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1. Introduction

2. Fact or Fiction?

3. Adolescent Thinking

4. Teaching and Learning

5. Teaching and Learning in High School

6. Closing Thoughts

Introduction

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Video:Topic 15

Fact or Fiction? Fiction Fact

1. Teens tend to overestimate the extent to which others are thinking about them.

2. Unlike younger children, adolescents typically are not egocentric in their thought patterns.

3. Adolescents are able to reason about positions that may or may not reflect reality (i.e., abstract concepts like “freedom”), while younger children are still tied to concrete operational thought (i.e., the idea of “freedom” in terms of real-life events).

4. Compared to younger children, adolescents have little difficulty in transitioning to new schools.

Physical Development

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Invincibility fableAn adolescent egocentric conviction that he or she cannot be overcome or even harmed by anything that might defeat a normal mortal, such as unprotected sex, drug abuse, or high-speed driving.

What forms does adolescent egocentrism take?Egocentrism

Personal fableAn aspect of adolescent egocentrism characterized by an adolescent’s belief that his or her thoughts, feelings, and experiences are unique, more wonderful or awful than anyone else’s.

adolescent egocentrism: A characteristic of adolescent thinking that leads young people to focus on themselves to

the exclusion of others.

The other people who, in an adolescent’s egocentric belief, are watching and taking note of his or her appearance, ideas, and behavior. This belief makes many teenagers

very self-conscious.

Imaginary audience

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Who can solve the balance-scale problem?

5kg

5kg

5kg

5kg

5kg10kg

10kg

2kg

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Formal Operational Thought

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formal operational thought: More systematic logical thinking; the ability to understand and systematically

manipulate abstract concepts.

Age 4: weights are the same, why don’t they balance?

Age 10: equal weights, equal distances, wow! Got it!

Age 7: weights are the same and on opposite sides of the fulcrum, why don’t they balance?

Age 14: If equal weights need equal length lever arms, then 5 times the weight (or 4 times in the book) must need 1/5 the length!

Do adolescents think more intuitively (emotionally) or analytically?

dual-process model: The notion that two networks exist within the human brain, one for emotional and one for analytical processing of stimuli.

Timothy has a girlfriend.

Timothy is an athlete.

Timothy is popular and has a girlfriend.

Timothy is a teacher’s pet and has a girlfriend.

Timothy is a teacher’s pet.

Timothy is popular.

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

Intuitive, Emotional Thought

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Analytical thoughtThought that results from analysis, such as a systematic ranking of pros and cons, risks and consequences, possibilities and facts. Analytic thought depends on logic and rationality.

Thought that arises from an emotion or hunch, beyond rational explanation, and is influenced by past experiences and cultural assumptions.

Intuitive thought

How do adults and adolescents, in general, judge “good thinking” ?

Decision Making

Believes in resisting impulses and making careful decisions

Takes long-term risks into account, valuing successful life over immediate satisfaction

Prefers systematic, analytic thinking

More inclined to make impulsive decisions

Values current social acceptance over concern about distant risks

Doesn’t want to waste precious time and wants to act

Adult perspective Adolescent perspective

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How did adolescents respond to a questionnaire about video game use?

Source: Gentile, 2009

Time Spent Playing Video Games per WeekHours

25

20

15

10

5

8-11 12-14

15-18

0

Age group

Technology and Cognition

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1. Is a middle school (grades 6 to 8) or a junior high (grades 7 to 8) grouping better for adolescents today?As average age of puberty has declined over the past century, young adolescents are ready for intellectual challenge.

2. Why does academic achievement decrease while behavioral problems arise during middle school?Puberty itself may be part of the problem. For rats and other animals, especially under stress, learning slows down at that point in their growth (McCormick et al., 2010).

3. How do changes in student-teacher relationships affect middle school students?With subject rather than class teachers, students have less personal connections with

teachers, leading to less learning and more risk taking among adolescents (Crosnoe et al., 2004).

4. How do parents influence their children during middle school?When parents encourage academics, middle school children achieve more, unless the parents directly help with homework instead of merely guide (Hill & Tyson, 2009).

secondary education: Literally, the period after primary education (elementary or grade school) and before tertiary education (college).

According to research, are U.S. middle schools developmentally regressive?

Middle Schools

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What are some problems students have during their secondary education?How can these alter the learning environment?

CyberbullyingBullying that occurs when one person spreads insults or rumors about another by distributing embarrassing videos

“A number of disorders and symptoms of psychopathology including depression, self-injury behavior, substance abuse, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia have striking developmental patterns corresponding to transitions in early and late adolescence.”(Masten, 2004, p. 310)

Transitions and Translations

Technology

Transition to a New School

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How many students graduate or drop out of U.S. high schools?

Percent of allhigh school students

Year

Source: Digest of Education Statistics, 2009.

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2009

0

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

Four-Year Graduation Rate, United States

17

2006 20072008

Closing Thoughts

How does a teens’ change in thinking influence his behavior?

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