Chapter 9: Moving into the Adult Social World

Chapter 9: Moving into the Adult Social World Socioemotional Development in Adolescence

Major Topics • Identity and Self-Esteem • Romantic Relationship and Sexuality • The Dark Side

Identity and Self-Esteem • According to existing theories, how do adolescents develop an identity?

Erikson’s Contribution • Erikson believed adolescents needed to resolve a crisis of identity formation. • Involves balancing the desire to explore many possible selves and the need to select a single self • Forming an ID prepares one for the next stage—intimate relationships • Failure to form ID results in problems with forming a relationship

Contribution from Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage of Thought • Adolescents search for an identity using their hypothetical reasoning skills to experiment with different hypothetical selves and learn more about possible identities • Adolescents also commonly… • Demonstrate adolescent egocentrism which is associated with self-absorption • Visualize an imaginary audience associated with feelings that others are constantly watching them

Believe in a personal fable—an attitude that their experiences and feelings are unique • Have an illusion of invulnerability

Contributions About Ethnic Identity • Ethnic identity—feeling of belonging to a specific ethnic group • 3 stages of ethnic identity • Have not examined ethnic roots • Begin to explore personal impact of ethnic heritage • Achieve a distinct ethnic self-concept

Marcia’s Contribution Marcia’s 4 Identity Statuses

Diffusion or foreclosure most common in adolescence. • Romantic, political, and religious-oriented experimentation also common. • Few adolescents completely resolve the identity crisis. Adolescents usually achieve an identity in one area of life; other areas are not achieved until later.

Using Identity Formation to Make Career Choices • Super’s Theory of Career Development • Crystallization—adolescents use their emerging identities to form ideas about careers • Specification—learn more about specific lines of work and begin training • Implementation—individuals actually enter the workforce • Personality-Type Theory (Holland) • People find their work fulfilling when the important features of a job or profession fit the worker’s personality

Part-time employment is common for adolescents and can contribute to choices about careers but can have harmful effects: • Decreased school performance • Mental health and behavioral problems (e.g., anxiety, depression, drug use) • Misleading affluence (e.g., earn and spend)

Self-Esteem in Adolescence • Self-esteem sometimes drops when children move from elementary school to middle school or junior high • Peer comparisons more prevalent • Self-esteem becomes more differentiated in adolescence • Self-esteem is influenced by: • Competence in the domains that are important to the individual • How others people—particularly people important to them—view the adolescent

Romantic Relationships and Sexuality • Why do teenagers date? • Why are some adolescents sexually active? • Why do so few use contraceptives? • What determines an adolescent’s sexual orientation?

Romantic Relationshipsand Sexuality • Romantic relationships provide companionship like that provided by a best friend and an outlet for sexual exploration • Adolescents involved in relationships are often more self-confident, but also report more emotional upheaval and conflict

Sexual Behavior • Influences on sexual behavior: • Parental relationship: less likely to engage in sexual behavior if close with parents, parents monitor behavior/activity, and discourage sex • Peer influence: more likely to engage in sexual behavior if peers are • Gender Differences • Females: describe first sexual partner as someone they love • Males: describe first sexual partner as a casual date

Sexually Transmitted Disease, Pregnancy, and Contraception • Be familiar with the common STDs! • STD’sare transmitted from one person to another through sexual intercourse • Serious implications if left untreated • Most people who contract STD’s do so during adolescence • 1 in 6 adolescent females who engage in sexual intercourse get pregnant • Reasons for not using contraceptives: ignorance, illusion of invulnerability, lack of motivation, lack of access

Sexual Orientation • During adolescence, 15% of teens experience a period of sexual questioning • 5% identify sexual orientation as gay or lesbian • Challenges of same-sex attraction • Family and peer relationships often disrupted • Verbal and physical attacks • Higher rate of mental health problems • Social change are helping gay and lesbian youth respond more effectively to these challenges

The “Dark Side” • What is sexual coercion? • Why do teenagers drink and use drugs? • What leads some adolescents to become depressed? How can depression be treated? • What are the causes of juvenile delinquency?

Sexual Coercion • Date Rape/Acquaintance Rape • When someone is forced to have sexual intercourse with someone she or he knows • 10% of high school girls; 20-25% of college age women have been victims of date rape • Useful guidelines to help prevent date rape (pg. 332)

Drugs and Drinking • Drug Use • While most adolescents avoid drugs, most high school seniors have drunk alcohol within the past 2 months • Teenage Drinking—3 Factors of Influence: • Parents: drinking is important part of parents’ lives; parents are uninvolved • Peers: peers involved in drinking • Stress: cope with stress using alcohol

Depression • Depression - disorder characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, irritability, and low self-esteem • Attributions - a person’s explanations of his or her behavior, particularly success and failures • The way a person makes attributions can contribute to depression • Norephinephrine and seratonin - neurotransmitters that help regulate brain centers associated with experiencing pleasure

Delinquency • Juvenile delinquency • When adolescents commit illegal acts that re destructive to themselves or others • Status offense • An act that is not a crime if committed by an adult, such as truancy or running away from home • Index offense • Acts that are illegal regardless of the perpetrator’s age

Causes of Delinquency • Adolescent-limited antisocial behavior • The behavior of the youth who engage in relatively minor criminal acts but aren’t consistently antisocial • Life-course persistent antisocial behavior • Antisocial behavior that emerges at an early age and continues throughout life

Causes of Delinquency • Biological contributions • Some children inherit factors that place them at risk for aggressive or violent behavior (e.g., temperament) • Cognitive processes • Impulsivity; inability to interpret other people’s intentions • Family processes • Inadequate parenting • Poverty • Aggressive and delinquent behavior increased in poverty stricken families and neighborhoods

Treatment and Prevention of Delinquency • Delinquent adolescents can be taught more effective social skills and methods of self-control • Parents can be taught the importance of monitoring children’s behavior and necessity for consistent discipline • Families can learn to function more effectively as a unit • Schools can develop programs to motivate delinquent youth to become more involved in school performance • Communities can improve conditions in neighborhoods where delinquency reigns

Chapter 9: Moving into the Adult Social World