Adolescent Development Exam 2

What explains completely different personalities in siblings?

the divergent experiences that siblings participate in outside of the family

Define/describe sibling deidentification.

the process through which siblings deliberately try to be different from each other.

What is the most critical influence on adolescents' adjustment?

the quality of relationships at home-- adolescents who believe their parents or guardians are there for them are healthier, happier and more competent than their peers

What percent of children in single-parent homes live with their fathers?

15%

Describe characteristics of internet harassment - its perpetrators and victims.

Adolescents who engage in traditional bullying also engage in cyberbullying. Adolescents who are frequent victims of traditional bullying also ar victims of cyberbullying.

Define/describe cliques.

Small, tightly knit groups of between 2-12 friends generally of the same sex and age

What predicts cross-ethnic friendships? What are possible explanations for the fact that by middle to late adolescence, cliques are often segregated by race?

(1) due to differential levels of academic achievement of adolescents from different ethnic groups. Different ethnic groups have different attitudes toward school and achievement. (2) it is attitudinal. white adolescents perceive their black peers as aggressive, threatening and hostile and blacks saw whites as conceited, prejudiced, and unwilling to be friends with them. (3) parents influence this-- if parents are more oriented toward ethnic groups, so will their children (4) social climate of the school-- feelings of discrimination often drive ethnic minority students into peer crowds that are defined by ethnicity (5) residential segregation (ethnicity is more powerful than socioeconomic status in determining friendship patterns)

According to the textbook, approximately what percent of today's teenagers will experience their parents' divorce, and on average, how many years will they spend in a single-parent household before turning 18?

-1/3 will experience their parent's divorce -they will spend 5 years in a single parent household

Of young people living in two-adult households, about what fraction/percent of them live with only one of their biological parents?

15%

#25-Check study guide online

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What have social scientists found regarding the effects of divorce on adolescents?

1. The effect of divorce is small in magnitude: divorce has the most adverse effects on adolescents, but in the US divorce is common and therefore help for adjustments are easy to access. 2. Quality matters: The quality of the relationship the adolescent has with the adults in their lives is more important than the number of parents in the home. 3. Adaptation to Divorce: it is the process of the divorce, not the end family structure that has the most impact on the adolescent. 4. Conflict and Stress: It is the stress of the divorce, not the divorce itself, that impacts the adolescent. E.g., increased marital conflict, decreases in income, disrupted parenting, etc. 5. Genetic Influences: aggression, antisociality, and predispositions for emotional and behavioral problems (e.g., depression) are all traits that divorced adults have that can be passed on from parents to children. 6. Individual Differences in the Effects of Divorce: immediate effects are found in boys, younger children, children with difficult temperaments, children w/o supportive adults outside the immediate family, and youngsters whose parents divorce during childhood or preadolescence.

What fraction/percent of adolescents do not fit clearly into any crowd?

1/6

What parenting style facilitates adjustment in stepfamilies?

A consistent, supportive, authoritative style.

Define/describe "crowds" as opposed to cliques. Crowds are an example of which form of transition that occurs during adolescence?

A crowd is a large, loosely organized group of young people composed of several cliques and typically organized around a common shared activity. Represent transition from concrete to abstract thinking - they identify with more abstract characteristics as popular or nerdy than specific things like make up-wearing or video game-players

Define/describe family systems theory.

A perspective on family functioning that emphasizes interconnections among different family relationships (such as marital, parent-child, sibling). says that relationships in families change most dramatically during those times when individual family members of the family's circumstances are changing, since during these times the family's previously established equilibrium will be upset.

Define/describe participant observation.

A research technique in which the researcher establishes a rapport with a group of individuals in order to 'infiltrate' and eventually join the group in order to study their behavior and relationships.

The classification of "single-parent household" often includes who else besides the single parent and the child of that parent?

A step parent and potentially step siblings or the unmarried partner of the parent

About what percent of children in the United States grow up either in abject poverty and/or in low-income families?

Abject Poverty:16% Low-income: 22% Total: 38%

What differences are there in the ways teenagers relate to their mothers and fathers?

