Transcript Socioemotional Development in Adolescence Chapter 13

Chapter 13
Socioemotional
Development in
Adolescence
Socioemotional
Development
in Adolescence
Identity
Families
Peers
Culture and
Adolescent
Development
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
Adolescent
Problems
2
Identity
Some
Contemporary
Thoughts
about Identity
Identity
Statuses and
Development
Family
Influences
on Identity
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
Culture,
Ethnicity, and
Gender
3
Identity
• Erikson termed the period of adolescence a
psychological moratorium, a gap between the
security of childhood and autonomy of adulthood.
• His fifth stage of development is characterized by
the dilemma of identity versus identity confusion.
• Adolescents experiment with the numerous roles
and identities they draw from the surrounding
culture.
• Either they successfully cope with conflicting
identities or they don’t resolve their identity crisis.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
4
The Elements of Identity
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vocational/Career Identity
Political Identity
Religious Identity
Relationship Identity
Achievement/Intellectual Identity
Sexual Identity
Cultural/Ethnic Identity
Interests
Personality
Physical Identity
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
5
Some Contemporary Thoughts
about Identity
• Identity development is a lengthy process.
• Identity development is extraordinarily
complex.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
6
Identity Development is a
Lengthy Process
• Identity formation neither begins nor ends with
adolescence.
• The importance of adolescence is that it marks the
first time physical, cognitive, and social
development advance to the point where the
individual can sort through childhood identities to
construct a pathway to adult maturity.
• Resolution of the identity issue at adolescence
doesn’t mean that identity will remain stable
throughout life.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
7
Identity Development is
Complex
• Synthesizing the identity components can be a
long, drawn-out process.
• It involves many negations and affirmations of
various roles and faces.
• Identities are developed in bits and pieces.
• Decisions are not made once and for all, but have
to be made again and again.
• Over the years of adolescence, the decisions begin
to form a core of what the individual is all about
as a person—what is called “identity.”
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
8
Identity Statuses and
Development
• James Marcia concluded that four identity
statuses, or modes of resolution, appear in
Erikson’s theory.
• The extent of an adolescent’s commitment
and crisis is used to classify him or her
according to one of the four statuses.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
9
Crisis and Commitment
• Crisis - a period of identity development
during which the adolescent is choosing
among meaningful alternatives
• Commitment - the part of identity
development in which adolescents show a
personal investment in what they are going
to do
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
10
Marcia’s Identity Statuses
•
•
•
•
Identity Diffusion
Identity Foreclosure
Identity Moratorium
Identity Achievement
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
11
The Development of Identity
• Young adolescents are primarily in identity
diffusion, foreclosure, or moratorium status.
• Three fundamental aspects of young adolescents’
development with regard to identity formation are:
– confidence in parental support
– a sense of industry
– a self-reflective perspective on the future
• Some researchers believe the most important
identity changes take place during college.
• MAMA cycles are common to individuals who
develop positive identities.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
12
Family Influences on Identity
• Democratic parents, who encourage adolescents to
participate in family decision making, foster identity
achievement.
• Autocratic parents, who control the adolescents’
behavior, encourage identity foreclosure.
• Permissive parents, who provide little guidance to
adolescents and allow them to make their own
decisions, promote identity diffusion.
• The presence of a family atmosphere that promotes
both individuality and connectedness is important in
adolescents’ identity development.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
13
Individuality and
Connectedness
• Individuality consists of two dimensions: selfassertion, the ability to have and communicate a
point of view, and separateness, the use of
communication patterns to express how one is
different from others.
• Connectedness also consists of two dimensions:
mutuality, sensitivity to and respect for others’
views, and permeability, openness to others’
views.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
14
Ethnic Identity
• Ethnic identity is an enduring, basic aspect of the
self that includes a sense of membership in an
ethnic group and the attitudes and feelings related
to that membership.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
15
Culture and Ethnicity
• Most ethnic minority individuals consciously
confront their ethnicity for the first time in
adolescence.
• For adolescents from ethnic minority groups, the
process of identity formation has an added
dimension due to exposure to alternative sources
of identification.
• Ethnic identity increases with age.
