Chapter 12:

Social and Personality Development in Adolescence

In This Chapter

Theories of Social and Personality Development

Psychoanalytic Perspectives: Freud

Genital Stage Primary developmental task: libido

channeled into healthy sexual relationship Psychosexual maturity achieved

Psychoanalytic PerspectivesPsychosocial Perspective: Erickson

Identity versus Role Confusion Stage

Primary developmental task: Achievement of personal identity

Reflects understanding of one’s unique traits and how they manifest across ages and social roles

Psychoanalytic PerspectivesErickson: Identity versus Role Confusion

Sense of self becomes integrated Identification with peer groups

or Inability to have an integrated view of self

Marcia’s Theory of Identity Achievement

Overview

Identify statuses rooted in Erikson’s identity process

Identity formation has two key parts Crisis Commitment

Marcia’s Theory of Identity Achievement

Identity Statuses

Statuses

Four Identity Statuses

Figure 12.1 Marcia’s Identity Statuses

Four identity statuses proposed by Marcia based on Erikson’s theory.

For fully achieved identity, young person must have both examined value/goals and reached firm commitment.

Stop and Think

What influence does culture have within this theoretical perspective?

Self-Understanding

Components of self-understanding More abstract definition of psychological

self

Academic self-concepts from internal comparisons and external comparisons

Social self-concepts predict behavior

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Figure 12.2 Changes in Teens’ Self-Descriptions

As they grow older, children and adolescents define themselves less and less by what they look like and more and more by what they feel.

Self-ConceptSocial Self-Concept and Gender

Gender Differences Different manifestation by gender Girls influenced by internal and external

comparisons Boys influence more internal and self-

defined

Self-Concept and PersonalitySelf-Esteem

Self-esteem: Sense of global self-worth• Self-esteem patterns

• High self-esteem correlates

• Gender differences throughout adolescence

Self-ConceptGender Role Identity

Gender role: Gender-related aspects of psychological self

Adolescents continue to understand sex roles as social conventions

Gender role identity more flexible

Check the next slide!

Can you see how dimensions of masculinity and femininity interact to produce different types of sex-role orientations?

Do these orientations make sense to you?

Figure 12.3 Bem’s Gender Role Categories

Figure 12.3

Self-ConceptEthnic Identity

Ethnic identity: Self-identification as member of specific group and unique individual

Jean Phinney’s three stages of ethnic identity formation Unexamined ethnic identity Ethnic identity search Clear ethnic identity

Self-ConceptBi-racial Teens

Characteristics• Achieving identity may be more complex• Range of factors interact with teen’s

personality

What are some of these factors?

Self-ConceptImmigrant Teens

Possible clashes between parents’ cultural values and the new culture

Many such teens develop a bicultural identity

Moral DevelopmentKohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning

Preconventional reasoning: Judgments based on positive or negative consequences to the child

Protocol response to moral dilemmas 3 levels with 2 substages each

Moral DevelopmentKohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning

Write a brief description of and example for each stage.

Figure 12.4 Colby & Kohlberg’s Longitudinal Study of Moral Reasoning

Figure 12.5

Causes and Consequences of Moral Development

Causes Progression in age and corresponding

cognitive development

Decline of egocentrism

Improvement in role-taking

Support from social environment

Causes and Consequences of Moral Development

Fill in the blanks

Growth of moral reasoning associated with ______in adolescent prosocial behaviors and ______ in antisocial behavior.

Criticisms of Kohlberg’s TheoryCulture and Moral Reasoning

Narrow approach not universal

Non-Western cultures do not fit well with Kohlberg’s approach

Criticisms of Kohlberg’s TheoryMoral Reasoning and Emotions

Nancy Eisenberg

Empathy: Ability to identify with others’ emotions both cause and consequence of moral development Inability to control emotional triggers

(antisocial behaviors) Age-related and individual differences in

ability to regulate emotions

Criticisms of Kohlberg’s TheoryMoral Reasoning and Emotions

Carol Gilligan

Ethics based on caring for others and on maintaining social relationships Two distinct orientations Gender differences North American bias

Criticisms of Kohlberg’s TheoryMoral Reasoning and Behavior

Moral Development and Antisocial BehaviorOverview

Delinquency: Adolescent behavior that breaks laws

Two sub-variations by age of delinquency onset

Child onset is more serious and likely to present into adulthood

Adolescent onset is milder and more transitory; peer group influenced

Moral Development and Antisocial Behavior

Delinquency

Deliquents: Lack empathy (for parents, victims) Behind peers in moral reasoning Deficits in role-taking skills

Social RelationshipsParents

Adolescents have two contradictory tasks: establish autonomy and maintain relatedness

Conflicts with parents increase but attachment still high

• Individual traits and cultural factors affect degree and meaning of parent–teen conflict

Relationships with ParentsAttachment

Strong attachment to parents matter!

Sense of well-being more strongly correlated with quality of parent than peer attachment

Strong attachments associated positive short-term and long-term outcomes

Figure 12.6 Sources of Support for Adolescents

Relationships with PeersOverview

Friendships Increasingly intimate More stable than those of younger children Shared interests and activities important

Relationships with PeersFriendships

Skills Considerable variation in interpersonal skills

needed to maintain friendships

Often dependence on electronic communication

Individual differences

Relationships with PeersOverview

Peer Groups Relatively stable

Share values, behaviors, identity status

Explicit peer pressure more likely directed toward positive activities

Relationships with PeersPeer Group Structure

Relationships with PeersCouple Formation

Adolescent Romantic Relationships 12-13 years have concepts of being “in love” Gender differences Income differences Age of puberty onset differences Variations across cultures

Relationships with PeersRomantic Relationships

Heterosexual Teen Relationships Relationships proceed at faster pace for girls

than boys

Use skills gained in relating to other-sex peers in friendships and mixed groups to prepare for romantic relationships

Relationships with PeersRomantic Relationships

Homosexual Teens Awareness of same-sex attraction around

ages 11 or 12 May initially experiment with heterosexual

relationships Gender differences Social support important

Did you have a best friend or friends when growing up? Was your group of friends like what those described by research? Were your grade school friends important to you?

What stage of identity development, as described by Marcia, have you achieved? Why? How does one get to identity achievement?

Questions To PonderQuestions To PonderQuestions To PonderQuestions To Ponder