Across many ethnic groups and cultures, adolescents tend to be closer to their mother, to spend more time alone with their mother, and to feel more comfortable talking to their mother about problems and other emotional matters; as a consequence, mothers tend to be more involved than fathers in their adolescents' lives. Fathers are more likely to be perceived as relatively distant authority figures who may be consulted for objective information (such as homework) but who are rarely sought for support or guidance (such as help with problems with a boyfriend or girlfriend). Interestingly, adolescents also fight more often with their mothers than with their fathers and perceive mothers as more controlling, but this does not appear to jeopardize the closeness of the mother-adolescent relationship.

According to Hollingshead, what chief factor determines which peers adolescents associate with?

Adolescents associate chiefly with peers from the same social class

How does the amount of time teenagers spend with their peers versus their parents compare? How does this compare with previous eras? In other countries/societies?

Adolescents spend twice as much time each week with peers as with parents. Adolescents spend more time in peer groups than adolescents did in past eras.

Define/describe these classifications for unpopular or disliked adolescents: aggressive; withdrawn; aggressive-withdrawn. Which of these is at the greatest risk of developing psychological problems as a result of peer rejection?

Aggressive: um....aggressive. Withdrawn: exceedingly shy, anxious, inhibited, and frequently victims of bullying. Aggressive-Withdrawn: Have problems controlling their aggression but tend to be nervous about initiating friendships with others. Aggressive-withdrawn adolescents are at greatest risk

What can be an effective way for enhancing the development of adolescents' reasoning abilities, moral judgment and empathy?

Allowing expression of opinions in a safe and loving environment where family connections won't be severed.

What significant changes occur in peer groups during adolescence? How does this vary by ethnicity?

Amount of time spent with peers sharply increases. Decline in time spent with family members. More striking differences among white girls (they spend more time with peers) - less for black youth. Peer groups function with less adult supervision. More contact with other-sex friends. Larger selection or groups of peers.

What characteristic/situation is likely to predict that adolescents will join antisocial peer groups? Experience school failure and/or rejection by classmates?

Antisocial, aggressive adolescents gravitate toward each other and form deviant peer groups. If the parent child relationship is coercive and hostile it will lead to antisocial behavior and rejection by classmates in a child

Baumrind's four parenting styles

Authoritative Authoritarian Indulgent Indifferent

How does authoritative parenting compare in ethnic families and white families? Is it possible that authoritarian parenting may actually be beneficial for these adolescents? Why or why not

Authoritative parenting is less prevalent while authoritarian parenting is more prevalent in ethnic families Can be good because they tend to live in poorer, less safe areas where the parents would need to exert more control for safety. Also, because of cultural differences, sometimes parenting is perceived as authoritarian even though it is without hostility or any lack of warmth. Authoritarian parenting in minorities is not necessarily beneficial, but it is less harmful.

Describe typical changes from earlier to later adolescence with regard to friendships and peer groups.

Become interested romantically in other sex; start going to mixed-sex parties, cliques become mixed sex (and mixed age), eventually people leave cliques for romantic pairs

Over the course of adolescence what changes take place in "crowds?" What role do crowds play in the lives of adolescents during high school?

Begin to define crowd more in terms of abstract characteristics. Structure becomes more differentiated, more permeable, and less hierarchical, allowing more freedom to change crowds and enhance their status

Define/describe the field of behavior genetics. How do they explain differences between siblings?

Behavior genetics is the studying of the joint impact of genes and environment on development. They study identical twins who have been reared together and apart as well as families with step-siblings to see whether similarity between siblings varies with their biological relatedness.

Which ethnic group is most likely to experience their parents' divorce? How likely are the parents of this group to remarry after divorce?

Blacks- 35% (they are not likely to experience their parents' remarriage) they are far less likely to experience their parents' remarriage

What pair in the family is most likely to have conflict when there are disruptions in family finances?

Boys will exhibit more frequent conflict, especially with their father.

Name/describe the three major factors that influence the transformation in family relationships that take place during early adolescence. What typical changes occur that require adjustments by families with adolescents?

Changes in balance of power: adolescents want to have more input but their parents don't always acknowledge their opinions. Puberty: biological and cognitive maturation play an important role. Violations of expectations: adolescents become more aware and have a different perception of family relationships and connections.

What changes over the period of adolescence with regard to an adolescents' willingness to lie to their parents?

Changes in cognitive development including adolescents' reasoning abilities and ability to see things from different perspectives, also the ability to see things as relative and not absolute.