• Higher levels of ethnic identity are linked with
more positive attitudes toward both one’s own
group and members of other ethnic groups.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
16
Gender and Identity
Development
• Erikson asserted that males’ aspirations were
mainly oriented toward career and ideological
commitments.
• He asserted that females’ aspirations were
centered around marriage and child bearing.
• Researchers in the 1960s and 1970s found
support for these gender differences.
• In the past 20 years, females have developed
stronger vocational interests and thus the
differences are turning into similarities.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
17
Stage Reversal and Gender
Differences
• Some researchers believe that the order of stages
Erikson proposed is different for females and males.
• Some have proposed that for males, identity
formation precedes the stage of intimacy, while for
females, intimacy precedes identity.
• This is consistent with the belief that relationships
and emotional bonds are more important concerns
of females, while autonomy and achievement are
more important concerns of males.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
18
Families
Autonomy
and
Attachment
ParentAdolescent
Conflict
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
19
Autonomy
• The ability to attain autonomy and gain control
over one’s behavior in adolescence is acquired
through appropriate adult reactions to the
adolescent’s desire for control.
• As the adolescent pushes for autonomy, the wise
adult relinquishes control in those areas in which
the adolescent can make reasonable decisions but
continues to guide them.
• Gradually, adolescents acquire the ability to make
mature decisions on their own.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
20
Attachment
• Researchers have found that securely attached
adolescents were less likely than those who were
insecurely attached to engage in problem
behaviors, such as juvenile delinquency and drug
abuse.
• Other research has shown securely attached
adolescents had better peer relations than their
insecurely attached counterparts.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
21
Parent-Adolescent Conflict
• Parents often expect their adolescents to become
mature adults overnight, instead of understanding
that the journey takes 10-15 years.
• Conflicts primarily involve the everyday events of
family life, rather than major dilemmas like drugs.
• It is estimated that one in five families engage in
prolonged, intense, repeated, unhealthy conflict.
• This kind of conflict is associated with a number
of adolescent problems.
• Conflict varies by culture.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
22
The Positive Side of Conflict
• The everyday conflicts that characterize parentadolescent relationships may actually serve a
positive developmental function.
• Minor disputes and negotiations facilitate the
adolescent’s transition from being dependent on
parents to becoming an autonomous individual.
• One study reported that adolescents who
expressed disagreement with their parents
explored identity development more actively.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
23
Parental Characteristics for Positive
Adolescent Development
• Parents should:
– show their teens warmth and mutual respect.
– demonstrate sustained interest in their teens’ lives.
– recognize and adapt to teens’ cognitive and
socioemotional development.
– communicate expectations for high standards of
conduct and achievement.
– display constructive ways of dealing with problems and
conflict.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
24
Peers
Peer
Groups
Friendships
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
Dating and
Romantic
Relationships
25
Peer Groups
• Cliques
• Adolescent Groups Versus Children
Groups
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
26
Cliques
• Allegiance to cliques can exert powerful control
over the lives of adolescents.
• Group identity often overrides personal identity.
• Clique leaders may place members in positions of
considerable moral conflict by asking teens to
choose between their “code” and that of their
parents.
• One study has found correlational data linking
clique membership to self-esteem.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
27
Adolescent Groups Versus
Children Groups
• Children groups are usually made up of friends or
neighborhood acquaintances.
• Adolescent groups tend to include a broader array
of members.
• Adolescent groups are more likely to have a
mixture of individuals from different ethnic
groups than are peer groups in childhood.
• Children groups are not as formalized as many
adolescent groups.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
28
Friendships
• Harry Stack Sullivan’s Perspective
• Findings on Friendship
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
29
Harry Stack Sullivan’s Perspective
• Sullivan believed that all people have a number of
basic social needs that must be fulfilled for our
emotional well-being.
• Developmentally, friends become increasingly
depended on to satisfy these needs during
adolescence.
• The need for intimacy intensifies during early
adolescence, motivating teenagers to seek out
close friends.
• If teens fail to forge such close friendships, they
experience painful feelings of loneliness, and
reduced sense of self-worth.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
30
Findings on Friendship
• Research supports many of Sullivan’s ideas.
• Adolescents report disclosing intimate and
personal information to their friends more often
than younger children.
