Lesson 1: Early Childhood
- Preschoolers can
Early childhood:
- Ages 2 to 6
- Time of continued rapid growth
especially in language and cognition
areas.
- Have more control over their
emotions and begin to pursue
activities reflecting personal
interests.
- Parents continue to be very
important in the child’s development,
as well as teachers and peers.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Growth in Early Childhood
• Grow about 3 inches in height each
year
• Gain 4 to 5 pounds in weight each
year
• Children start to lose some of their
baby fat, making them less like a
baby
• Age 3: will have all 20 of their
teeth
• Age 4: may have 20/20 vision
• Age 6: torso has lengthened, and
body proportions have become more
like those of adults
Nutrition
 Appetite – young children who
grow accustomed to a high fat,
very sweet, and salty flavors may
have trouble eating foods that
have subtler flavors such as fruits
and vegetables
 Eating Habits– assure that (1)
the child will not starve, (2) the
child will receive adequate
nutrition.
experience iron deficiencies if
not given well balanced nutrition
and if given too much milk
Brain Maturation
 The brain continually reorganizes
itself by forming new neural
connections throughout life. This
phenomenon is known as
neuroplasticity.
Impact of Early Experiences on Brain
Development:
 Early childhood experiences
shape the physical architecture of
the developing brain.
 Brains are built over time based
on experiences, not just born
fully formed.
 A sturdy foundation in early
years is crucial for future mental
function and overall health.
Positive Interactions as Building Blocks:
 Positive interactions between
young children and caregivers
build the brain’s architecture.
 These interactions, termed "serve
and return," are akin to a game of
tennis where communication is
passed back and forth.
 Examples include eye contact,
touch, singing, and games like
peek-a-boo.
Types of Stress and Their Effects:
Positive Stress:
  Includes experiences like
meeting new people or studying
for a test.
 Prepares children to cope with
future challenges.
Toxic Stress:
 Includes serious, ongoing
hardships like abuse and neglect.
 Without supportive caregivers,
toxic stress can damage the
developing brain.
 Damaged brain structures can
lead to lifelong health problems,
developmental issues, and
addiction risks.
 Fixing damage from toxic stress
is possible but more difficult and
expensive than preventing it.
Executive Function and Self-Regulation
Skills:
 These skills are likened to air
traffic control in a child's mental
airspace.
 They help children manage
attention, plan, remember rules,
and handle stress.
 Effective development of these
skills is essential for positive
mental health.
Role of the Community:
 Children cannot develop these
abilities on their own.
 Strong societies are composed of
healthy, contributing individuals.
 Communities have a
responsibility to provide
nurturing experiences for
positive child development.
 Building better futures requires
building better brains through
supportive early experiences.
Motor Skill Development
“Look at me” – improved gross motor skills
as they run and jump. Frequently ask
caregivers to observe while they hop or roll
down a hill.
“Itsy, Bitsy, Spider” – fine motor skills
involve smaller action muscle coordination.
They’re being refined in activities such as
pouring water into a container, drawing,
coloring, and using scissors.
Children’s Art Toilet Training
 Typically occurs first 2 years
(24- 36 months)
 Most children have control over
both bladder and bowels between
3-4 yo
 Some children experience
elimination disorders that may
require intervention (enuresis and
encopresis)
SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT
Preschool Children (less than 4
years)
- Explore and touch private parts, in public
and in private - Rub private parts (with hand
or against objects)
- Show private parts to others
- Try to touch mother’s or other women’s
breasts
- Remove clothes and wanting to be naked
- Attempt to see other people when they are
naked or undressing (such as in the
bathroom)
- Ask questions about their own—and
others’—bodies and bodily functions
- Talking to children their own age about
bodily functions such as “poop” and “pee”
Young Children(approximately 4-6 years)
- Purposefully touch private parts
(masturbation), occasionally in the presence
of others
- Attempt to see other people when they are
naked or undressing
- Mimic dating behavior (such as kissing, or
holding hands) - Talk about private parts and
using “naughty” words, even when they
don’t understand the meaning
- Explore private parts with children
As Future Parents…
• A behavior that is not only typical should
not be ignored and it may mean that your
child needs to learn something from the
situation (e.g., private parts are private)
• Providing close supervision, and providing
clear, positive messages about modesty,
boundaries, and privacy are crucial as
children move through the periods of
childhood (NCTSN, 2009)
• By talking openly with your children about
relationships, intimacy, and sexuality, you
can foster their healthy growth and
development (NCTSN, 2009)
• Parents play a pivotal role in helping their
children develop healthy attitudes and
behaviors towards sexuality (NCTSN, 2009)
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Piaget’s Preoperational Stage of Cognitive
Development (2-7 years)
- Learns to use language and to represent
objects by images and words. Thinking is
still egocentric: has difficulty taking the
viewpoint of others. Classifies objects by a
single feature: e.g. groups together all the
red blocks regardless of shape or all the
square blocks regardless of colors.
