DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Lucy Capuano Brewer, Psychology Psych 05 – Chapter 12

Psychosocial Development

Adolescence

Guideposts for Study

How do adolescents form an identity, and what roles do gender and ethnicity play?

What determines sexual orientation, what sexual practices are common among adolescents, and what leads some to engage in risky sexual behavior?

How do adolescents relate to parents, siblings, and peers?

What are the root causes of antisocial behavior and juvenile delinquency, and what can be done to reduce these risks of adolescence?

The Search for Identity



Erikson: Identity Identity Confusion versus



Marcia’s Identity Status and Commitment —Crisis

Erikson’s: Identity vs. Role Confusion (12 – late teens/early 20’s The primary task of this stage is to answer the question “Who am I?” The identity adolescence; crisis is seldom fully resolved in issues concerning identity crop up again and again throughout adult life.

may Teens form their identity by modifying and synthesizing earlier identifications into a new

psychological structure, greater than the sum of its parts.

The adolescent must relationship with others.

develop a consistent identity form their own self-perception and their Identity forms as young people major issues: resolve three 1. choice of an occupation, 2. the adoption of values to believe in and live by, 3. development of a satisfying sexual identity.

Virtue



fidelity: Sustained companions.

loyalty, faith, or a sense of belonging to a loved one or to friends and Fidelity can also mean identification with a set of values, group.

an ideology, a religion, a political movement, a creative pursuit, or an ethnic Fidelity is an extension of trust: in infancy it is important to trust parents, in the teenage years, it becomes important to be trustworthy of oneself.

Those that do not develop

sense of self,

an “identity”, become confused and directionless.

Identity Status: Crisis and Commitment Developed a

statuses

model, personalities.

(James Marcia) four state of ego development or identity related to particular types of They crisis: differ according to the presence or absence of CRISIS : period of conscious decision making COMMITMENT : personal investment occupation or system of beliefs – ideology.

in an IDENTITIY ACHIEVEMENT: Crisis leading to commitment



has made choices and exhibits strong commitment towards them:

wants to be an M.D., done the research as to which schools are the best.

FORECLOSURE: commitment without crisis.

Commitments are the result of accepting someone else’s plans for their life, without reaching a crisis.

Teen will go into the family business once they graduate from high school .

Large numbers of minority teenagers are in foreclosure.

MORATORIUM: Crisis with no commitment yet.

Should I join the army, or should I work, or go to the community college, not decided quite yet.

IDENTITY DIFFUSION: no commitment, no crisis; become aimless with no goals in mind, tend to be unhappy, lonely and also tend to have superficial relationships.

Not sure what to do, go from job to job (low pay) until something better comes around .

Adolescents in Trouble: Antisocial Behavior and Juvenile Delinquency

What are the root causes of antisocial behavior and juvenile delinquency, and what can be done to reduce these and other risks of adolescence?

Copyright (c) 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Conduct Disorder

Studies indicate that conduct disorders are the largest single group of psychiatric illnesses in adolescents.

Because the symptoms are closely tied to socially unacceptable, violent or criminal behavior, many people confuse the illnesses years.

in this diagnostic category with either juvenile delinquency or the turmoil of the teen Children who have demonstrated following behaviors over six at least three months evaluated for possible conduct disorder: of the should be 1.

2.

Steals--without confrontation as in forgery , and/or by using physical force as in muggings, armed robbery, purse-snatching or extortion.

Consistently lies sexual abuse.

other than to avoid physical or 3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Deliberately sets fires.

Is often truant from school absent from work.

or, for older patients, is Has broken into someone's home, office or car.

Deliberately destroys the property of others.

Has been physically cruel to animals and/or to humans.

8. Has 9. Has forced someone into used a weapon sexual activity with him or her.

in more than one fight.

10. Often starts fights.

Researchers have not yet discovered what causes disorders, but they continue to investigate psychological, sociological and biological theories.

conduct several Psychological and psychoanalytical theories aggressive, antisocial behavior is a suggest that defense against anxiety, an attempt relationship, the result of maternal deprivation, or a failure to internalize controls.

to recapture the mother-infant Sociological theories from a child's society, or to suggest that conduct disorders result attempt to cope with a hostile environment get material goods that come with living in an affluent gain social status , to among friends. Other sociologists say inconsistent parenting development of the disorders.

contributes to the Finally, biological theories point to a number of studies that indicate youngsters could disorders.

more boys inherit a vulnerability to the Children of criminal or antisocial parents tend to develop the same problems. Moreover, because so many than girls develop the disorder, some think male hormones may play a role.

Still other biological researchers think a central nervous system antisocial behavior.

problem in the could contribute to the erratic and

None of these theories can fully explain why conduct disorders develop.

Most likely, an inherited predisposition and environmental and parenting influences all play a part in the illness.

Because conduct disorders

do not go away without intervention,

appropriate treatment is essential.

Aimed at helping young people realize and understand the effect their behavior has on others, these treatments include behavior therapy and psychotherapy, in either individual and/or group sessions.

Some youngsters suffer from depression or attention deficit disorder as well as conduct disorder.

children, use of medications as well as psychotherapy has helped lessen the symptoms of conduct disorder.

For these

Relationships with Family, Peers, and Adult Society Is Adolescent Rebellion a Myth?

Changing Time Use and Changing Relationships

Copyright (c) 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationships with Family, Peers, and Adult Society Adolescents and Parents

Conversation, Autonomy, and Conflict Parenting Styles Family Structure and Mothers’ Employment Economic Stress

Copyright (c) 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationships with Family, Peers, and Adult Society Adolescents and Siblings Adolescents and Peers

Popularity Friendships

Copyright (c) 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sexuality What orientation?

determines sexual

sexual orientation: Focus of consistent sexual, romantic, and affectionate heterosexual, interest, homosexual, bisexual either or

Sexuality Sexual Behavior

Heterosexual Activity Homosexual Identity and Behavior

Sexual Risk Taking

Early Sexual Activity Contraceptive Use Where Do Teenagers Get Information about Sex?