• Adolescents say they depend more on friends than
on parents to satisfy their needs for intimacy,
companionship, and reassurance of worth.
• The quality of friendship is more strongly linked
to feelings of well-being during adolescence than
during childhood.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
31
Dating and Romantic
Relationships
• Types of Dating and Developmental
Changes
• Dating Scripts
• Emotion and Romantic Relationships
• Sociocultural Contexts and Dating
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
32
Types of Dating and
Developmental Changes
• Early romantic relationships serve as a context for
adolescents to explore:
– how attractive they are
– how they should romantically interact
with someone
– how it all looks to the peer group
• After they have acquired the basic competencies in
interacting with romantic partners, teens then
begin to focus their relationships on fulfillment of
attachment and sexual needs.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
33
The Progression of Dating
• In early exploration of romantic relationships,
adolescents find comfort in numbers and begin
hanging out together in heterosexual groups.
• A special concern is early dating and “going with”
someone, as it is associated with adolescent
pregnancy and problems at home and school.
• Cyberdating is a new phenomenon in which
adolescents “date” over the Internet.
• By the time teens are in high school and can
drive, dating becomes a more real-life venture.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
34
Dating Scripts
• Dating scripts are the cognitive models that guide
individuals’ dating interactions.
• One study showed that first dates are highly
scripted along gender lines.
• Males were found to follow a proactive dating
script, while females followed a reactive one.
• Another study showed males and females bring
different motivations to the dating experience.
• Girls were more likely to describe romance in
terms of interpersonal qualities, while boys
described it in terms of physical attraction.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
35
Emotion and Romantic
Relationships
• Romantic relationships often are involved in an
adolescents’ emotional experience.
• Ninth- to twelfth-grade girls reported relationships
as the explanation for more than one-third of their
strong emotions and boys gave this reason for onefourth of their strong emotions.
• The strong emotions of adolescent romance can
have both disruptive effects and provide a source
for possible mastery and growth.
• Learning to manage the strong emotions can give
adolescents a sense of competence.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
36
Sociocultural Contexts
and Dating
• Values and religious beliefs of people in various
cultures often dictate:
– the age at which dating begins
– how much freedom in dating is allowed
– whether dates must be chaperoned
– the roles of males and females in dating
• Dating may be a source of cultural conflict for
immigrants and their families
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
37
Culture and
Adolescent Development
Cross-Cultural
Comparisons
and Rites
of Passage
Ethnicity
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
38
Cross-Cultural Comparisons
• Cross-cultural studies involve the comparison of a
culture with one or more other cultures.
• This provides information about the degree to
which development is similar, or universal, across
cultures, or the degree to which it is culturespecific.
• The study of adolescence has emerged in the
context of Western industrialized society, with the
practical needs and social norms of this culture
dominating thinking about all adolescents.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
39
Rites of Passage
• A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual that marks
an individual’s transition from one status to
another.
• Most rites of passage focus on the transition to
adult status.
• In many cultures, rites of passage often involve
dramatic practices and are the avenue through
which adolescents gain access to sacred adult
practices, knowledge, and sexuality.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
40
Rites of Passage in the U.S.
• In the U.S. we do not have universal formal
ceremonies that mark the passage from
adolescence to adulthood.
• Certain religious and social groups have
initiation ceremonies that indicate an advance
in maturity has been reached.
• School graduation ceremonies come the
closest to being culture-wide rites of passage
in the U.S.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
41
Ethnicity
• Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status
• Differences and Diversity
• Value Conflicts, Assimilation, and
Pluralism
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
42
Ethnicity and
Socioeconomic Status
• Much of the research on ethnic minority
adolescents has failed to tease apart the influences
of ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
• Poverty contributes to the stressful life
experiences of many ethnic minority adolescents.
• Not all ethnic minorities are poor, however.
• Middle-income ethnic minority youth still
encounter much of the prejudice, discrimination,
and bias associated with being a minority.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
43
Differences and Diversity
• There are legitimate differences between various
ethnic minority groups, as well as between ethnic
minority groups and the majority White group.
• Historical, economic, and social experiences
produce differences in ethnic groups.
