What is Normal? Adolescent Emotional and Cognitive Developmen t H I - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

H I L L A RY S . B U R K E , P SY. D. P O RT I A B E L L H U M E B E H AV I O R A L H EA LT H A N D T R A I N I N G C E N T E R

What is Normal?

Adolescent Emotional and Cognitive Development

Background

Education and Training The Hume Center School Based Program

What is Normal?

Frontline: Inside the Teenage Brain

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html ?s=frol02sfa8q392&continuous=1

Common Teen Characteristics

 Often erratic and inconsistent in their behavior  Have chemical and hormonal imbalances which often

trigger emotions that are frightening and poorly understood

 Are easily offended and are sensitive to criticism

Common Teen Characteristics

 Tend to exaggerate simple occurrences and believe that

personal problems, experiences, and feelings are unique to themselves

 Are moody, restless  Often feel self-conscious and alienated  Can lack self esteem

Common Teen Characteristics

 Have emerging sense of

humor

 Are psychologically at-

risk

Common Teen Characteristics

 Searching for adult identity and acceptance › even in the midst of intense peer group relationships  Are vulnerable to naive opinions, one-sided arguments  Are searching to form a conscious sense of individual

uniqueness

› "Who am I?"

Identity

Emotional development during adolescence involves establishing a realistic and coherent sense of identity

Establishing a Sense of Identity

 traditionally thought of as the central task of

adolescence (Erikson, 1968)

 Adolescence is the first time when individuals have the

cognitive capacity to consciously sort through who they are and what makes them unique

 Identity refers to how adolescents see themselves right

now

 also includes what has been termed the “possible self”

Identity Includes Two Concepts

1.

Self Concept

2.

Self-Esteem

Two Identity Concepts Defined

 Self-concept › the set of beliefs one has about oneself.  Self-esteem › Involves evaluating how one feels about one’s self-concept. › Self-esteem develops uniquely for each adolescent

Self Concept

Emotional Development of Adolescents: Identity

http://study.com/academy/lesson/aspects-of-the-social-development-of-adolescents.html?scrlybrkr

Influences on Identity

 Physical changes  Comments by others

Reflect appraisals of the individual that some adolescents may incorporate as part of their identity and feelings about themselves (Robinson, 1995)

Identity Experimentation

 Experimenting with different ways of appearing,

sounding, and behaving

 Adolescents who fail to experiment in any realm are

sometimes seen to be more stable but may, in fact, be experiencing more difficulty than youth who seem to shift from one interest to another.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional skills necessary to manage stress and be sensitive and effective in relating to other people.

These skills have been called “emotional intelligence” (Goleman, 1994).

Emotional Intelligence

 Self-awareness  Relationship skills › the ability to get along well with other people and to make friends.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence

 Recognizing and managing

emotions

 Developing empathy

Emotional Intelligence

 Important skills to begin to master as part of emotional

development

 Recognizing and managing emotions › In order to label their feelings accurately, adolescents must learn to pay conscious attention to them. › Being aware of and being able to label their feelings helps them be able to identify options and to do something constructive about them.

Emotional Intelligence

Developing empathy

Recognizing their own emotions lays the groundwork but does not ensure that youth will recognize that others have feelings and that they need to take these feelings into account.

 Use non-threatening questions › Choosing only one or two questions at a given time, ask questions that help them to define their identities.

Who do you admire? What is it about that person that

makes them admirable? What do you like to do in your free time? What do you consider to be your strengths? What are your hopes for the future? What have you done in your life that you feel proud of (even if just a little)?  Listen nonjudgmentally › listen more than you speak

Support Strategies for You and Your Teen

Support Strategies for You and Your Teen

 Ask open-ended questions  Avoid “why” questions › Try to rephrase your questions to get at what they were thinking rather than the reason for something. › For example, instead of asking, “Why did you say that?” say instead: “You seemed to be really trying to get across a point when you did that. Can you tell me more about what you meant?”

Support Strategies for You and Your Teen

 Acknowledge the adolescent’s emotional state › Reflecting someone’s mood helps the individual feel understood (Forgatch & Patterson, 1989).  Model rational decision-making strategies. › Discuss how you once arrived at a decision. › Briefly (attention span!) explain how you (or someone you know well):

 defined the problem  generated options  anticipated positive and negative consequences  made the decision  evaluated the outcome

Support Strategies for You and Your Teen

 Discuss ethical and moral problems that are in the

news

› Encourage them to think through the issues out loud. › Without challenging his or her point of view, wonder aloud about how others might differ in their perspective on the issue and what might influence these differences (Santilli & Hudson, 1992).

Support Strategies: Agreements

 Contracts  Clear expectations  Rewards and Consequences  You can always refer back to the contract if the

rule/behavior continues.

Strategies: Healthy Lifestyle

Sleep

› Research indicates that teens need 9 ¼ hours of sleep each night. › Deep sleep coincides with the release of growth hormone in children and young adults. › REM sleep stimulates the brain regions used in learning. › Sleep appears necessary for nervous system to function properly.

Strategies: Unhealthy Lifestyle

Lack of Sleep

› Limits ability to learn, listen, concentrate and solve problems. › Leads to impaired memory and physical performance. › May lead to aggressive or inappropriate behavior. › May be related to unhealthy habits: overeating, use of nicotine and caffeine. › Can contribute to increased incidence of illness. › Contributes to acne and other skin problems.

References

1.

https://www.apa.org/pi/families/re sources/develop.pdf

2.

http://pubs.cde.ca.gov/tcsii/docum entlibrary/characteristicsmg.aspx

3.

https://tip.duke.edu/node/1640

4.

https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTo pic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ ArtMID/888/ArticleID/455/Develop mental-Characteristics-of-Young- Adolescents.aspx

5.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/fr

• ntline/shows/teenbrain/view/?scrl

ybrkr