What problem behaviors may be a result of an adolescent's exposure to marital conflict and/or violence?

Children are more adversely affected by marital conflict when they are aware of it, than when it is more covert. Marital conflict is especially harmful when it is violent or frightening. Exposure to marital conflict and violence has been linked to a wide range of adolescent problems, including depression (especially in girls), aggression and delinquency (especially in boys).

Define/describe categories of clique structures.

Clique members - individuals who have most of their interaction with same small group. Small, tightly knit groups of 2 to 12 friends generally of the same sex and age. It is the social setting in which adolescents hang out, talk, and form close relationships Liaisons - individuals who interact with 2 or more people in the clique, but they are not a part of it Isolates - individuals who have few or no links to others in the network.

Define/describe cohort. Baby boom.

Cohort- a group of individuals born during a particular period, such as the baby boomers, Gen X, the millennial generation... The baby boom was the period following World War II in which the number of infants born was extremely large.

Are ethnic minority adolescents more likely or less likely than nonminority adolescents to experience conflict with their parents? Over what things are there conflicts in these groups?

Conflict between adolescents and parents over mundane matters are generally less frequent in ethnic minority than in White families. Topics of disagreement are similar across ethnic groups and cultures, including teenagers' curfew, leisure time activities, clothing, and the cleanliness of their rooms

How does conformity to peer pressure change over time from childhood to adulthood?

Decreases as adolescents become more secure in their identity as individuals.

Define/describe generational dissonance

Divergence of views between adolescents and parents that is common in families of immigrant parents and American-born adolescents.

Describe changes in divorce rate over time.

Divorce rates were the lowest between 1955 and 1965, then it rapidly increased and hit it's peak in 1980. Since then there has been a gradual decline.

What substance use/activity do most teenagers feel that their friends are likely to pressure them into?

Drink alcohol.

When do problem relationships between adolescents and parents typically begin?

Early Adolescence

What is acculturation? How does this impact transitional ethnic families?

FOUND ONLINE...CHECK BOOK Acculturation: The adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture. Recent studies have found that stress and family conflict is higher in Mexican American families whose children are more acculturated

For what reason/reasons is/are the world a more stressful place for adolescents to grow up in now than it was in the past?

Families move often, divorce is commonplace, enormous pressure from parents, peers, and mass media. Rates of adolescent problem behaviors(crime and drug use) have fluctuated considerably.

What fraction/percentage of adolescents in any given school are members of cliques? Are girls or boys more likely to be members of cliques? Are girls or boys more likely to be "isolates."

Fewer than half of adolescents in any school are members of cliques. Girls are more likely than boys to be members of cliques. Boys are more likely to be isolates.

Define/describe gangs/gang membership/characteristics of gang members.

Gangs are organized peer groups of antisocial individuals that can be identified by name. Gang members have elevated levels of psychological distress, exposure to violence and violent victimization. Members tend to be more isolated from their family, have poorer self conceptions, and do not describe their peer group as close or intimate.

Define/describe the generation gap. How serious/real is this phenomenon?

Generation Gap: The popular phrase for the alleged conflict between young people and adults over values and attitudes. Although there is not much of a generation gap when it comes to core values, there is often a gap between the generations in matters of personal taste, most clearly evident in styles of dress, preferences in music, and patterns of leisure activity.

What characteristics of siblings are most effected by genetic factors? Least?

Genetic factors may include: aggressive behavior, emotional distress, competence, self-image, and intelligence Least Affected by genetic factors: school performance

Which gender of child has more problems after the remarriage of their parents?

Girls

Define/describe peers.

Groups of individuals of approximately the same age.

What group of people would a typical high school freshman list as the people in her life who are most important to her?

Her friends or people from her clique (?) (That was a guess from other parts I've been reading. I can't find it in the book.)

Does/how does being identified with peer groups that have relatively high status in their school impact adolescents?

Higher self-esteem for the individual

How might an adolescent's behavior help shape authoritative parenting?

If a child is more loving, and open and responsive to their parents, the parents will be able to be more easy-going in their rules and demands, be able to give guidance in a less hostile way, and be more warm in return.

How possible is it for youngsters in middle school to shift their status in high school?

If they change (usually due to puberty), or if crowds change reorganization of status, hybrids, more to choose from, etc) There are a lot more crowds in high school, so there is more room for them to fit in and change over time.