Pretend Play:pretending is a favorite
activity; reflects changes in their
conceptions or thoughts; children learn as
they pretend and experiment
Classification Errors:preoperational
children have difficulty in this area.
Classification: is the ability to identify the
properties of categories (color, shape, etc)
Conservation Errors: conservation refers
to the ability to recognize that moving or
rearranging matter does not change the
quantity.
Egocentrism: refers to the tendency of
young children to think that everyone sees
things in the same way as them. A boy may
select an Iron Man action figure for his
sister, thinking that if he likes the toy, his
sister will too.
PIAGET’S PREOPERATIONAL STAGE
OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
• Cartoons frequently show objects that
appear alive and take on lifelike qualities.
Young children do seem to think that objects
that move may be alive but after objects as
being alive. (BERK,2007)
ZONE OF PROXIMAL
DEVELOPMENT & SCAFFOLDING -
Lev Vygotsky’sbest-known concept is the
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
 He stated that children should be
taught in the ZPD, which occurs
when they can almost perform a
task, but no quite on their own
without assistance.
 Scaffolding – is the temporary
support that parents or teachers
give a child to do a task, AKA
guided participation with the
right kind of teaching, however
they can accomplish it
successfully.
SOCIOCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
SELF-CONCEPT
- Early childhood is a time of
forming an initial sense of self.
- Our self-description according
to various categories, such as our
external and internal qualities.
- In contrast, self-esteem is an
evaluative judgement about who
we are.
GEORGE MEAD: Symbolic
Interactionism
“I and the Me” Self
- “me” is the socialized aspect of
the person social definition of
who we are
- “I” is the active aspect of the
person not concerned with how
others view us
SELF-CONTROL
- Self-control is multi-faceted
phenomenon. It includes
response initiation, response
inhibition, and delayed
gratification.
RESPONSE INITIATION
- The ability to not initiate a
behavior before you have
evaluated all of the
information.
RESPONSE INHIBITION
- The ability to stop a behavior
that has already begun
DELAYED GRATIFICATION
- The ability to hold out for a
larger reward by forgoing a
smaller immediate reward.
- “Marshmallow Test”
- Originally: Standford
marshmallow experiment was
a study on delayed
gratification in 1972 led by
psychologist Walter Mischel
ERIK ERIKSON: PSYCHOSOCIAL
STAGE OR PLAY AGE
 Parallel to Freud’s Phallic Phase;
3-5 yrs old; Oedipus Complex is
only one of important
developments.
Psychosexual Mode: Genitallocomotor
• Oedipus complex – a drama played out in
the child’s imagination and should not be
taken literally
• Such is an expression of rapidly
developing locomotor abilities
Psychosocial Crisis: Initiative vs. Guilt
• Children approach the world &
create/select own goals
• Most goals are unacceptable/taboo and
must be repressed or delayed =
Consequence: Guilt
Basic Strength: Purpose
• Children set goals and develop a
conscience
• Youthful conscience: “cornerstone of
morality”
Core Pathology: Inhibition
• Children become compulsively moralistic
and over controlled
Significant Relations: Family
PLAY
- Freud, Vygotsky, and Piaget all saw play as
providing positive outcomes for children.
Unoccupied Play
 Children’s behavior seems more
random and without a specific
goal. This is the least common
form of play.
Solitary Play
 Children play by themselves, do
not interact with others, nor are
they engaging in similar
activities as the children around
them
Onlooker Play
 Children are observing other
children playing. They may
comment on the activities and
even make suggestions but will
not directly join the play.
Parallel Play
 Children play alongside each
other, using similar toys, but do
not directly act with each other.
Associative Play
 Children will interact with each
other and share toys, but are not
working toward a common goal.
Cooperative Play
 Children are interacting to
achieve a common goal. Children
may take on different tasks to
reach that goal
Imaginary Companions
  Researchers differ in how they
define what qualifies as an
imaginary companion
 Some studies include only
invisible characters that the child
refers to in conversation, or plays
with for an extended period of
time.
 Other researchers also include
objects that the child personifies,
such as a stuffed toy or doll, or
characters the child impersonates
every day • Estimates of the
number of children who have
imaginary companions vary
greatly.
FAMILY LIFE
Baumrind (1971) offers a model
of parenting that has four styles
and is measured along levels of
responsiveness.
PERMISSIVE
 Child-driven.
 Rarely gives or enforces rules
NEGLECTFUL
 Uninvolved or absent
 Provides little nurturance or
guidance
 Indifferent to child’s social-
emotional and behavioral needs.
