Day 14 - Adoslescence psychosocial
Ø  Psychosocial
Today’s class
development
during
adolescence
5/7/15
Self and Identity “Who am I?”
•  Erikson’s fifth stage
of psychosocial
development is
identify vs. diffusion
or role confusion.
Ø  Progress of your
adolescent research
project – DUE NEXT WEEK
Ø  Also next week:
The person tries to figure
out:“Who am I?” but is
confused as to which of many
possible roles to adopt.
²  Bring well-organized binder:
get points
²  Self-evaluation
²  Review for final exam
²  Celebration
Identity
•  What categories are
included as components
of your identity?
Consistent definition of one's
self as a unique individual, in
terms of roles, attitudes,
beliefs, and aspirations
(e.g. political; …? …? …? )
Identity and sense of self
Study groups (choose one topic)
1.  Identity and sense of self (3)
2.  Gender identity (2)
3.  Ethnic identity (2)
4.  Vocational identity (2)
5.  Relationships with family (3)
6.  Relationships with peers (3)
7.  Sexual activity (3 or 4)
8.  Self-esteem and mood
disorders (3)
What did you learn?
•  Identity achievement: knowing who
one is as a unique person, accepting
some cultural values and rejecting
others
•  Moratorium: a pause in identify
formation; adolescents adopt
temporary roles to postpone
achieving their final identity. This is
an important step towards identity!
–  This allows a person to have strong
convictions, but to remain open to
alternate ideas and opinions.
•  Foreclosure: the person seems to
accept traditional roles and values
OR they might foreclose on roles
and values that are the exact
opposite of those of their parents
(negative identity).
•  Role confusion: the person seems
confused, unfocused or unconcerned
about their future. Failing to see goals
or purpose, they tend to flounder.
Gender Identity
Ethnic Identity
What did you learn?
What did you learn?
•  Ethnic identity involves
identification with a particular
ethnicity through values, diet,
gender roles, language, clothing, etc.
ü  Gender identity is the degree to
which people see themselves as male
or female or transgender.
ü  Biological gender (sex) does not
necessarily dictate gender identity.
ü  Gender identity includes gender
roles (culturally influenced
behaviors), and sexual orientation
(towards same or opposite sex, or
both). O. García - Spring 2015
(Understanding what it means to be Asian, or
African, Hispanic or Latino)
Identidad étnica
Gender dysphoria:
distress experienced at
one’s biological gender
•  The process of ethnic identity may
be especially intense for immigrant
adolescents.
• 
• 
Peers from the same background help foster
self-esteem
Experiences of ethnic prejudice can be
particular damaging to adolescents.
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Day 14 - Adoslescence psychosocial
Vocational Identity
5/7/15
Relationships with family
What did you learn?
What did you learn?
The “generation gap”
between adults and teens
is not wide when it comes
to core beliefs and values.
•  What are some of the
advantages and
disadvantages of working
during adolescence?
•  How much of a connection
do you see between the
types of jobs had during
high school, and those you
have or will have in
adulthood?
Research indicates that working
during adolescence impedes
identity formation, family
relationships, academic
achievement, and career success.
Culture and Family
Parent-Child Conflict:
ü Is greatest during child’s tween years (10-13)
ü Is greatest between mothers and daughters
ü Usually involves repeated, petty arguments
about clothes, cleanliness, etc.
ü Represents a teen’s desire for independence
Culture and Family
Closeness within the family
Ø  Some have argued that
adolescent rebellion is a
product of Western culture.
Ø  Parent-child conflict occurs
later in adolescence for Asian
and Latino teens, and hardly at
all for teens in China.
Ø  Does this mean that
adolescent rebellion is a social
construction? Why? Why not?
Peer Relationships
•  Communication: Do parents
and teens talk openly with one
another?
•  Support: Do they rely on one
another?
•  Connectedness: How close are
they emotionally?
•  Control: Do parents encourage
or limit adolescent autonomy?
