290 likes | 1.01k Views
Adolescence: Psychosocial Development. Ages 11 to 18 What is the effect of social relationships on adolescents?. How do adolescents develop an identity?. Erikson Identity vs. role confusion “Who am I”. What are problems developing an identity?. Identity diffusion
E N D
Adolescence: Psychosocial Development Ages 11 to 18 What is the effect of social relationships on adolescents?
How do adolescents develop an identity? • Erikson • Identity vs. role confusion • “Who am I”
What are problems developing an identity? • Identity diffusion • Don’t know, don’t care • Few commitments to goals or values • Apathy • Foreclosure • Premature identity formation • Adopting parents’ or society’s roles and values rather than exploring their own • Moratorium • Postponing identity achievement decisions • College may be one way
In what areas do adolescents develop an identity? • Religious identity • Often similar to parents • Political identity • Often similar to parents • Vocational identity • Sometimes similar to parents • Adults often change vocations • Sexual (Gender) identity • Accepting socially approved roles and behavior of their gender • Gender identity disorder • (Now called “Gender Dysphoria”) • Does not identify with their biological sex
How do adolescents relate to adults? • Conflicts with parents • Peaks in early adolescence • More a sign of attachment rather than distance • Distant relationships ignore the other • Neglect • Can be destructive for teenagers • (Even though they want to feel independent)
How can a family develop closeness? • Four aspects of closeness • Communication • Can both talk openly? • Support • Do they rely on each other? • Connectedness • Emotional closeness • Control • How do parents exercise control? • Encourage or limit adolescent autonomy
How can a family develop closeness? (Cont.) • Parental monitoring • Monitoring of peers, friends, websites • Positive – When warm, supportive • Negative - When overly restrictive and controlling
Do you remember? • According to Erikson, what is the main goal of adolescence? • What happens when identity is not yet achieved? • Give an example of each of the three • What can build closeness in a family? • What is an example of parental monitoring?
What is the effect of peer pressure? • Conforming to friends in behavior, dress, and attitudes
What is the effect of friends? • Selection • Choosing friends with common values and interests • E.g. Academics, music, athletics • Facilitation • Friends encourage behavior similar to the peer group • Positive • Studying together, church, sports • Destructive • Skipping school, drinking, drugs
How do they learn about sex? • Peers • Strongly influence sexual behavior • Only half U.S. adolescents discuss pregnancy or STD’s before being sexually active • Parents • Underestimate need for information • Wait too long before talking about sex • School • Preferred by most parents • Sex education varies dramatically by nation • Abstinence-only programs • No significant impact on sexual activity • Does education change behavior? • Depends more on family, peers, and culture than classes
What about suicide? • Suicidal ideas (Ideation) • Ideas are common – completed suicides are not • Adolescents are less likely to kill themselves than adults are • Gender differences • More girls attempt suicide than boys • Boys are 4 times as successful • Methods • Males shoot themselves • Females use pills and hanging
Do you remember? • What is the effect of peer pressure? • What are the concepts of peer selection and peer facilitation? • What most strongly influences adolescent sexual behavior? • Which sex is most apt to complete a suicide? • Why do you think that is?
What about drug use and abuse? • Age • Widespread ages 10-25 then decreases • Drug use before 18 = best predictor of later drug use • 20% of adolescents never use drugs • Gender • Boys use more drugs more often than girls • “If I don’t smoke, I am not a man.”
What are the effects of drugs? • Tobacco • Slows down growth • Damages heart, lungs, brains, and reproductive systems • Dad’s emphysema • Alcohol • Heavy drinking may permanently impair memory • Damaged hippocampus • May impair self control • Damaged prefrontal cortex • Denial of problems • Problems get worse
What are the effects of drugs? • Marijuana • People who regularly smoke marijuana are more likely to: • Drop out of school • Become teenage parents • Be unemployed • Affects: • Memory • Motivation
How can we prevent drug abuse? • Focus on friends and peers • First use is social • Delay first use • Younger when starting = more likely addiction • Massive ad campaigns • E.g. Smoking • Generational forgetting • Each generation forgets what previous generations learned • Drug users tend to be more emotional & less reflective • Interference with prefrontal cortex
Do drug scare tactics work? • Mayincrease drug use • Drugs seem exciting • Adolescents recognize exaggeration • Show a way to show defiance
Do you remember? • What ages is drug use most common? • What are the effects of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana? • What are useful strategies for preventing drug use? • What about scare tactics?