Define/describe instrumental aggression. Reactive aggression.

Instrumental: aggressive behavior that is deliberate and planned Reactive: aggressive behavior that is unplanned and impulsive.

Describe adjustment problems of victims of cyberbullying.

Low self-esteem, depression, and academic difficulties. adjustment problems, problems in social skills and in control of aggression

Why don't today's youth place the same value on education as their parents?

It is seen as unpopular and looked down upon by peers. Adolescents live in a world where academic success is frowned on, doing well in school did not earn the admiration of peers, and wealth, athletic ability and good looks mattered most.

What factor seems most important in influencing how well children adjust to divorce over time?

JUST ONE? CHECK BOOK The quality of relationships with important adults in the children's lives; social support; strong relationships with and support from extended family members; marital conflict & conflict following divorce; child's age at divorce (children & adolescents seem to have a harder time); amount of monitoring by parents; economic stress/ poverty

Define/describe the following groups: "jocks," "nerds," "populars," "partyers," "toughs," "brains," "druggies." Which groups are most likely to exhibit favorable patterns of achievement over time?

Jocks & Populars - quite involved in peer culture and very involved in institutions valued by adults(sports) Brains & Nerds - involved in adult controlled organizations but tend to be less involved in peer culture. Partyers - very involved in peer culture but not involved in adult institutions Toughs - members of delinquent gangs and not members of either adult institutions or peer culture Druggies - fall somewhere in between all.

Define/describe categories of social self-perceptions among adolescents.

LOOK IN BOOK

Define/describe diminished social competence.

LOOK IN BOOK

How does the divorce rate for first marriages compare to the rate for remarriage?

LOOK IN BOOK

What is one prominent reason related to parents that may contribute to the adolescent years being a difficult period of adjustment? Explain.

Midlife crisis: parents start to feel concern about their own looks and body changes, parents start to think that the possibilities for their future are limited, parents start to look at the choices they have made and how successful they have become

Is it harder for younger adolescents or older adolescents to adjust to a stepfamily? How does the child's adjustment to a remarriage change over time?

Older children have more difficulty in the adjustment in comparison to younger children (boys and younger children have more to gain in a remarriage than girls and older children). Over time the gender differences in the adjustment disappears and in marriages that last 5 years or more the adjustment between boys and girls are similar.

Define/describe the concept of "storm and stress." How serious/real is this phenomenon?

PAGE 126

How does authoritative parenting promote intellectual development and psychosocial maturity in children?

Parent gives flexible guidance, allows for verbal give and take, there is more of a balance between parental control and adolescent autonomy.

Authoritative

Parents who are both responsive and demanding. They are warm but firm. They set standards for the child's conduct but form expectations that are consistent with the child's developing needs and capabilities.

Indifferent

Parents who are neither demanding nor responsive. They try to do whatever is necessary to minimize the time and energy they must devote to interacting with their child. In extreme cases, indifferent parents may be neglectful.

Authoritarian

Parents who are very demanding but not responsive. They place a high value on obedience and conformity. They tend to favor more punitive, absolute, and forceful disciplinary measures.

Indulgent

Parents who are very responsive but not at all demanding. They behave in an accepting, benign, and somewhat more passive way in matters of discipline. They place relatively few demands on the child's behavior, giving the child a high degree of freedom to act as he or she wishes. They are mainly concerned with the child's happiness.

In what things do parents have most influence? Peers?

Parents: religion, work, education, core values Peers: clothing, music, hairstyles, current fads

Define/describe particularistic norm. Universalistic norm. For which of these is age grouping of adolescents more effective?

Particularistic norm - guidelines for behavior that vary from one individual to another; more commonly found in less industrialized societies. Universalistic norm - guidelines for behavior that apply to all members of a community; more common in industrialized societies. More effective for adolescents.

What group may act as a buffer for children growing up in single-parent households and play an important role in the socialization of Black youth?

Social support from friends and relatives outside the immediate family- especially support from kin.

Distinguish between relational and physical aggression.

Relational: acts intended to harm another through manipulation of his/her relationship with others. Exclude others from activities, damage their reputation(gossip) and withdraw attention/friendship. Physical: Physically harming another

How stable are adolescents' positions in their schools' social network over time?

