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PSYCH 327
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Psychology
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Dec 18, 2024
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Dr. Lisa SmithsonCognitive TransitionsNote: Some information contained within the slides as audio or written text is directly from Steinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Risk and Reward•Brain changes in ways that provoke individuals to seek:▫Novelty▫Reward▫StimulationSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
The Social Brain•In most species of mammals, individuals become more social around puberty▫Adaptive to facilitate mating and reproduction▫The brain becomes more sensitive to social cuesIndividuals are more sensitive to social evaluationAbility to recognize subtle changes in others’ facial expressions improves during adolescenceSensitivity to others’ mental states increases during adolescenceSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
The Social Brain•In most species of mammals, individuals become more social around puberty▫Adaptive to facilitate mating and reproduction▫The brain becomes more sensitive to social cuesIndividuals are more sensitive to social evaluationAbility to recognize subtle changes in others’ facial expressions improves during adolescenceSensitivity to others’ mental states increases during adolescenceSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Implications for adolescent behavior•Repeated activation of specific collection of neurons as a result of engaging in a particular behavior:▫Will cause structural changes in the brain that will strengthen the connection among those neuronsThis will make that particular pathway function more efficientlySteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Individual Differences in Intelligence in Adolescence
The Concept of Intelligence•Intelligence▫Ability to solve problems▫Capacity to adapt and learn from experience▫Can only be evaluated indirectly•Individual differences measured by intelligence tests▫Designed to tell whether a person can reason better than othersCopyright McGraw-Hill Education, 2014
The Concept of Intelligence•Intelligence quotient▫Mental age divided by chronological age multiplied by 100•IQ scores approximate a normal distribution▫Symmetrical, bell-shaped curve with a majority ofcases falling in the middle of the range of possible scores▫Few scores appearing toward the ends of the rangeCopyright McGraw-Hill Education, 2014
The Concept of IntelligenceCopyright McGraw-Hill Education, 2014
Theoretical perspectives•Intelligence is very broad and general▫Charles Spearman (1904) reported findings supporting this position•Intelligence consists of distinct abilities▫Thurstone and Thurstone (1941) argued in favor of this perspective•Conflicting theories: have led many psychometric theorists to propose hierarchical theories that incorporate both general and specific elements
Measurement of IQ•IQ test performance increases in childhood and adolescence:▫Reaches plateau mid-late adolescenceSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Culture and Intelligence•Zone of proximal development: the level of challenge still within individual’s reach but that forces an individual to develop more advanced skills•Novelty and challenge are key to maintaining neuroplasticitySteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Adolescent Thinking in Context
Social cognition in adolescence•Social cognition: involves:▫Thinking about people▫Social relationships▫Social institutions▫Individual differences in social cognitive abilities assists in explaining why some adolescents have more social difficulties than othersSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Theory of mind•Mentalizing: the ability to understand someone else’s mental states•Theory of mind: understanding that others have beliefs, intentions and knowledge that can differ from one’s ownSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Thinking about social relationships•Adolescents increasingly distinguish between moral issues and conventional issues.•Adolescents often question parents’ authority▫Issues that had previously been viewed as matters of right and wrong are now viewed as matters of personal choice▫Adolescents start questioning other sources of authority to a greater extentSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Understanding Social Conventions•Social conventions: social normal that govern everyday behavior in social contexts.Steinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Conceptions of laws, civil liberties, and rights•As individuals move through adolescence:▫better able to step outside themselves and see things from other vantage points▫better able to see that the social rules we follow are not absolute▫develop more differentiated understanding of social normsSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Adolescent Risk Taking
Behavioral Decision Theory•Decision making is a rational process: individuals calculate costs and benefits•All behaviors can be analyzed using 5 steps:▫1) identify alternative choices▫2) identify consequences for each choice▫3) evaluate costs and benefits of each consequence▫4) assess likelihood of each possible consequence▫5) combine all the information according to a decision ruleSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Age differences in values and priorities•When weighing costs and benefits, adolescents are more attuned to potential rewards than adults▫Consistent with changes in limbic system around pubertySteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Emotional and contextual influences on risk taking•Middle adolescence is a period of heightened risk taking since it is a period with high sensation seeking and impulsivity, particularly among boysSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Emotional and contextual influences on risk taking•Middle adolescence is a period of heightened risk taking since it is a period with high sensation seeking and impulsivity, particularly among boys•Adolescents are more likely to take risks when their friends are aroundSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Logic and Intuition•Main change between adolescence and adulthood:▫Not the further development of logical decision making▫BUT continued development of intuitive decision making based on experienceSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Reducing adolescent risk taking•Most common approach: through classroom basededucation programs to teach adolescents about dangers:▫Unprotected sex▫Smoking▫Drinking and driving▫More effective strategies may include:Limiting adolescent opportunities for risky decision makingUsing economic policies to influence decisionsMake penalties of certain behaviors more severeSteinberg, L. (2020). Adolescence (12th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.