• Ethnic minority groups are not homogeneous; they
have different social, historical, and economic
backgrounds.
• Recognizing and respecting these differences are
important aspects of getting along with others in a
multicultural world.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
44
Value Conflicts, Assimilation,
and Pluralism
• Assimilation - the absorption of ethnic minority
groups into the dominant group.
• This often means the loss of some or virtually all
of the behavior and values of the minority group.
• Pluralism - the coexistence of distinct ethnic and
cultural groups in the same society.
• Individuals who adopt a pluralistic stance usually
advocate that cultural differences be maintained
and appreciated.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
45
Adolescent Problems
Juvenile
Delinquency
Depression
and Suicide
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
The Interrelation
of Problems and
Successful Prevention/
Intervention Programs
46
Juvenile Delinquency
• Juvenile delinquent - an adolescent who breaks the
law or engages in behavior that is considered illegal.
• It is a broad concept, including everything from
littering to murder.
• Arrest of adolescent males for delinquency is much
higher than for females.
• Delinquency rates among African American, other
minority groups, and low SES youth are
proportionally higher than for the general population.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
47
Causes of Delinquency
• Erikson’s View
• The Role of SES
• Parenting
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
48
Erikson’s View
• For Erikson, delinquency is an attempt to establish
an identity, although a negative one.
• He believes adolescents whose development has
restricted them from acceptable social roles or has
made them feel they cannot measure up to demands
placed on them may choose a negative identity.
• Those with a negative identity may find support for
their delinquent image among their peers, thus
reinforcing it.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
49
The Role of SES
• Some characteristics of the lower-class culture may
promote delinquency.
• The norms of many lower-SES peer groups and gangs are
antisocial relative to the goals and norms of society at
large.
• Adolescents from low-income backgrounds may sense that
they can gain attention and status by performing antisocial
actions.
• Being “tough” and “masculine” are high-status traits for
lower SES boys, and these traits are often measured by the
adolescent’s success in performing delinquent acts.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
50
Parenting
• Family support is associated with delinquency.
• Parents of delinquents are less skilled in
discouraging antisocial behavior and in
encouraging skilled behavior.
• Parental monitoring of adolescents is especially
important in determining whether an adolescent
becomes a delinquent.
• Family discord and inconsistent and inappropriate
discipline are also associated with delinquency.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
51
Youth Violence
• Violent youth are overwhelmingly male.
• Many are driven by feelings of powerlessness.
• Youth violence is rampant in poverty-infested
areas of inner cities.
• Many urban youth who live in poverty also lack
adequate parent involvement and supervision.
• Interviews with a number of youth killers indicate
that a lack of a spiritual center and emotional
emptiness may lead to such violent acts.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
52
Depression
• Depression is more likely to occur in adolescence
than in childhood.
• Adolescent girls have higher rates of depression:
– Females tend to ruminate in their depressed mood.
– Females’ self-images are more negative than males.
– Females face more discrimination than males.
• Family factors can create a risk for depression.
• Poor peer relations are associated with depression.
• Experiencing difficult changes can result in
depressive symptoms.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
53
Suicide
• Suicide is now the third leading cause of death in 15-24
year olds.
• Males are about three times as likely to commit suicide.
• Females attempt suicide more frequently.
• The gender difference is thought to be due to the fact that
boys tend to use more active methods, while girls resort to
passive methods.
• Homosexual adolescents are especially vulnerable to
suicide, as they are six to seven times more likely to
attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
54
Adolescents Who Commit
Suicide
• Suicidal adolescents often have depressive
symptoms.
• They experience a sense of hopelessness.
• They suffer from low self-esteem.
• They frequently blame themselves for any number
of things.
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
55
The Interrelation of Problems
• The most at-risk adolescents have more than one
problem.
• As many as 10% of all adolescents in the U.S.
have serious multiple-problem behaviors.
• These high-risk youth often engage in two- or
three-problem behaviors, such as:
– substance abuse – early sexual activity
– lower grades
– dropping out of school
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
56
Successful Prevention/
Intervention Programs
• Intensive individualized attention
• Community-wide multiagency collaborative
approaches
• Early identification
Black Hawk College Chapter 13
57