Relatively stable over time

Define/describe the roles of selection and socialization in adolescence.

Selection - Adolescents are attracted to each other because of initial similarity Socialization - Adolescents become similar because friends influence each other Socialization is stronger in day to day preferences such as clothing, music, etc. Selection is stronger as far as delinquency and gang membership are concerned.

Define/describe sex cleavage with regard to a preadolescent's social life.

Sex cleavage is separating individuals based on gender. Preadolescents are segregated in activities such as neighborhood play or activities organized by adults.

What are reasons that adolescents separate themselves into same-sex cliques?

Shared activities and interests. Adolescents sensitivity about sex roles (behaving in ways judged to be sex-appropriate)

Define/describe "sleeper effect."

Sleeper Effects: effects of divorce that may not be apparent until much later in the child's development.

Why does the text caution against trying to determine the relationship between family characteristics and adolescent development?

Socialization is a two-way, not a one-way street. Just as parents affect their adolescents' behavior, adolescents affect their parents' behavior.

How does the amount of time adolescents spend with their peer groups compare with previous times?

Spend more time now with peers than ever before.

What type of similar behavior/activity is most likely to serve as a basis for cross-ethnic group friendships?

Substance use

What techniques have interventions designed to help unpopular adolescents improve their social skills employed?

Teach social skills such as self-expression, leadership, and how to converse. Participate in group activities with popular teens. Social problem solving - figure out acceptable ways of behaving.

Which type of crowd would probably not be found in European schools?

The "Jocks" (athletes)

During the first half of the 21st century, is the adolescent population expected to change? If so, how? Why would a social scientist who works with advocacy groups be interested in tracking the size of the adolescent population over a period of time?

The adolescent population is expected to remain at the same level though the next half century. Social scientists track the adolescent population because changes in numbers may warrant changes in the allocation of funds for social services, educational programs, and health care. Also, changes have implications for understanding behaviors of cohorts.

What determines whether certain genetic tendencies are actualized? Give examples?

The environment plays a large role in determining whether certain genetic tendencies are actualized. Example: an adolescent's genetic tendency toward depression is more likely to be actualized when exposed to family conflict

Define/describe age grading.

The process of grouping individuals within social institutions on the basis of age.

Define/describe hostile attributional bias. For which group of adolescents does this play a central role in aggressive behavior?

The tendency to interpret ambiguous interactions with others as deliberately hostile. Rejected adolescents.

How valid is the belief that being on welfare has a negative impact on adolescents? Explain.

There aren't many differences in the behavior, values, or family relationships between adolescents in families that are on welfare and those that are not

Are the presence of single parent families more likely the result of divorce than of the mother never having been married in the US?

They are about the same- "the number of American children in single-parent household who live with a parent who has never been married is about the same as the number who live with a parent who has been married and divorced."

Summarize the findings of the research of Pepler, Jiang, Craig, & Connolly (2008).

They followed a group of youth ages 10-17 and developed four different developmental trajectories - (1) 40% of sample never bullied anyone (2) 35% bullied other children occasionally when younger and older (3) 25% fell into two groups: one group were bullies when younger but stopped when older and about 10% were persistent bullies. Individuals who bullied others while younger but stopped when older were not dramatically different that those who never bullied at all.

How are adults different from past generations relative to their adolescent children?

They generally start their families later and so, are older when their children reach adolescence.

What are trademark characteristics of persistent bullies?

They have troubled family relationships, peer relationships, and difficulties controlling aggression.

Name the factors that have contributed to the rise of age segregation in contemporary society?

age grading in schools (as of mid 19th century) and increased prevalence of high school attendance (as of 1930's)

How might parents behave differently when there is severe financial stress?

Under financial strain, mothers and fathers experience more depression, worsen the marriage, and result in parent-child conflict over money. This makes parents more irritable, less involved, less nurturing, harsher, and less consistent in their discipline.

Define/describe iatrogenic effect.

Unintended adverse consequences of a treatment or intervention (ie when the side effects of some meds are far worse than the problem it is intended to treat. example: a program designed to diminish adolescents' delinquency or aggression that actually increases participants problem behavior

What are the familial characteristics of a well-adjusted adolescent with regard to parental relationships, sibling relationships, family decision making, family responsibilities?