AUTHORITARIAN
 Parent-driven
 Sets strict rules and punishment
 One-way communication with
little consideration of child’s
social-emotional and behavioral
needs
AUTHORITATIVE
 Solves problems together with
child
 Sets clear rules and expectations
 Open communication and natural
consequences
FAMILY LIFE
ADLER’S BIRTH ORDER
First Born
 Power, superiority, high anxiety,
overprotective tendencies
 Treatment of second child
depending on age and prior style
of life (hostile/cooperating)
Second Born
 Moderately competitive
 Revolutionary attitude
 Shaped by their perception of the
older child’s attitude
Youngest
 Most pampered; problem child
 Inferiority feelings and
dependency
 Most motivated to exceed other
siblings
Only Child
 Competition with parents
  Egotistical tendencies
 May have exaggerated sense of
self-concept
PHYSIQUE
 Different development domains
 Gain about 5-7 pounds/ year
are complementary
 Growth about 2 inches/ year
 Social skills and physical
 Slim down & gain muscle
dexterity influence cognitive
strength
development, just as cognition
plays a role in children’s social  Higher lung capacity = engage in
understanding and motor more strenuous activities
competence MOTOR SKILLS
 Early Childhood is a critical time
period that forms a foundation  Improvements in fine motor
for children’s well-being skills and eye-hand coordination
&learning  Slower rate of physical growth
due to improvement in motor
skills (riding a bike or cutting
Lesson 2:Middle Childhood Middle nails)
Childhood:
BRAIN GROWTH
- Begins when children enter
school and lasts before  Reaches its adult size at about
adolescence age 7
- Children spend more time in  Major brain growth spurts occur
schools, with friends during middle/late childhood
- Effects of brain changes are
LOOSING TEETH
reflected in the way that
children in middle childhood  Lose their first tooth around age
play sports, write, and play 6, then continue to lose teeth for
games the next 6 years
- Crucial:  By age 12, generally all of the
o Give full attention to teeth are permanent teeth
middle childhood
o Stay in touch ‘take notice
of the varied influences
on their lives in a larger
world

PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT Organized Sports: Pros and Cons
GROWTH RATES AND Health Benefits of Exercise:
MOTOR SKILL
  Strengthens bones, reduces bad
cholesterol, decreases risks of
stroke, high blood pressure, and
diabetes.
 Releases endorphins, leading to a
"runner's high."
 Improves focus, mood, and
memory.
Benefits Beyond Exercise:
 Psychological benefits from team
sports: trust, teamwork, and
communal support.
 Regular exercise habits easier to
establish with team commitment.
 Reduces risk of depression for up
to four years; boosts selfesteem
and confidence.
Growth Mindset and Resilience:
 Training fosters a growth
mindset: improvement through
practice.
 Learning from failure builds
resilience and self-awareness for
life challenges.
Finding the Right Sport:
 Preferences vary; not everyone
enjoys every sport.
 Importance of finding a sport that
suits individual strengths and
needs.
 Benefits: supportive community,
confidence-building, physical
exercise, mental nurturing, and
fun.
Childhood Obesity
 The current measurement for
determining excess weight is the
Body Mass Index (BMI) which
expresses the relationship of
height to weight.
 Among Filipinos: Poor diets,
failing food systems, and lack of
physical activity are causing
overweight and obesity in
children.
o “The Department of
Health recognizes the
emerging problem of
childhood overweight and
obesity in the country.
o Although its prevalence
pales in comparison with
that of undernutrition, it
will be unfortunate to
prejudice the public
health attention it
deserves to mitigate its
future risk on non-
communicable diseases,
premature death &
disability in adulthood”.
SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT
- Awareness of social rules
increases, and they become
more modest and want more
privacy
- Curiosity about adult sexual
behavior increases
- Children approaching puberty
are likely to start displaying
romantic and sexual interest
in their peers
- Most sexual play is an
expression of children’s
 natural curiosity and should
not be a cause for concern or
alarm
“Typical” childhood sexual play
and exploration
- Occurs between children who
play together regularly and
know each other well
- Occurs between children of
the same general age and
physical size
- Is spontaneous and
unplanned Is infrequent Is
involuntary (the children
agreed to the behavior, none
of the involved children seem
uncomfortable or upset)
- Is easily diverted when
parents tell children to stop
and explain privacy rules
- Some childhood sexual
behaviors indicate more than
harmless curiosity and are
considered sexual behavior
problems
Expectations, Basic information, & Safety
information for Sexual Behaviors in
Middle Childhood
Basic Information to each middle age
children about sexuality (NCTSN, 2009)
 What to expect and how to cope
with the changes of puberty
(including menstruation and wet
dreams)
 Basics of reproduction,
pregnancy, and childbirth
 Risks of sexual activity
(pregnancy, sexually transmitted
diseases)
 Basics of contraception
 Masturbation is common and not
associated with long term
problems but should be done in
private
Safety Information to share with middle
age children (NCTSN, 2009)
 Sexual abuse may or may not
involve touch
 How to maintain safety and
personal boundaries when
chatting or meeting people online
 How to recognize and avoid
risky social situations
 Dating rules
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Piaget: Concrete Operational Thought
- From ages 7 to 11, children
are in what Piaget referred to
as the Concrete Operational
Stage of cognitive
development (Crain, 2005)
- This involves mastering the
use of logic in concrete ways
- The word concrete refers to
that which is tangible; that
which can be seen, touched,
or experienced directly
 - The concrete operational
child is able to make use of
logical principles in solving
problems involving the
physical world. E.g., the child
can understand the principles
of cause and effect, size, and
distance
MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
Lawrence Kohlberg (1963)built on the
work of Piaget and was interested in finding
out how our moral reasoning changes as we
get older. He wanted to find out how people
decide what is right and what is wrong.