Teenage Sexual Activity
What did you learn?
What did you learn?
•  Peer pressure: social
pressure to conform to one’s
contemporaries
•  Peer pressure can be
positive or negative.
•  It rises during early
adolescence, peaking
around age 14 years of age. O. García - Spring 2015
ü Teens are by
nature sexual
beings.
ü The question
becomes what
one does with
that sexuality
during
adolescence. First love
•  First romances appear in high school
and rarely last more than a year
•  Girls claim a steady partner more
often than boys do.
•  Breakups and unreciprocated crushes
are common.
•  Adolescents are crushed by rejection
and sometimes contemplate revenge
or suicide. 2
Day 14 - Adoslescence psychosocial
Parental Guidance About Sex
5/7/15
Parent’s Perception vs. Reality
ü Question: Do you know any teen
who has had a serious talk with
his/her parents about sex?
ü Often parents avoid the issue. ü Many parents wait too long,
avoid specifics, and are
uninformed about adolescent’s
relationships
ü But proper guidance can
influence teens in a positive
manner. Warm, open
communication is effective
Sex Education and peers
ü  Adolescent sexual behavior is
strongly influenced by peers,
especially when parents are silent,
forbidding, or vague
ü  Only about half of U.S. adolescent
couples discuss issues such as
pregnancy and STDs and many are
unable to come to a shared
conclusion based on accurate
information.
ü  Specifics of peer education depend
on the group: All members of a
clique may be virgins, or all may be
sexually active.
ü  In the U.S., almost all adults (90% or
more) think high schools should
teach sex education, including
contraception. ü  The concern is that talking about sex
will lead teens to have sex. ü  However, a report by the Surgeon
General suggests this is not the case.
ü  Research suggests that the most
effective sex education programs:
ü  Are multi-faceted ü  Precede sexual activity by a year or more
ü  Advocate for abstinence but also teach
about contraceptives
O. García - Spring 2015
Sex Education in schools
ü Did your school
have some type of
sex education
program?
ü If yes, at what age
did it begin? What
were the topics?
ü Do you think
schools should
teach sex
education?
From teachers in schools
•  U.S. parents want up-to-date sex education for
their adolescents.
•  Timing and content vary by state and community.
•  Sex education varies by nations,
•  Abstinence-only programs were not successful.
Trends in Adolescent Sexuality
•  U.S. teens have more babies than
teens in other countries, due to
lower contraceptive use and fewer
abortions.
–  The U.S. has twice the teen pregnancy rate as Canada –  Both Germany and France have a teen pregnancy rate
that is four times lower than the U.S. –  Japan's teen pregnancy rate is eight times lower the
United States –  The main rise in the teen pregnancy rate is among
girls younger than 15
•  In the U.S., teens with lower
education tend to have sex and
babies at earlier ages.
–  Only one-third of teenage mothers complete high
school and receive their diplomas –  By age 30, only 1.5 percent of women who had
pregnancies as a teenager have a college degree. –  80 percent of unmarried teen mothers end up on
welfare •  Despite declines in rates of teen
pregnancy in the U.S., about 820,000
teens become pregnant each year. •  That means that 34 percent of
teenagers have at least one pregnancy
before they turn 20. •  Close to 25 percent of teen mothers
have a second child within two years
of the first birth.
•  79 percent of teenagers who become
pregnant are unmarried. 3
Day 14 - Adoslescence psychosocial
Self esteem
General trends in feelings of
competence and self-esteem 5/7/15
Mood Disorders in Adolescence
ü Warning signs
§  Not eating, sleeping, talking,
or moving in normal rhythm
§  Strong feelings of despair or
elation not based on reality
ü Suicidal ideation
§  Thinking about suicide is
common among adolescents,
usually with some serious
emotional and intellectual or
cognitive overtones
5-minute write:
Something(s)
you learned
tonight that
you consider
important at a
personal level
or as a future
professional.
O. García - Spring 2015
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