Socioemotional Development in Adolescence: Identity Formation and Peer Relationships

1. Chapter 10 Socioemotional Development in Adolescence PowerPoints developed by Nicholas Greco IV, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2. Identity • Identity is a self-portrait composed of many pieces, including: • vocational/career identity • political identity • religious identity • relationship identity • achievement; intellectual identity • sexual identity • cultural/ethnic identity • interests • personality • physical identity (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

3. Erikson’s View • Erik Erikson first understood the centrality of identity for adolescent development • Psychosocial moratorium • Erikson’s 5th stage: identity versus identity confusion • Crisis -- the exploratory period of identity development • Commitment -- personal investment in identity (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

4. Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity • Identity diffusion • individuals have not yet experienced a crisis or made any commitments • undecided and uninterested in occupational and ideological choices • Identity foreclosure • have made a commitment but not experienced a crisis • parents hand down commitments to their adolescents before they have had a chance to explore different options on their own (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

5. Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity • Identity moratorium • individuals in the midst of a crisis but whose commitments are either absent or are only vaguely defined • Identity achievement • individuals who have undergone a crisis and made a commitment (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

6. Ongoing Search • Resolution of the identity issue during adolescence does not mean that identity will be stable through the remainder of life • Questions about identity come up throughout life • These cycles may be repeated throughout life (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

7. Ethnic Identity • Ethnic identity -- enduring aspect of the self that includes a sense of membership in an ethnic group, along with the attitudes and feelings related to that membership • Bicultural identity -- adolescents identify in some ways with their ethnic group and in other ways with the majority culture (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

8. Ethnic Identity in Immigrant Groups • First-generation immigrants are likely to be secure in their identities and unlikely to change much • they may or may not develop a new identity • Second-generation immigrants are more likely to think of themselves as “American” • possibly because citizenship is granted at birth • ethnic identity is likely to be linked to retention of their ethnic language and social networks (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

9. Autonomy and Attachment • Adolescent’s push for autonomy and responsibility puzzles and angers many parents • As the adolescent pushes for autonomy, the wise adult relinquishes control where the adolescent can make reasonable decisions, but continues to guide the adolescent • Boys are given more independence than girls • Secure attachment may be important in adolescents’ relationships with their parents (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

10. Parent-Adolescent Conflict • Much of the conflict involves the everyday events of family life (e.g., keeping a bedroom clean, dressing neatly, getting home by a certain time, use of the phone) • The conflicts rarely involve major dilemmas such as drugs or delinquency • Conflict with parents often escalates during early adolescence, remains somewhat stable during the high school years, and then lessens as adolescence ends (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

11. Old and New Models • Old model -- as adolescents mature they detach themselves from parents and move into a world of autonomy apart from parents • parent-adolescent conflict is intense and stressful throughout adolescence • New model emphasizes parents as important attachment figures and support systems • in most families, parent-adolescent conflict is moderate rather than severe • everyday negotiations and minor disputes not only are normal but serve a positive function (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

12. Old and New Models of Parent-Adolescent Relationships • INSERT FIGURE 10.2 HERE (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

13. Friendships • Sullivan discussed the importance of adolescent friendships • Friends are important in shaping the development of children and adolescents • Everyone has basic social needs, friends help meet social needs • Teenagers are motivated to seek out close friends • Foreshadows the quality of romantic relationships in adulthood (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

14. Peer Groups • Standards of peer groups and the influence of crowds and cliques become increasingly important during adolescence • Peer pressure -- conformity to peer standards • Cliques -- small groups ranging from 2 to about 12; members are usually same sex and about the same age; develop an in-group identity • Crowds -- larger and less personal groups; membership based on reputation; and they may or may not spend much time together (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

15. Dating and Romantic Relationships • Dating can be a form of recreation, a source of status, a setting for learning about close relationships, and a way of finding a mate • Three stages of romantic relationships • Entering into romantic attractions and affiliations at about age 11 to 13 • Exploring romantic relationships at approximately age 14 to 16 • Consolidating dyadic romantic bonds at about 17 to 19 (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

16. Dating in Gay and Lesbian Youth   • Many sexual minority youth date other-sex peers, which can help them • clarify their sexual orientation • disguise it from others (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

