Life Span Growth & Develompent Ch. 15 Adolescence: Cognitive Development

Front 1

Adolescent Egocentrism

Back 1

A characterisitc of adolescent thinking that leads young people (ages 10-13) to focus on themselves to the exclusion of others. A young person might believe, for example, that his or her thoughts, feelings, and experiences are unique, more wonderful or awful than anyone else's.

Front 2

Invincibility Fable

Back 2

An adolescent's egocentric conviction that he or she cannot be overcome or even harmed by anything that might defeat a normal mortal, such as unprotected sex, drug abuse, or high-speed driving.

Front 3

Imaginary Audience

Back 3

The other people who, in an adolescent's egocentric belief, are watching, and taking note of, his or her appearance, ideas, and behavior. This belief makes many teenagers very self-conscious.

Front 4

Formal Operational Thought

Back 4

In Piaget's theory, the fourth and final stage of cognitive development, characterized by more systematic logic and the ability to think about abstract ideas.

Front 5

Hypothetical Thought

Back 5

Reasoning that includes propostitions and possibilities that may not reflect reality.

Front 6

Deductive Reasoning

Back 6

Reasoning from a general statement, premise, or principle, through logical steps, to figure out (deduce) specifics. Sometimes called top-down thinking.

Front 7

Inductive Reasoning

Back 7

Reasoning from one or more specific experiences or facts to a general conclusion; may be less cognitively advances that deductions. Sometimes called bottom-up reasoning.

Front 8

Dual-process Model

Back 8

The notion that two networks exist within the human brain, one for emotional and one for analytical processing of stimuli.

Front 9

Intuitive Thought

Back 9

Thought that arises from an emotion or a hunch, beyond rational explanation. Past experiences, cultural assumptions, and sudden impulses are the precursors of this thought. Also called contextualized or experiential thought.

Front 10

Analytic Thought

Back 10

Thought that results from analysis, such as a systematic ranking of pros and cons, risks and consequences, possibilities and facts. It depends on logic and rationality.

Front 11

Sunk Cost Fallacy

Back 11

The belief that if time or money has already been invested in something, then more time or money should be invested. Because of this fallacy, people spend money trying to fix a "lemon" of a car or sending more troops to win a loosing war. Ample amounts of these expenditures have already been made. It is an error made by people of all ages.

Front 12

Secondary Education

Back 12

Literally the period after primary education and before tertiary education. It usually occurs from about age 12 to 18, althought there is some variation by school and by nation.

Front 13

Middle School

Back 13

A school for grades between elementary and high school. It can be begin with grade 5 or 6 and usually ends with grade 8.

Front 14

High-stakes Test

Back 14

An evaluation that is critical in determining success or failure i.e. if a single test determines whether a student will graduate or be promoted.

Front 15

What three forms of cognition appear during adolescence?

Back 15

1) Egocentrism (early)
2) Intuition (middle)
3) Logic (end)

Front 16

How does adolescents egocentrism differ from pre-operational thought in younger children?

Back 16

Adolescents have a well-developed theory of mind whereas younger children do not. Adolescents egocentrism does not ignore others but distorts their understanding of what others might be thinking, especially about them.

Front 17

What are two aspects of adolescent egocentrism?

Back 17

1) The Invincibility Fable
2) Imaginary Audience

Front 18

At what stage of thought are adolescents at according to Piaget?

Back 18

Formal Operational Thought

Front 19

To test formal operational thought and the use of logic, Piaget designed a test using a scale and weights and asked children to balance them. How does a 14 year balance them vs. a 10 year old?

Back 19

A 14 year old uses logic to determine the weight and distance needed to balance whereas 10 year old children use trial and error.

Front 20

What are some aspects of formal operational thought?

Back 20

1) Logic Thinking
2) Abstract Thinking

Front 21

Which mode of thinking do teens often use in decision making?

Back 21

Intuitive, emotional thought instead of hypothetical-deductive reasoning which is more difficult to use (egocentrism also may play a role).

Front 22

What are some reasons why middle school often slows down academic achievement and behavioral problems become more common?

Back 22

1) Students loose connection to teachers (teachers often have hundreds of students, classes are rotated)
2) Students relationships with each other deteriorate as school sizes often increase
3) Aggressive and drug using students tend to be admired at this age over conscientious and studious students
4) Popularity becomes increasingly important, stop associating with unpopular peers (do not cross groups, learn from others that may be more studious)
5) Family conflicts increase

Front 23

What is one common practice used by the educational system that is harmful to adolescents?

Back 23

Changing schools from elementary to middle school

Front 24

What is the US percentage of status dropouts?

Back 24

10%

Front 25

As students reach high school, what are the most common behavioral problems in class?

Back 25

Doing nothing or coming late - lack of engagement

Front 26

What can be done to engage students in school learning?

Back 26

1) Allow the use of egocentric and intuitive thought instead of just using formal operational thought
2) Allow social interaction between students
3) Train and hire teachers to relate to adolescents.
4) Decrease school size to allow students to become actively involved (teams, clubs)