Adolescence: Social and Emotional Development CHAPTER TWELVE

What is the key question asked during adolescence?

 Who am I?

Erickson & Identity Development:

 Remember Erickson felt that at this age we enter into a crisis between identity and role confusion. This crisis involves balancing the desire to try out many possible selves and the need to select a single self.  Erickson believed the primary task of the adolescent is to develop Ego Identity: a sense of who they are and what they stand for.

Erickson & Identity Development, cont.

Adolescents are faced with choices about their:  -Future occupation     -Political beliefs -Religious beliefs -Sexual orientation -Gender role behaviors

Erickson & Identity Development, cont.

   The ability to engage in formal operational thinking helps adolescents make these decisions.

Erickson believed adolescent in a process of psychological Memoratorium: A time out period where adolescents experiment with different roles, values, beliefs and relationships. During this time adolescents often have Identity crisis: An examination of ones values and making decisions about your role in life.

Marcia built on Erickson’s approach and identified 4 identity statuses:

 The 4 identity statuses represent four possible combinations of the dimensions of exploration and commitment that Erikson believed were important to the development of identity Four dentity statuses:  1) Identity diffusion: have nor commitments nor trying to form them.    2) Foreclosure: commitments based on identification with parents, teachers or religious leaders.

3) Moratorium: actively exploring alternatives in attempt to make a choice; 4) Identity achievement: developed firm commitment

Did You Know?

 The greatest gains in identity formation occur in college

How Does Ethnicity Influence the Development of Identity?

     It is much more complicated for ethnic minority groups. Why?

If cultural values conflict between values of dominant culture and their ethnic group then the adolescent needs to sort out the values that are most meaningful to them and incorporate those into their identity.

Experience discrimination and prejudice, have fewer role models and identity options— particularly for youth living in poverty Too much identification with dominant culture may lead to rejection from the minority group; however, rejecting the dominant culture’s values for that of the minority group may limit opportunities for advancement in the larger society Often have fewer educational and career opportunities

Gender and Identity:

   Erickson felt that to women relationships (wife, mother) are most important to women’s development of identity, while for men it is occupational and ideological matters.

What does current research report?  Few differences at all!

Though women are more likely to integrate occupational and family roles.

Development of Self-Concept in Adolescence

 Self concept becomes more differentiated (more characteristics added to self description)   Adolescents incorporate psychological characteristics and social relationships into self descriptions More advanced formal operational thinking allows the adolescent to integrate many contradictory elements of themselves.

What Happens to Self-Esteem in Adolescence?

 Lowest at 12 or 13 then rises gradually  Physical appearance contributes more to an adolescents self esteem than any other characteristic.

 As adolescent develop academic, physical, and social skills, they may grow less critical of themselves which increases self-esteem.

 Emotional support from parents and peers is important; the more highly regarded the teen feels, the more likely positively they regard themselves

How Does the Relationship with Parents and Peers Change During Adolescence?

 Adolescent development of who we are is heavily influenced by both.

1.

Parents:

-Spend much less time with them -Interact more with mothers -Less affectionate with them -Express increasing independence, yet still have close bond with them (esp. mom).

Know!

 Adolescents who feel close to parents more likely to show greater self reliance, independence, higher self esteem, better school performance, fewer psychological and social problems.

Relationship With Parents, cont.

 Conflict often occurs between what parent thinks they should control versus what they teenager thinks they should control.

Conflict tends to focus on:  -Chores   -Homework -Curfew    -Personal appearance -Finances -Dating

What do you think? True or False:

 Adolescents from authoritative homes (parents are willing to exert control and explain reasons for doing so) show more competent behavior than other groups of teenagers.

 True

Friendships in Adolescence

Characterized by:  -More in number than when younger     -Having one or two “best friends” & several good friends -Spending many hours a day with them (texting, conversing, and IM-ing included) -Stress acceptance, intimate self-disclosure, and mutual understanding in friendship -Stress loyalty and trustworthiness; more likely to share with friends and less likely to compete with them.

Friendships in Adolescence, Cont.

    -Friends typically similar in age and race; almost always same sex; romantic attachments increase but same sex friend remains best friend -Alike in attitudes, educational aspirations, and grades; also alike in drinking, drug use, and sexual activity -Friendship contributes to positive self-concept and psychological adjustment; teen with best friend has higher self-esteem than teens without -Girls tend to have 1-2 close friends, where boys tend to be in a larger less intimate group of friends.

Peer Influence

    -Peer pressure fairly weak in early adolescence; peaks during mid-adolescence; declines in late adolescence, after age 17 -Parents and peers are usually complementary rather than competing influences -Teens more likely to conform to peer standards in matters of taste and style; more likely to agree with parents on moral principles and future educational and career goals -Peer pressure tends to be positive and negative; may influence friend to not do “too well” in school

Peer Influence, Cont.

 -Adolescents who smoke, drink, use drugs, and engage in sexual activity often have friends who engage in those behaviors; teens tend to have friends who are similar to themselves  -Authoritative parenting appears to discourage negative influence, whereas authoritarian and permissive parenting seem to encourage it