Verbal give and take is the norm, adolescents are encouraged to express their own opinions, even if they lead to disagreements. Maintaining close relationships is emphasized, individuals in the family are encouraged to consider how their action may affect other family members. In other words, adolescents appear to do best when they grow up in a family atmosphere that permits the development of individuality against a backdrop of close family ties.

Define/describe violation of expectations

Violation of Expectations: Adolescence might not be how the adolescent or parent had planned because they both had different expectations. Ex: Adolescents might think that this is a time of great freedom whereas their parents might view this time as one in which tighter reins are necessary. Adolescents might also have the expectation that they will have increased closeness with their parents at this time, and their parents might be excited to have time for themselves.

What might contribute to lesser conflict in immigrant households with adolescents?

WHAT?? Speaking in their native language

Define/describe disequilibrium in a family.

When the family is comfortable and in a state of equilibrium and then some change happens to upset this state (happens for families with boys at age 13-14 and girls 11-12)

How does the time a 4th grader spend with his peers differ from an older adolescent?

While adolescents are granted more independence, younger children typically play in the presence of adults or in activities organized or supervised by adults. While adolescents begin spending more time with the opposite sex, younger children participate in peer groups that are highly sex segregated. Also, while adolescents begin spending time in bigger groups, children play in relatively small groups.

Should parents treat siblings differently from each other? Why or why not?

Yes, as long as they treat each child well. This is because studies have shown that siblings tend to get along better when their parents treat all siblings well and fair. pg 136

Define/describe youth culture. What concerns does researcher Coleman have about the youth culture?

Youth culture means young people maintain attitudes and values that are different from and even contrary to those of adults. Coleman worried about the low value adolescents placed on academic success, and that youth culture fueled the development of a separate and troublesome culture.

Define/describe Smetana's ideas regarding personal, conventional and moral issues.

a major contributor to adolescent-parent bickering is the fact that teenagers and parents define the issues of contention very differently. parents view many issues as matters of right and wrong, not necessarily in a moral sense, but as matters of custom or convention. Adolescents are likely to define these same issues as matters of personal choice.

Define/describe restrictive parenting strategy. When/why is it used?

attempts to minimize child's exposure to dangers in the neighborhood. Typically used by families in poor neighborhoods

How does growing up in a step family compare with growing up in a single-parent family?

children/adolescents in stepfamilies are even more at risk for problem behavior than those growing up in a single-parent family (they are exposed to a "double dose" of marital conflict and to a new set of potentially difficult issues related to the blending of children from two different marriages)

What is the chief determinant of popularity in high school?

determinants are highly variable across schools, ages and backgrounds. it depends on what is valued in that adolescent's social context

How does a child's relationship with their biological father impact an adolescent's adjustment to a stepfather?

having a strong relationship with the biological father makes the adjustment to a stepfather easier

Define/describe nonshared environment

he non-genetic influences in individuals' lives that make them different from people they live with. (examples: differential parental treatment, peer relations, school experiences) factors in the environment of individuals that are not similar and that make the individuals different from one another.

What are the characteristics/effects of living in poverty for long periods?

increases in anxiety and depression, more frequent conduct problems, and diminished school performance, more exposed to violence, higher levels of stress

Adolescent peer groups fall along which two dimensions?

involvement with adults and involvement with peers

Define/describe shared environment.

non genetic influences that make individuals living in the same family similar to each other. factors in the environment that individuals such as siblings have in common and that make the individuals similar in personality and behavior.

How do the peer group and the family differ in their ability to help an adolescent in terms of intimacy, responsibility, social interactions and leisure?

peer groups provide more opportunities for interaction and leisure, which contributes to the development of intimacy and enhances adolescents' mood and psychological well-being intimacy and sexuality are much more common between peers than between adolescents and adults activities with peers are more organized around leisure activities whereas activities with parents are typically organized around household chores and rules thus the family may be more important in the socialization of responsibility and achievement.

Describe common findings of recent cyberbullying research studies

varying findings. some say that 10% participate in cyberbully, 40% physically bullying and 70% verbally bullied someone. Another finding showed that 75% were victims of harassment on internet. Other studies arrived at a medium between the two findings here. common finding: adolescents who engage in traditional bullying also participate in cyberbullying. frequent victims of traditional bullying are also victims of cyberbullying. most internet bullying is not anonymous