Age:Young children usually prior to age 9
Moral Level Description: preconventional
morality
Stage 1: Focus is on self-interest and
punishment is avoided. The man shouldn’t
steal the drug, as he may get caught and go
to jail
Stage 2: Rewards are sought. A person at
this level will argue that the man should
steal the drug because he does not want to
lose his wife who takes care of him
Older children, adolescents, and most
adult’s | Conventional morality
Stage 3: Focus is on how situational
outcomes impact others and wanting to
please and be accepted. The man should
steal the drug because that is what good
husbands do
Stage 4: People make decisions based on
laws or formalized rules. The man should
obey the law because stealing is a crime
Rare with adolescent and few adults |
Postconventional morality
Stage 5: Individuals employ abstract
reasoning to justify behaviors. The man
should steal the drug because laws can be
unjust, and you have to consider the whole
situation
Stage 6: Moral behavior is based on self-
chosen ethical principles. The man should
steal the drug because life is more important
than property
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Bilingualism
- Majority of children around
the world are Bilingual:
meaning that they understand
and use two languages
(MeyersSutton, 2005)
- The student who speaks both
languages fluently has a
definite cognitive advantage.
In a better position to express
concepts or ideas in more
than one way, and to be
aware of doing so (Jimenez,
Garcia, & Pearson, 1995;
Francis, 2006)
Dual-Language Development
(Bilingual) development occurs if exposure:
 - Begins before age 5.
- Occurs across a range of
contexts and is consistent.
- Provides more than 25% of
child’s language input
Bilingual children may mix vocabularies of
two languages not a sign of confusion
Diversity in Language Development
 Bilinguals reach language
milestones in both languages on
same timing as monolinguals
 Learning two languages before
age 5 (uses mostly left
hemisphere of brain for both
languages)
 Learning second language later:
Requires more parts of brain,
greater cognitive effort. Changes
brain’s neural organization for
language processing
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage: School Age
Parallel to Freud’s Latency stage; 6-12 or 13
yrs old; Time of social growth & Sexual
Latency
Psychosexual Mode: Latency
 Children divert energy to culture
and social interactions
 Form Ego-Identity (“I” or “me-
ness”)
Psychosocial Crisis: Industry vs.
Inferiority
 Industry – willingness to remain
busy with something and to
finish a job
 Inferiority – feelings of
inadequacy, when work is
insufficient to accomplish goals
Basic Strength: Competence
 Competence – confidence to use
one’s physical and cognitive
abilities to solve problems during
school age
 Lays foundation for cooperative
participation in productive adult
life
Core Pathology: Inertia
 Inertia – children give up and
regress
Significant Relations: Neighborhood,
School
Self Esteem & Self-Efficacy
 Internalizing others’ appraisals
and creating social comparison
affect children’s self-esteem,
which is defined as an evaluation
of one’s identity
 If there is a discrepancy between
how children view themselves
and what they consider to be
their ideal selves, their self-
esteem can be negatively affected
 If a student believes that he or
she is incapable of math, then the
student is less likely to attempt
the math homework regardless of
the student’s actual ability in
math
 Since self-efficacy (Bandura,
1997), is self-constructed, it is
possible for students to
miscalculated, it is possible for
students to miscalculate or
misperceive their true skills.
 These misperceptions can have
complex effects on students’
motivations
Emotion Regulation
 Emotion regulation advances in
middle childhoodconnecting to
maturation in the prefrontal lobe
 7 to 10-year-olds start: (Saarni,
1999)
- Selecting different coping
strategies when upset
- Understanding that they can
have multiple emotions
towards the same person
- Appraising how well they can
control emotions in stressful
or upsetting events and
generate multiple strategies
to deal with their emotions
- Making a distinction between
if someone close to them has
an emotional expression is
genuine or not
- Becoming aware of
expectations for the display
of emotions that may be
culturally defined 9e.g., when
culturally acceptable to cry)
With better understanding and
interpreting of complex
emotional displays, children’s
perspective-taking abilities and
their empathy skills increase.
