Chapter 13:
Socioemotional
Development in
Adolescence
McGraw-Hill © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Self
and
Emotional Development
• Adolescence
– Emotional development is characterized by
• Increased interest in self-protrayal
• Search for an identity
• Emotional swings
– Girls’ self-esteem declines due to puberty
– Boys’ self-esteem increases
– Identity confusion is gap between the security of
childhood and autonomy of adulthood
Gender Comparisons of Adolescents’ Self-Images
Vocational/educational aspirations
Morals
Familial self
Adjustment
Psychological problems
Social relationships
Body image
Impulse control
Sexual self
Mastery of the world
Educational tone
Category of self-esteem
+.4 +.2 0 -.4 -.2
Statistical score
Boys Girls
• Identity is a self-portrait of many parts:
– Desired career path
– Religious beliefs
– Social and intimate relationships
– Sexual and gender identity
– Cultural or ethnic identity
– Personality traits
– Physical body image
• Identity formation occurs gradually
over time, occurring before and
continuing after adolescence
• Identity formation
– Adolescence is a time of exploration
– Four identity statuses that involve commitment:
• Diffusion
• Foreclosure
• Moratorium
• Achievement
– Adolescents also show a
• Need for confidence in parental support
• Need for a developed sense of industry
• Gain in self-reflective view of their future
Fig. 13.1
Position on occupation and ideology
Identity status
Identity diffusion
Identity foreclosure
Identity moratorium
Identity achievement
Crisis
Absent
Absent
Present
Present
Commitment
Absent
Present
Absent
Present
Marcia’s Four Statuses of Identity
• Adolescents’ identity development affected by
– Individuality (self-assertion, separateness)
– Connectedness (mutuality, open to other views)
– Ethnic and cultural group membership
– Gender (may be more complex for females)
• Male identity formation may precede
intimacy stage
• Female intimacy may precede
identity formation
• Emotional development in adolescence
– State of “storm and stress” is not constant
– But emotional highs and lows increase
– From 5th to 9th grades, both sexes
experience some moodiness and
decreased happiness
• It is normal to be moody
• Moodiness may be affected more by
environmental experiences than
hormonal changes
– Pubertal changes are associated with an
increase in negative emotions
Fig. 13.2
Self-Reported Extremes of Emotion by Adolescents, Mothers,
and Fathers Using the Experience-Sampling Method
15
5
20
25
30
10
Very happy
Very unhappy
Mothers
Adolescents
Fathers
Percentage of
self-reports
Families
• Adolescent desires for autonomy and responsibility
occur through appropriate adult reactions
• Heated emotional exchanges may occur as parents
feel a child is slipping away from their control or
discarding their advice and views
• Examination of gender differences show boys being
given more independence than girls
• Cross-culturally, U.S. adolescents seek autonomy
earlier than Japanese adolescents
• Adolescent–parent attachments are moderately
correlated to adolescent outcomes
• Many parents see the child change from compliant to
oppositional and resistant to parental standards
• Unwise parental reactions include demanding
immediate compliance or giving no supervision at all
• Everyday conflicts in parent–adolescent
relationships may serve a positive
developmental function
• Parents are important attachment figures and support
systems as adolescents explore a complex social world
• In most families, parent–adolescent conflict is
moderate and minor disputes are normal
• Prolonged, intense conflict at home is associated with
a number of adolescent problems
• In some cultures, there is less parent–adolescent
conflict than in others
Peers
• Peer relations
– Are very important in adolescent lives
– Most teens prefer a smaller number of peer
contacts and more intimacy
– Teens form cliques that shape their social lives
– Teens seek reassurance of worth and
companionship from friends
– Teens with superficial or no friendships are
lonely and depressed with lower self-esteem
• Quality of adolescent friendships may be a
predictor of self-worth in early adulthood
Fig. 13.4
College 2nd 5th 7th 10th
3
1
4
2
Self-disclosure in conversation score
Grade
Parent
Friend
Developmental Changes in Self-Disclosing Conversations
• Peer pressure in adolescence
– Conformity can be negative or positive
– Pressure appears strongest for conforming
to antisocial standards
– Cross-culturally, there is more peer pressure
in the U.S. than in Japan to resist parents
– Cliques are based on friendship, common interests
• Crowds are
– Larger groups with reputations for what they do
– Less personal than cliques
• Adolescents spend considerable time either dating or thinking about it
• Dating can function as a source of
– Recreation
– Status and achievement
– Learning about close relationships
– Mate selection
– Strong emotional relationships
• Girls’ early romantic involvement is linked to lower grades, less school participation, and more problems
Fig. 13.5
Age at Onset of Romantic Activity
100
60
40
20
0
80
5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 4th
Grade
Had an exclusive relationship for more than 2 mo.
