Ch 11/12 moving into Ch 13/14

1. Ch 11/12moving into Ch 13/14 Adolescence/Early Adulthood Psyc311 Developmental Dr. Wright

2. Identity development • Adolescence identity crisis • Identity • Sense of individual self • Selection of commitments, beliefs, values • Interpersonal process • Taking their place in the adult community

3. cognitive changes • Piaget’s – Formal Operational Thought • Logical, abstract thinking • Thinking about possibilities • “If-then” thinking • Connection between how things are and how they could be. • (Also, relatedly, how things should be). • Thinking about thinking • Understanding knowledge (how/when gained) • Monitoring one’s own mental states

4. relativism • Not everything is “black and white” • Recognition of importance of perspective • Death of childish “realism/absolutism” • Can result in extreme skepticism • Rejection of authority • Rejection of cultural/social norms • Everything is “ok” – no right/wrong • Tolerance for different beliefs • Though less tolerance for actual interaction/helping

5. Increased introspection, self-consciousness, rationalization • Responsible for adolescent version of egocentrism. • Imaginary audience • Personal fable • Importance of personal individuality

6. Identity Status • Crisis never begins: diffusion • Crisis begins –> ends with foreclosure • Crisis begins –> ends with achievement • Requires period of psychosocial moratorium • Period of exploration • Importance in contemporary society?

7. What are some of the grounds of identity? • Gender • Sexual orientation • Ethnicity/culture • Age group • Vocation • Political ideology • Religious/moral values

8. What is gender identity? • Function of gender roles • Adolescence – Early adulthood • Gender intensification • Social/cultural pressures • Peer pressures • Parental pressures • Biological pressures

9. Sexual identity • Developing a Sexual Identity Involves: • Learning to manage sexual feelings • Developing new forms of intimacy • Learning skills to regulate sexual behavior • Sexual Identity Includes: • Activities • Interests • Styles of behavior • Indication of sexual orientation

10. Sexual identity

11. What is ethnic identity? • Identification • Physical/psychological characteristics • Cultural practices/beliefs • Racial socialization • Majority vs. minority status • Dislocation from native lands • Cultural heritage • Positive vs. negative identity • Assimilation vs. marginality • Bi-culturalism

13. Religious identity • Aspect of identity associated with religious belief system. • Being a Christian or Buddhist • Being an atheist

14. Downtrend in religious interest among adolescents has occurred in the 21st century • Adolescents higher in religiosity are: • Less likely to smoke, drink, use marijuana • Less likely to be truant from school and engage in delinquent activities • Less likely to be depressed

15. Vocational identity • Aspect of identity associated with career. • Being a lawyer • Being a janitor • Age identity • Aspects of identity associated with age group. • Being a teenager • Being an elderly person

16. Identity and stereotypes • Identities commonly incorporate/activate stereotypes • Common characteristics associated with • Being female • Being Native American • Being a plumber • Being a liberal • Some characteristics positive, others negative. • Stereotype activation makes these characteristics salient. • This can have incredibly powerful effects on behavior.

17. Gender and ethnicity stereotypes • Influence on academic performance • When gender made salient • Females under-perform on math exams • When ethnicity made salient • Blacks under-perform on academic tests • Whites over-perform on academic tests • Can be activated by something as simple as asking ethnicity on demographic form!

20. Clash of multiple identities • Asian females • Baseline math performance • When gender made salient, perform less well • When ethnicity made salient, perform better

22. Other effects • When primed with racial stereotypes people were more likely to perceive a power tool as a gun. • People primed with elderly stereotype will perceive hills to be steeper and distances longer. • They’ll also walk more slowly when leaving the room! • People primed with stereotype of obesity perceived people to be less intelligent, more lazy. • Priming with gender influences perception of artistic pieces and writing. • Priming of identity stereotypes facilitate specific interpretations of behavior.

23. Becoming an adult • What makes the transition into adulthood go smoothly? • Assets linked to well-being during transition to adulthood: • Intellectual: academic success, ability to plan, good decision-making skills • Psychological: mental health, mastery motivation, confidence, identity, values, community contributions • Social: connectedness to others through friendship and positive peer relations

24. Negative aspects of high school to college transition: • Top-dog phenomenon • Movement to a larger, more impersonal school structure • Increased focus on achievement and assessment • Positive aspects of transition: • More likely to feel grown up • More subjects from which to select • More time to spend with peers • More opportunities to explore different lifestyles and values • Greater independence from parental monitoring • Intellectual challenges

26. Few chronic health problems • Yet, young adults have more than twice the mortality rate of adolescents • Best time to develop good health habits • Easy time to develop poor health habits • Effects of bad habits not felt for long time

27. As obesity rises, dieting is an obsession for many • 1/3 to 2/3 of dieters regain more weight than they lost on their diets • Eating disorders emerge

28. What causes eating disorders? • Influence of family environment • Influence of peer norms/behavior • Influence of media (fashion industry)

29. Many factors predispose women (and men) towards eating disorders • Stressful family environment • Competitive involvement in athletics • Personality traits • Nonetheless, norm of beauty/health portrayed by media sets the standard that activates the disorder.