Coping
 It can be divided up into
voluntary and involuntary efforts
 Voluntary coping efforts are
within the conscious awareness
of the individual and are intended
to regulate one’s response to
stress or the stressor itself
Engagement Coping
 The child directly addresses the
stressor (e.g., problem solving,
emotional expression, support
seeking)
 Adapts to the stressful conditions
(e.g., acceptance, positive
thinking)
Disengagement Coping
 The child disorients, or moves
away from the stressor or one’s
emotions or thoughts regarding
the stressor
 Includes avoidance, social
withdrawal, denial, and wishful
thinking, disengagement coping
strategies
 Undermine healthy adjustment in
children
- Parents & caregivers can
model & scaffold adaptive
coping strategies so that
children to orient towards
engagement coping
- Use strategies such as
problem solving, rather than
disengagement practices like
denying stress or cognitive
avoidance
Friendship
 Friendships provide the
opportunity for learning social
skills: how to communicate with
others and how to negotiate
differences
 Peer Relationships: most
children want to be liked and
 accepted by their friends. Some
popular children are nice and
have good social skills
Popular-prosocial children
 Tend to do well in school and are
cooperative and friendly
Popular-antisocial children
 May gain popularity by acting
tough or spreading rumors about
others (Cillessen & Mayeux,
2004)
Withdrawn-rejected children
 Are easy targets for bullies
because they are unlikely to
retaliate when belittled (Boulton,
1999)
Aggressive-rejected children
 May be acting out of a feeling of
insecurity
 Some rejected children are
ostracized because they are
aggressive, loud, and
confrontational
 The fear of rejection only leads
to behavior that brings future
rejection from other children
 Children who are not accepted
are more likely to experience
conflict, lack confidence, and
have trouble adjusting
Family Tasks
One of the ways to assess the quality
of family life is to consider the tasks
of families. Berger (2005) lists five
family functions:
- Providing food, clothing, and
shelter
- Encouraging Learning
- Developing self-esteem
- Nurturing friendships with
peers
- Providing harmony and
stability
Lesson 3: Adolescence
Adolescence:
- Begins with puberty and ends
with the transition to
emerging adulthood
- Age of transformation:
physical, cognitive, and
social-relational change
- “Late bloomers”
Every person’s individual
timetable for puberty is
different primarily due to
heredity
- Environmental factors–such
as diet and exercise–exert
some influence
Adolescence is a period of
“storm and stress”
Adolescence is a period of
inevitable turmoil that takes
place during the transition from
childhood to
adulthood.‘Storm’refers to a
decreased level of self-control,
and ‘stress’refers to an increased
level of sensitivity
(Stanley Hall, 1904)
Growth in Adolescence
 Puberty is a period of rapid
growth and sexual maturation
Adrenarche, begins at 6 -8 yo;
increased production of adrenal
androgens (skeletal growth)
Gonadarche, follows;major rush
of estrogen for girls and
testosterone for boys.
Hormones
- Play an organizational role
(priming the body to behave
in a certain way once puberty
begins & an antinational role
(triggering certain behavioral
and physical changes)
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Adolescents experience an overall physical
growth spurt
(watch vid, Puberty in Boys & Girls, pp.
10&11)
 Average height and weight are
also related somewhat to racial
and ethnic background.
 Asian Background tend to be
slightly shorter than children of
European and North American
background; have arms and legs
that are a bit shorter relative to
their torsos.
SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT
- The physical growth spurt is
followed by the development
of sexual maturity
- Sexual changes are divided
into two categories: Primary
Sexual Characteristics &
Secondary Sexual
Characteristics
PRIMARY SEXUAL
CHARACTERISTICS
 Changes in the reproductive
organs
 Females: uterus growth;
menarche or the first menstrual
period
 Males: growth of the testes,
penis, scrotum, and sperm
SECONDARY SEXUAL
CHARACTERISTICS
 Females: breast development
occurs, hips broaden
 Males: broader shoulders, lower
voice, coarser & darker hair, hair
growth in the pubic area,
underarms, & face
 Female gametes are present at
birth but are immature
 Each ovary contains about
400,000 gametes, but only 500
will become mature eggs
Acne
 Unpleasant consequence of
hormonal changes
 Due to overactive sebaceous (oil
producing) glands
 5% of adolescent develop acne
(boys > girls due to testosterone)
 Can lead the adolescent to
withdraw socially, especially if
they are self-conscious about
their skin or teased
Studies About Pubertal Age
- Girls’ early puberty –
associated with depression,
substance use, eating
disorders, disruptive behavior
 disorders, & early sexual
behavior (Graber, 2013)
- Early maturing girls show
more anxiety & less
confidence in their
relationships with family &
friends. They compare
themselves more negatively
to their peers (Weir, 2016)
- Early & rapidly maturing
boys displayed decrements in
the quality of their peer
relationships (Mendle, et al,
2012)
- Boys attaining early puberty
was increased odds of
cigarette, alcohol, or other
drug use (Dudovitz, et al,
2015)
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Adolescent Brain
The human brain is not fully developed by
the time a person reaches puberty
Convolusions
- Folds of the brain during this
time occur in the parts of the
cortex
Information Processing
- Myelination & synaptic
pruning in prefrontal cortex
increase
Emotional Regulation