17. Sociocultural Contexts and Dating   • Influence may be seen in differences in dating patterns among ethnic groups • Values, religious beliefs, and traditions often dictate • the age at which dating begins • how much freedom in dating is allowed • whether dates must be chaperoned by adults or parents • the roles of males and females in dating (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

18. Dating and Adjustment • There is a link between dating and romantic relationships with measures of adjustment • Those who date are more likely to have • Higher levels of social acceptance • Higher levels of friendship and romantic competence • Early dating and “going with” someone is associated with adolescent pregnancy and problems at home and school (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

19. Traditions and Changes in Adolescence Around the Globe • Fewer adolescents around the world die from infectious diseases and malnutrition now than in the past • The experiences of male and female adolescents continue to be quite different • Some adolescents grow up in closely knit families with extensive extended kin networks that retain a traditional way of life • Some cultures give peers a stronger role in adolescence (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

20. Rites of Passage • Rite of passage -- ceremony or ritual that marks an individual’s transition from one status to another • gain access to sacred adult practices, to knowledge, and to sexuality • often involve some form of ritual death and rebirth, or by means of contact with the spiritual world (Kottak, 2009) (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

21. Do we have rites of passage for American adolescents? • We do not have universal formal ceremonies to mark passage from adolescence to adulthood • Certain religions do (e.g., Jewish bar and bat mitzvah, the Catholic confirmation) • School graduation ceremonies come the closest • Social organizations may have ceremonies like initiations or debuts (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

22. Immigration • Relatively high rates of immigration contribute to the growth of ethnic minorities in the United States • Immigrants often experience stressors such as language barriers, separations from support networks, changes in SES status, the dual struggle to preserve identity and to acculturate (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

23. Immigrant Family Issues • Many come from collectivist cultures in which family obligation is strong • For adolescents,this obligation may mean assisting parents in their occupations and/or contributing to the family’s welfare • The long hours immigrant youth work in such jobs can be detrimental to their academic achievement (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

24. Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status • Not all ethnic minority families are poor • Economic advantage does not entirely enable minorities to escape prejudice, discrimination, and bias • However, poverty contributes to the stressful life experiences of many ethnic minority adolescents (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

25. The Media • There has been a dramatic increase in media multitasking • Television viewing and video-game playing peak in early adolescence and then begin to decline • Older adolescents spend more time listening to music and using the computer • Increased Internet use • Cyberbullying • Sex crimes (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

26. Juvenile Delinquency • Juvenile delinquent -- label applied to an adolescent who breaks the law or engages in behavior that is considered illegal • delinquency rates among minority groups and lower-socioeconomic-status youth are especially high • These groups have less influence over the judicial decision-making process and may be judged more delinquent (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

27. Causes of Delinquency • Many causes have been proposed, including heredity, identity problems, community influences, and family experiences • Adolescents with a negative identity may find support for their delinquent image among peers, reinforcing the negative identity • norms of many lower-SES peer groups and gangs are antisocial (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

28. Causes of Delinquency • Parental monitoring is especially important in determining whether an adolescent becomes a delinquent • Family discord and inconsistent and inappropriate discipline and sibling influences are also associated with delinquency • Having delinquent peers greatly increases the risk of becoming delinquent (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

29. Depression   • Adolescent girls consistently have higher rates of depression than adolescent boys • females twice that of males • Family factors place adolescents at risk for developing depression • Poor peer relationships are associated with adolescent depression • Problems in adolescent romantic relationships can also trigger depression, especially for girls (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

30. Suicide   • Suicide behavior escalates in adolescence and then increases further in emerging adulthood • Suicide is the third-leading cause of death in ages 10 to19 • Although a suicide threat should always be taken seriously, far more adolescents contemplate or attempt it unsuccessfully than actually commit it (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

31. Gender Differences in Suicide • Females were more likely to attempt • Males were more likely to succeed in committing suicide • Males use more lethal means, such as guns • Females are more likely to cut their wrists or take an overdose of sleeping pills • Suicidal adolescents often have depressive symptoms (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

32. The Interrelation of Problems and Successful Prevention/Intervention Programs • Four problems that affect the most adolescents • drug abuse • juvenile delinquency • sexual problems • school-related problems • Those who have more than one of these problems are more at risk (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

33. Successful Programs • Programs that have been successful in preventing or reducing adolescent problems found these common components • Intensive individualized attention • Community-wide multi-agency collaborative approaches • Early identification and intervention (c) 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.