30. Current social norms are unattainable • Achieving it is harmful • Not achieving it is harmful • Consequences of having unattainable norm? • depression, anxiety, obsession, low self-esteem • If our norms are unreasonable, why do we have them? • Are other social norms equally unreasonable?

31. Young adults in college are less likely to use drugs than young adults not in college • Exception: alcohol • Alcohol: • Binge drinking: • Drinking with intention of getting drunk • 5 standard drinks (male)/4 (female) in one hour • anytime one reaches a peak BAC of 0.08% or higher • rapid consumption (shots, chugging, drinking games) • Often increases in college • More common among men than women • Peaks at about 21 to 22 years of age and then declines • Increases risk of having unprotected sex, injuries/death due to accidents/drunk driving, falling behind in school, losing jobs.

33. Attractiveness • Most emerging adults look vital and attractive because of overall health, strength, and activity • oily hair, pimpled faces, and awkward limbs of adolescence are gone • wrinkles and hair loss of adulthood have not yet appeared • muscles are stronger and obesity is less common in emerging adulthood than earlier or later in life

35. During emerging adulthood, most individuals are both sexually active and unmarried • Patterns of Heterosexual Behavior: • 60% emerging adults have had sexual intercourse with only 1 individual in the last year • 25% report having sexual intercourse only a couple of times a year or not at all • Casual sex is most common in emerging adulthood • Males have more casual sex partners, while females report being more selective • Males think about sex more • 54% males: several times/day • 67% females: few times/week or month

36. Key Findings from 1994 Sex in America Survey • Americans tend to fall into three categories • 1/3 have sex twice a week or more • 1/3 a few times a month • 1/3 a few times a year or not at all • Married (and cohabiting) couples have sex more often than non-cohabiting couples • Most do not engage in kinky sexual acts • unusual, abnormal, or deviant sexual practices • Adultery reported to be the exception rather than the rule • Really??

37. Rape: forcible sexual intercourse without consent • Date or Acquaintance Rape:coercive sexual activity directed at someone with whom the victim is at least casually acquainted • 2/3 of college freshmen report having been date-raped or having experienced an attempted date rape

39. Identity -> Intimacy • Intimacy: Self-disclosure and the sharing of private thoughts are hallmarks of intimacy • Identity serves as foundation for next psychosocial development: intimacy. • Erikson: Intimacy vs. Isolation • Intimacy should occur after one is well into establishing a stable and successful identity • Failure to achieve intimacy results in social isolation

40. intimacy • Desire to share life with someone • Goes beyond desire for physical intimacy • Need for sharing of values, experiences • psychological/emotional intimacy • Need for enduring, self-sacrificing commitment • Something larger than oneself • Lack of which can lead to profound loneliness and depression

41. Adult Attachment Styles: • Secure Adults: • Have a positive view of relationships and find it easy to get close to others • Are not overly concerned with or stressed out about romantic relationships • Tend to enjoy sexuality in the context of a committed relationship • Romantic partners fulfill some of the same needs for adults as parents do for children • Adults may count on their romantic partners to be a secure base

42. Attachment-related anxiety • Insecurity about whether someone else will be responsive, available, attentive. • Demand closeness; are less trusting • Are more emotional, jealous, and possessive • Attachment-related avoidance • Insecurity about relying on others, opening up to them, achieving intimacy. • Are hesitant about getting involved in romantic relationships • Tend to distance themselves from their partner • Securely attached adults are low in both anxiety and avoidance.

43. Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love: • Triangle with three main dimensions: • Passion: physical and sexual attraction to another • Intimacy: emotional feelings of warmth, closeness, and sharing • Commitment: cognitive appraisal of the relationship and the intent to maintain the relationship even in the face of problems

44. Types of Love • Romantic love: also called passionate love, or eros • Strong components of sexuality and infatuation • Different emotions: anger, fear, passion, sexual desire, joy, jealousy • Affectionate love: also called companionate love • Based on a deep and caring affection • Passion tends to give way to affection • Consummate love: the strongest form of love

45. Intimacy Commitment Present Absent or low Passion