- Limbic system matures than
the prefrontal cortex, hence,
powerful sensations become
compelling
Judgement + Planning
- Prefrontal cortex does not
fully develop until the
mid20s
 There is “mismatch” in timing
between late prefrontal cortex &
early limbic system
developments
 The approximately 10 years
separates the development of
these two brain areas can result
in:
o Risky behavior
o Poor decision making
o Weak emotional control
- The brain undergoes dramatic
changes during adolescences
Adolescent Brain: Piaget’s Formal
Operational Stage of Cognitive
Development
- Major changes in brain
structure & functioning occur
during, resulting in cognitive
& behavior developments
Formal Operational Thought
As adolescents are now able to think
abstractly & hypothetically; new ways of
reflecting on information
Greater introspection & Idealism
Imagine how the world could be
Pretend
to be what they are not; Recognize what
others expect of them & conform to those
expectations
Pseudostupidity
Appear not-knowing when they are in fact
bright, just inexperienced
Egocentrism + Imaginary Audience
- Once adolescents can
understand abstract thoughts,
they enter a world of
hypothetical possibilities &
demonstrates egocentrism or
a heightened self-focus
- David
Elkind(1967)expanded on
the concept of Piaget’s
Adolescent Egocentricity
Bodily changes results in adolescents
primarily concerned with themselves
Since adolescents can’t differentiate what
others are thinking & their own thoughts …
They believe that others are also fascinated
with their behavior &appearance
This belief results in the adolescents:
anticipating the reactions of others, &
constructing on imaginary audience
“The imaginary audience is the adolescent’s
belief that those around them are as
concerned & focused on their appearance as
they themselves are” (Schwartz, Maynard,
& Uzelac, 2008)
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Adolescent Influencers
 Parents
 Peers
 Romantic Relationships
 Social Media
Consider:
 Adolescents’ willingness to
disclose information to their
parents
To avoid Problematic Adjustment:
 Psychological control
 Manipulation, & intrusion into
adolescent’s world
 Invalidating adolescents’ feelings
pressuring them to think in
particular ways
Peers
- Peer relationships are a big
part of adolescent
development
- Influence of peers can be
both positive & negative as
adolescents experiment
together with identity
formation & new experiences
Homophily
Adolescents who are similar to one another
chose to spend time together in a “birds of a
feather flock together” way
Adolescents who spend time together shape
each other’s behavior &attitudes
Deviant peer contagion
Peers reinforce problem behavior by
laughing or showing other signs of approval
which increase the likelihood of future
problem behavior
Negative peer pressure
Lead to risker decisions or engage in more
problematic behavior e.g. adolescents are
much more likely to drink alcohol, use
drugs, & commit crimes when they are with
their friends

Source of social support &
companionship
Adolescents with positive peer relationships
are happier & better adjusted than those who
are socially isolated or have conflictual peer
relationships.
Adolescence:a wonderful yet tumultuous
period of knowing who you are & trying to
know another
Romantic Relationships
“hmmp… hindi pa love yan!”
The importance of romantic relationships
during adolescence, albeit short-lived,
should not be minimized
“bakitmosiyainiiyakan?”
Adolescents spend a great deal of time &
focus. Their positive & negative emotions
tied to romantic relationships (or lack
thereof) > friendships, family, or school
“madami ka pang ibangmakikilala”
Romantic relationships contribute to
adolescents’ identify formation. Adolescents
meet people that influence who they are &
how they see the world
“bata ka pa, wag momunaseryosohin”
Romantic relationships are centrally
connected to adolescents’ emerging
sexuality. It is important to be
knowledgeable & learn early on aside from
experimentation
Social Media
Positive influence:
 Educational benefits for
teenagers
 Increased skills
 Increased creativity and
innovative ideas
 Source of income
 Increased mental ability
 Jobs offering
 Confidence boosting
Negative influence:
 Copying super heroes in real life
 Increased cases of crimes
 Women harassment
 Superiority and inferiority
complex
 Influence of wrong personalities
 Fearless attitude
 Rude attitude with parents
 Lack of interest in family
gathering
 Following of unknown friendship
 Lack of interest in studies
Behavioral and Psychological
Adjustment: Self-Concept and SelfEsteem
Self-concept
 Understanding of self is full of
contradictions. Young teens see
themselves as outgoing
&withdrawn, happy yet often
moody, both smart & completely
clueless
 “which one is really me?”
Contradictions: teens recognize
that their personality & behavior
change depending on who they
are with or where they are
Self-esteem
Dimensions of self-esteem:
 Academic, social, appearance, &
physical/athletic
 Perceptions of competency in
romantic relationships, on the
job, & in close friendships
Drops when there is/are:
 Transition from one school
setting to another
 Stressors such as parental
conflict, or other family
disruptions
Rises when there is:
 Feeling of competence in their
peer relationships, their
appearance, & athletic abilities
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage:
ADOLESCENCE
 Puberty to adulthood; one of the
most crucial stages
 Crisis – a turning point, a crucial
period of increased vulnerability
and heightened potential
 Time for gaining a sense of ego
identity & social latency.
 Identity comes from (1)
childhood identifications (2)
society’s standards.
