Cognitive Development During Adolescence IFive Primary Changes in Cognition from Childhood to AdolescenceSlide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Adolescents now can appreciate more “sophisticated” humor – young children would not “get” many of the “funny” things about The Family GuyThe Simpsons are very funny to adolescents as well! Children might laugh at the show, but they do not get the jokes in the same way that adolescents do.Slide 9Adolescent cognition and risk taking behaviorCognitive Cognitive Development During Development During Adolescence IAdolescence ICognitive Cognitive Development During Development During Adolescence IAdolescence IDevelopment and implicationsDevelopment and implicationsFive Primary Changes in Cognition from Childhood to Adolescence•1. Adolescents can think about possibilities–Thinking no longer limited to easily observable, here and now–Questioning the future and different potential options–Thinking about what could have been–Implications for social interactions (adolescent can now think in more sophisticated manner about others’ potential responses to what he/she says or does)Five Primary Changes in Cognition from Childhood to Adolescence•2. Adolescents can think logically and systematically about abstract concepts–Adolescents are now able to think logically and systematically about events that cannot be directly observed–Advances in thinking about abstract concepts such as fairness, justice, faith, democracy –Advances in thinking about social and ideological issues•Religion•Philosophy•Politics•RelationshipsFive Primary Changes in Cognition from Childhood to Adolescence•3. Adolescents engage in metacognition (thinking about thinking)–Develop the ability to monitor one’s own (and others) cognitive activity during the process of thinking–Increased introspection•Thinking about own emotions–Increased intellectualization•Thinking about own thoughts- Increased self-consciousness•Thinking about others thinking of selfFive Primary Changes in Cognition from Childhood to Adolescence•Can thinking about thinking be harmful?–Some theorize that it leads to adolescent egocentrism, which relates to two distinct characteristics of adolescent thought •Imaginary audience–Heightened sense of self-consciousness»Everybody will notice this big pimple on my nose!•Personal fable–My experiences are unique! »Other kids get arrested for smoking pot, but I won’t get caught!Five Primary Changes in Cognition from Childhood to Adolescence•4. Adolescents think in multiple dimensions–Developing the ability to see things in more complicated ways, rather than one aspect at a time–Implications for academics–Implications for self-concept–Implications for understanding others–New appreciation for certain types of humor/entertainment•Sarcasm and satire •Double-entendres (expressions that have two meanings)Adolescents now can appreciate more “sophisticated” humor – young children would not “get” many of the “funny” things about The Family GuyThe Simpsons are very funny to adolescents as well!Children might laugh at the show, but they do not get the jokes in the same way that adolescents do.Five Primary Changes in Cognition from Childhood to Adolescence5. Adolescents use relativistic thinking–Growing ability to understand things as relative, rather than absolute Can understand multiple perspectives on subjects–Increases in skepticism and uncertainty•Question authority! • Who made you boss? So what? Who cares?Adolescent cognition and risk taking behavior•How can we use what we know about adolescent cognition explain adolescent risk taking behavior?–A complex interaction of biological, cognitive, emotional, and social factors play a role in adolescent risk behavior,–Cannot be explained fully by personal fable, or lack of understanding of risks/benefits in situations–May have a lot to do with the importance that adolescents place on different outcomes•E.g., is it more important to do what you feel like doing right now (e.g., have unprotected sex, drink and drive) or to refrain from the potential negative consequences?•E.g., Is it more important to you to not be left out from what your friends are doing, or to avoid the possibility of