420 likes | 936 Views
Adolescent Egocentrism and Risk-Taking Behaviors. Main campus 505 Englewood Drive Rocky Mount, NC 27804 www.fcspatriots.org Phone 252-443-1700 Fax 252-443-2456. Prepared by Marjorie A. Rogers-Slagle For the parents of FCS Middle School students July 20, 2010. 2010 - 2011.
E N D
Adolescent Egocentrism and Risk-Taking Behaviors Main campus 505 Englewood Drive Rocky Mount, NC 27804 www.fcspatriots.org Phone 252-443-1700 Fax 252-443-2456 Prepared by Marjorie A. Rogers-Slagle For the parents of FCS Middle School students July 20, 2010 2010 - 2011
What I want to do For you today • Provide a support system for you that • will help you connect with their child • Bring you to a higher awareness • of the adolescents thinking processes • Bring you a greater awareness of the • adolescent’s decision making and how • it relates to risk-taking behaviors.
adolescence • What in the world is going on with my child? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iy5IZ1H66A&feature=related
Egocentrism • An individual’s preoccupation with what others think of them.
Egocentrism • Ages 11 to 16 • Adolescent have difficulty seeing that others can see things differently than they do • Immature thinking
Imaginary audience • Self-consciousness • Everyone else shares the same concern for their appearance as they do • Peaks between ages14-16 • Belief that they are under a constant eye
Imaginary audience • Constant need for privacy. • Becomes stronger around 8th grade • Stronger in girls and last longer
Imaginary audience • Personalities • Ethnicity • Social environment • Other elements in the adolescent’s life
Imaginary audience • Self-esteem • Self-confidence • Popularity • Social support – being ostracized • Living up to the standards of others
Personal fable • Believes their feelings are unique that no one else could possibly experience them to the same degree. • Very Dramatic • Comes from the obsessive focus on themselves.
Personal fable • Privileged “Everyone’s watching me.” • Unique “No one could ever understand.” • All powerful “It couldn’t happen to me”
separation-individualism • The process where the adolescent’s thinking becomes more and more separated from the parent’s or caregiver’s. • Imaginary audience allows them to stay connected while the personal fable helps them to begin forming their own identity.
How Does Egocentrism Relate to Adolescent risk taking behaviors?
Risk-taking • Incapable of being harmed • False sense of power • Interferes with the decision making process • Escalate very quickly • Gives little or no warning of the outcome • Stronger in males • Fails to see the long-term effects
Risk-taking Behaviors • Reckless driving • Binge drinking • Unprotected sex • Purging • Dare devil stunts • Experimenting with drugs
Anesthetics • Nitrite room odorizers
Inhalants: Effects on the brain • Slows down or stops nerve cell activity in some parts of the brain. • Damages the part of the brain that solves complex problems and plans ahead. • Damages the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. • Damages the part of the brain that helps to control memory, meaning; lose of the ability to learn new things, recognize familiar things, or have a hard time keeping track of simple conversations.
Inhalants: A few facts • Age of Onset – late childhood to early adolescence • Typically the first substance that a child experiments with. • Increased and regular use occurs early & late adolescence • The child can get high very fast over and over again during a short time period. • Provides immediate gratification
Risk-taking Consequences • Bulimia • Anorexia nervosa • Addictions • Substance abuse • Brain damage • Life threatening accidents • HIV/AIDS • Death
Risk-taking Motives • Fill a personal need • Phase their going through • Irresponsible • Attention • Thrill-seeking • Social support • Peer pressure • Challenging
Risk-taking Decision Making • Making effective decisions requires the adolescent to balance the risks and benefits • Adolescents may lack the ability to make appropriate risk-taking decisions • They may lack the life experience and knowledge necessary to avoid errors in judgment • They may lack the emotional and social skills • They may lack the assertiveness to avoid participating in risk-taking behaviors
Risk-taking Decision Making • Making effective decisions requires the adolescent to balance the risks and benefits • Adolescents may lack the ability to make appropriate risk-taking decisions • They may lack the life experience and knowledge necessary to avoid errors in judgment • They may lack the emotional and social skills • They may lack the assertiveness to avoid participating in risk-taking behaviors
PEER Groups • Research shows that peer groups have the strongest influence on an adolescent’s decision to participate in risk-taking behaviors. • Why? Because peer groups are the most significant source of social support for the individual during adolescence
Most individuals survive adolescence without experiencing long term effects of risk-taking
Prevention - Reduction • Increased socialization • Education on the consequences of various risky behaviors. • Teach adolescents assertive skills • Teach adolescents how to be decisive in their decision making process
What can you do to make a difference
Parental Influences • Be a positive role-model • Take a vested interest in your child’s life • Talk to them, don’t yell • Be wise in your word choices • Set reasonable boundaries • Take time to listen to their side
Parental Influences • Encourage your child to express his/her feelings • After school activities - Involvement • Community projects • Fine tune your parenting skills Parenting Skills – Imparting Wisdom http://www.allaboutparenting.org/parenting-skills.htm
References Aalsma, M.C., Lapsley, D.K., & Flannery, D.J. (2006). Personal fables, narcissism, and adolescent adjustment. Psychology in the Schools, 43(4), 481-491. Alberts, A., Elkind, D., & Ginsberg, S. (2007). The personal fable and risk-taking in early adolescence. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 36, 71-76. Artar, M. (2007). Adolescent egocentrism and theory of mind: In the context of family relations. Social Behavior and Personality, 35(9), 1211-1220. Aspya, C.B., Veselyb, S.K., Omanb, R.F., Rodinec, S., Marshallc, L., & McLeroy, K. (2007). Parental communication and youth sexual behavior. Journal of Adolescence, 30(3), 449-466. Bell, J. & Bromnick, R. (2003) The social reality of the imaginary audience: A grounded theory approach. Adolescence, 38(150), 205-219. Blum, H.P. (2004) Separation-individuation theory and attachment theory. Journal of American Psychoanalytic Association, 52(2), 535-553. Elkind D. (1967). Egocentrism in adolescence. Child Development, 38(4), 1025-1034. Gardner, M. & Steinberg, L. (2005). Peer influence on risk taking, risk preference, and risky decision making in adolescence and adulthood: An experimental study. Developmental Psychology, 41(4), 625–635.
References Heads Up (n.d.). Inhalants –quiz. Jaffe, M.L. (1998). Adolescence. New York, NY: Wiley Lapsley, D.K. (1993). Towards an integrated theory of adolescent ego development: The "new look" at adolescent egocentrism. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63(4), 562-571. Manley, R. (2009). The personal fable of adolescents understanding the fantasy construct common to youth. Suite 101. http://parentingteens.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_personal_fable_of_adolescents#ixzz0N2WEqO7v Michael, K. & Ben-Zur, H. (2007). Risk-taking among adolescents: Associations with social and affective factors. Journal of Adolescence 30, 17–31. National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (2005). http://www.inhalants.org/product.htm North Carolina School Counseling Association (2010). http://www.ncschoolcounselor.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3308 Rodham, K. , Brewera, H., Mistrala, W., & Stallarda, P. (2006). Adolescents’ perception of risk and challenge: A qualitative study. Journal of Adolescence, 29(2), 261-272.