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Chapter 10

Socioemotional Development in Adolescence

PowerPoints developed by Nicholas Greco IV, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL

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Identity Identity is a self-portrait composed of many

pieces, including:vocational/career identitypolitical identityreligious identityrelationship identityachievement; intellectual identitysexual identitycultural/ethnic identityinterestspersonalityphysical identity

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Erikson’s View

Erik Erikson first understood the centrality of identity for adolescent developmentPsychosocial moratorium

Erikson’s 5th stage: identity versus identity confusion

Crisis -- the exploratory period of identity development

Commitment -- personal investment in identity

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Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity

Identity diffusionindividuals have not yet experienced a crisis

or made any commitmentsundecided 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

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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

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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

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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

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Ethnic Identity in Immigrant Groups

First-generation immigrants are likely to be secure in their identities and unlikely to change muchthey 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

birthethnic identity is likely to be linked to retention

of their ethnic language and social networks

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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

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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

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Old and New Models Old model -- as adolescents mature they detach

themselves from parents and move into a world of autonomy apart from parentsparent-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 severeeveryday negotiations and minor disputes not

only are normal but serve a positive function

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Old and New Models of Parent-Adolescent

Relationships INSERT FIGURE 10.2 HERE

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Friendships

Sullivan discussed the importance of adolescent friendshipsFriends are important in shaping the

development of children and adolescentsEveryone has basic social needs, friends help

meet social needsTeenagers are motivated to seek out close

friendsForeshadows the quality of romantic

relationships in adulthood

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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

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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 relationshipsEntering into romantic attractions and

affiliations at about age 11 to 13Exploring romantic relationships at

approximately age 14 to 16Consolidating dyadic romantic bonds at about

17 to 19

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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

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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 beginshow much freedom in dating is allowedwhether dates must be chaperoned by adults

or parentsthe roles of males and females in dating

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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 acceptanceHigher levels of friendship and romantic

competence Early dating and “going with” someone is

associated with adolescent pregnancy and problems at home and school

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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

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Rites of Passage  

Rite of passage -- ceremony or ritual that marks an individual’s transition from one status to anothergain 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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 useCyberbullyingSex crimes

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Gender Differences in Suicide

Females were more likely to attempt Males were more likely to succeed in

committing suicideMales use more lethal means, such as gunsFemales are more likely to cut their wrists or

take an overdose of sleeping pills

Suicidal adolescents often have depressive symptoms

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The Interrelation of Problems and Successful Prevention/Intervention

Programs Four problems that affect the most

adolescents drug abusejuvenile delinquencysexual problemsschool-related problems

Those who have more than one of these problems are more at risk

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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