Psychosexual Mode: Puberty
 Defined by Erikson as Genital
Maturation
Psychosocial Crisis: Identity vs. Identity
confusion
 Identity – who they are & who
they are not
 Identity confusion – divided self-
image, can’t establish intimacy,
rejection of family & community
values
Basic Strength: Fidelity
 Fidelity – faith in some
ideological view or vision of the
future; Developed from trust in
infancy
Core Pathology: Role repudiation (refusal
to accept roles)
 Diffidence – lack of self-trust or
self-confidence
 Defiance – open act of rebellion
against authority
Significant Relations: Peer groups
Psychological Problems in Adolescence
Aggression and Antisocial Behavior
 Earlier start of antisocial
behavior = higher risk for long-
term antisocial behavior
 Poor monitoring & lack of
supervision = involvement with
deviant peers
 Promotes adolescents’ own
antisocial behavior
Depression & Anxiety
 Females have rates of anxiety
(American Psychiatric
Association, 2013)
 Generates stress in their
relationships (e.g., by resolving
conflict poorly, excessively
seeking reassurance)
  Select more maladaptive social
contexts (e.g., “misery company”
they co-ruminate as they discuss
their problems, exacerbating
negative emotions & stress)
Eating Disorders
 Anorexia nervosa, bulimia
nervosa, and binge-eating
disorder
 Caused by a complex interaction
of genetic, biological, behavioral,
psychological, and social factors
(NIMH, 2016) •
 Adolescence is a new birth, for
the higher and more completely
human traits are now born
 Adolescence is characterized by
risky behavior, which is made
more likely by changes in the
brain in which reward-processing
centers develop more rapidly
than cognitive control systems,
making adolescents more
sensitive to rewards than to
possible negative consequences
 Social changes are particularly
notable as adolescents become
more autonomous from their
parents, spend more time with
peers, and begin exploring
romantic relationships and
sexuality.
 Adjustment during adolescence
is reflected in identity formation,
which often involves a period of
exploration followed by
commitments to particular
identities.
Lesson 4: Adulthood & Old Age
Adulthood
- Period when opposite factors
affect lives
- Can be a time when a person
matures fully into what he or
she is
- Can be a time when life
closes in and what was once
possibility is now limitation
- Derived from the Latin word
“adutus” meaning grown to
full size and length or
matured
- Adults are individuals who
have completed their growth
and are ready to assume their
role/status in society
- Varying from culture to
culture: Longest Period in
human development
Subdivisions of Adulthood
- Early 18 – 40 years old
- Middle 40 – 60 years old
- Late 60 years old & above
Characteristics:
 Period of adjustment (New life
patterns, new social expectations)
 New roles to play
 Development of new attitudes
settling down age
EARLY ADULTHOOD
 Time of commitments
 Time of value change
 Adjustment to new lifestyle
  Creative age
 Change in interests
 Change is social perception
 Emotional tension
 Social isolation or dependency
MIDDLE ADULTHOOD
 Time of transition
 Time of achievement &
evaluation
 Change in appearance
 Change in sensory ability &
physiological functioning
 Status symbolism
 Age of Double Standards
 Time of Empty Nest
 Time of Boredom & Stress
LATE ADULTHOOD
 Closing period & decline
 Role change
 Desire for rejuvenation
 Interest in self & social
disengagement religious interest
 Waiting for death
PHYSICAL CHANGES
- Aging is the result of normal
wear and tear on the body
- Process of physical decline is
slow and gradual
- Middle Aged Adults:hair
starts turning gray and begins
to thin
- Old Age: muscles and fat that
have built up over the years
begins to break down
- People lose weight, becomes
shorter, develop more
wrinkles
- Particularly in Old Age:
Health Problems
o Most common causes of
death may be the caused
by a fast-moving lifestyle
of young adults
o Heart disease
o Cancer
o Cirrhosis of the liver
- Sexual Activity does not
automatically decline with
age
- The ability to comprehend
new material and think
improves years and
experience
THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT
Levinson’s Theory of Seasons of Life
Transition period occurs at age 30, 40, 50,
and 60. Each transitions lasts about 5 years
Ages 22-28
 Considered by society and
himself/herself to be novice in
the adult world
 Conflict between the need to
explore adulthood and the need
to establish a stable life structure
The Age-Thirty Crisis
 Questions about the choices of
marriage partner, career & life
goals are reopened
 Many feel that any part of life
that is unsatisfying or incomplete
needs to be changed now because
soon it will be too late
Settling Down 36-40
  Begin actively carving out a
niche in society concentrating on
“making it” in the adult world
 Strive to attain the seniority & in
the world that he identified as the
ultimate goal
The Middle Transition
 What have I done with my life?
