquent more than Whites

26. Causes of delinquency • Heredity • Identity problems • Community influences • Family experiences • Lower class culture • Antisocial peer groups and gangs • Status given for antisocial behavior • Male “high-status” traits nurtured • High crime areas have criminal role models • Community resources are inadequate

27. Youth crime • A high concern in the United States • Feelings of helplessness, alienation, and depression can lead to violence and suicide • Although small-town violence attracts attention, rates of violence are highest in poverty-infested areas • Prevention efforts should include • Developmentally appropriate schools • Supportive families • Positive youth and community organizations • Depression is highest in adolescence – highest in girls

28. Adolescents and suicide: • Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 13- to 19-year-olds in U.S. • Females are more likely to attempt suicide • Males are more likely to commit suicide • Males use more lethal means than females • Homosexual youths may be 3 to 7 times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youths • Suicide is affected by genetic and emotional factors