Planned an engagement or a marriage
Went out with same person 3 or more times
Announced “I like someone”
Percentage
of students
• Adolescent romantic relationships
– Many adolescents seek attachment or sex
after acquiring basic competencies to
interact romantically
– Cyberdating is very popular among middle
school children as young as 10 years of age
– High school dating is more traditional
– Most gay and lesbian youth do little same-sex
dating due to social disapproval and other factors
– Romantic relationships are usually described in
terms of interpersonal qualities by girls and
physical attraction by boys
Culture
and
Adolescent Development
• Cross-culturally
– Two-thirds of Asian Indian adolescents accept
marriages arranged by their parents
– Female adolescents in the Philippines sacrifice
their futures to work and send money home
– Street youth in Kenya survive economically by
delinquency or prostitution
– In the Middle East, many adolescents are
segregated by sex, even in school
– Russian youth are marrying earlier, while U.S.
youth are marrying later than past generations
• Rapid global change presents adolescents
with more opportunities and challenges to
health and well-being
• Globally, adolescent experiences are affected
by their gender, family, schools, and peers
– Fewer die from infectious diseases or malnutrition
than in the past
– Risky adolescent behaviors, especially illicit drug
use and unprotected sex, are increasing
• Globally
– Female and male adolescent experiences continue
to be quite different and gap is not lessening
– Some families remain closely knit with extensive
extended kin networks, while others do not
– Some trends have increased family mobility and
reduced family resource abilities
– Some cultures encourage stronger peer roles in
adolescence and the need for formal education
(others may not – some based on gender bias)
• Rites of passage for adolescents
– Vary among cultures
– May be more influenced by social and religious
groups in Western societies
• Ethnic minorities in American society
– Are overrepresented in the lower SES levels
– Economic disadvantage still affects minority
youth from middle-income backgrounds
– Japanese Americans, often seen as “model
minority,” still have ethnic minority status stress
– Ethnic minorities differ among themselves
socially, historically, and economically
Adolescent
Problems
• Juvenile delinquency
– Is a broad concept that includes many actions from
minor infractions to murder
– More likely to be committed by males
– Involvement by females is increasing
– More males than females are arrested
– Property offenses are committed more than any
other crime, by both sexes
– Rates are disproportionately higher for minority
and lower SES youth
– Minorities are judged delinquent more than Whites
• Explanations for causes of delinquency
– Heredity
– Identity problems
– Community influences
– Family experiences
– Lower class culture
– Antisocial peer groups and gangs
– Status given for antisocial behavior
– Male “high-status” traits nurtured
– High crime areas have criminal role models
– Community resources are inadequate
• Youth crime
– A high concern in the United States
– Feelings of helplessness, alienation, and
depression can lead to violence and suicide
– Rates are highest in poverty-infested areas
– Prevention efforts should include
• Developmentally appropriate schools
• Supportive families
• Positive youth and community organizations
• Depression is highest in adolescence – highest
in girls
• Adolescents and suicide:
– Suicide is the third leading cause of death among
13- to 19-year-olds in U.S.
– Females are more likely to attempt suicide
– Males are more likely to commit suicide
– Males use more lethal means than females
– Homosexual youths may be 3 to 7 times more likely to
attempt suicide than heterosexual youths
– Suicide is affected by genetic and emotional factors
The End