What have I accomplished? What
do I still wish to accomplish
 Generativity – desire to use
one’s wisdom to guide future
generations; parenting or
mentoring
 Adults may choose to hang on to
the past: take part in the same
sports or hobbies that they have
always known
Middle Adulthood Late 40s
 A time when true adulthood is
achieved
 Understand and tolerates others,
is sensitive towards others
 Able to have balance between
friends &privacy
 If someone avoids this life crisis
it will come at a later time in life
(usually their 50s) with a more
forceful approach
60’s
 Culmination of life structure
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage
Young Adulthood
Age 19-30 years old; Time of acquisition of
intimacy
Psychosexual Mode: Genitality
 Distinguished by mutual trust
and stable sharing of sexual
satisfactions
Psychosocial Crisis: Intimacy vs. Isolation
 Intimacy – ability to fuse one’s
identity with another person
without fear of losing it
 Isolation – incapacity to take
chances with one’s identity by
sharing true intimacy
Basic Strength: Love
 Love – mature devotion that
overcomes basic differences
between males and females;
contains both intimacy and
isolation to detain identity
Core Pathology: Exclusivity
 Excluding certain people,
activities, ideas in order to
develop strong identity;
Pathological: blocks ability to
cooperate, complete, compromise
Significant Relations: Sexual partners,
friendsAdulthood
Age 31-60 years old; Longest
stage; time to take assume
responsibility for society
Psychosexual Mode: Procreativity
 More than perpetuation of
species, it includes assuming
responsibility for the care of
one’s children and other people’s
children
Psychosocial Crisis: Generativity vs.
Stagnation
  Generativity – generation of new
beings and products and ideas;
Guiding next generation with
altruistic concern Basic Strength: Wisdom
 Stagnation – self-absorption
 Wisdom – informed and
Basic Strength: Care detached concern with life itself
in the face of death itself
 Care – a natural desire; A
 Exhibit active but dispassionate
widening commitment to take
concern (not lack of)
care of persons, products, ideas
one has learned to care for Core Pathology: Disdain
Core Pathology: Rejectivity  Disdain- a reaction to seeing and
feeling others, in an increasing
 Rejectivity – unwillingness to
state of being finished, confused
take care of certain persons or
and helpless
groups;
 Continuation of Rejectivity
 Pseudospeciation – belief that
other groups are inferior to one’s Significant Relations: All Humanity
own
ATTITUDE TOWARDS AGING
Significant Relations: Divided labor and
“Empty Nest Syndrome”
shared household Old Age
- Refers to the grief that many
Age 60 until end of life; Time of joy,
parents feel when their
playfulness, wonder, and senility,
children move out of home.
depression, despair
May occur after the last child
Psychosexual Mode: Generalization of leaves home
Sensual Modes - Does not have to be traumatic
- Stable marriages make this
 Take pleasure in different
event bearable
physical sensations
- Depression
 Greater appreciation for - Most common in middle aged
traditional lifestyle of the woman: who are more likely
opposite sex to have had the role of
Psychosocial Crisis: Integrity vs. Despair primary carer

 Integrity – feeling of wholeness

& coherence; ability to hold
together one’s sense of “i-ness”
amidst diminishing abilities
 Despair – to be without hope; life Fear of Growing Old: One of the most
without meaning; expressed as common fears in society
disgust, depression, or contempt
  People see old age as being one
step from grave
 Many people do not want to use
the word “old” but prefer words
such as “elderly” or “senior
citizen” Ageism
 Many people think chronological
age is what makes people “old”
 Ageism – prejudice or
discrimination against the elderly
 We think that old people suffer
from poor health, live in poverty
and are frequent victims of crime
 We also think that the aged
withdraw from life and sit around
doing nothing
Changes in Life Situations
 Young people experience
positive transitions
o Graduation, marriage,
parenthood
 Older people experience negative
transitions
o Retirement, widowhood
Changes in Sexual Activity
 Majority of people over the age
65 continue to be interested in
sex
 Healthy partners enjoy sexual
activities into their 70s and 80s
 Some do not engage in sexual
activity for the following
reasons:
o Poor health
o Death of a spouse
CHANGES IN MENTAL
FUNCTIONING
- Changes in many of the
mental functions occur as
people age but changes in
intelligence & memory do
not occur as much as people
think
Crystalized Intelligence
 Ability to use accumulated
knowledge and learning in
appropriate situations
Fluid Intelligence
 Ability to solve abstract
relational problems and generate
new hypothesis
Senile Dementia (Alzheimer’s Disease)
 Term that describes memory loss,
forgetfulness, disorientation of
time & place
 Decline in ability to think,
impaired attention, altered
personality & difficulties in
relating to others
DEATH AND DYING
Thanatology
 Study of dying and death
 Five stages of psychological
adjustment to death
Kubler-ross Grief Cycle
 DENIAL
- Avoidance, confusion,
elation, shock, fear
 ANGER
- Frustration, irritation.
Anxiety
 BARGAINING
 - Struggling to find meaning,
reaching out to others, telling
one’s story
 DEPRESSION
- Overwhelmed, helplessness,
hostility, flight
 ACCEPTANCE
- Exploring options, new plans
in place, moving on