Istuti pathak 111267 Autonomy Autonomy is more than simply separating from parents- it means developing the capacity

for self-governance. Independence vs. autonomy Independence- capacity to behave on ones own Autonomy- acting and feeling independent Independence doesnt have to take the form of rebellion To some degree it occurs naturally as teens spend more time away from supervision The paradox is that they are still so economically dependent Teens are similar to toddlers in their needs for independence Autonomy is not just an artifact of adolescence, though We struggle to define ourselves all our lives Puberty starts the process, as teens become interested in sex Cognitive shift allows for abstract assessment of others opinions, consequences of choices, ones own values New social roles require independent decision-making (voting, driving, the draft, school attendance) Types of autonomy Emotional- changes in relationships Behavioral- making independent decisions Value forming ones own morality How do adolescents display autonomy? By the end of adolescence: Teens arent as emotionally dependent on parents They dont see parents as all-knowing Much emotional energy is spent outside the family They begin to interact with parents as people Some parents even confide in a teen Emotional autonomy & detachment Freudian theory suggests that Oedipal conflicts are reawakened during adolescence, expressed as tension & arguments- the drive to separate (detachment) Research disputes this- most families bicker, but there is not usually severe conflict & by late adolescence, teens report feeling closer to their parents than during youth So emotional autonomy means transformation of the relationships, not detachment Emotional autonomy & individuation Individuation- progressive sharpening of young persons sense of self as autonomous, competent, & separate from parents

Istuti pathak 111267 Relinquishing childish dependencies on parents Developing a mature, responsible relationship Accepting responsibility for choices

Four aspects of emotional autonomy De-idealizing the parents 1st to develop Seeing parents as people Last to develop; latest with fathers Nondependency Feeling individuated with parents Autonomy has different effects on teens based on the closeness of parental relationship Teens who rate parental relationship as close are healthier & better adjusted Those facing more conflict report more alcohol use Lying more to parents relates to more problems What triggers individuation? Pubertal changes- when one looks different, s/he is treated differently Natural conflict with parents moves teens toward individuation Social cognition triggers more complex understandings of others & self- puts parents opinions in perspective De-idealizing parents triggers insecurity along with the autonomy (and rejection on the part of parents) Differs for teens whose parents divorced- they had to de-idealize parents at an earlier age

How does parenting matter? Close, nurturing families foster healthy individuation, thinking for ones self Teens who feel most autonomous have been granted freedom based on responsibility Rebellion, negativism, peer dependency are more common among immature teens Strained family relations relate to lack of autonomy Living away from home during college fosters autonomy; is related to more affection for parents, better communication, more satisfaction with parents Parents who exert much psychological control raise teens who are less individuated, more depressed, anxious Overprotectiveness is particularly harmful for less socially competent teens; sets them up for depression Videotaped research on parental behavior

Istuti pathak 111267 Parents demonstrated either enabling (accepting of teen, using questions to encourage teen to express himself) behavior or constraining behavior (dont accept teens differences & opinions; react with judgment or devaluing) Teens whose parents used more enabling/ less constraining behavior are more likely to develop in healthy ways- more individuated, more competent Families that inhibit individuation are more anxious, depressed Those that report low levels of closeness are more likely to display impulse control problems, hostility

Differences in parenting styles Authoritative- foster independence, self-esteem, self-responsibility Guidelines are firm but flexible, allowing teens to express their needs/ opinions Give and take encourages autonomy & higher order thinking Authoritarian- rules are rigid, not explained Teens independence is seen as rebellion so they try to clamp down harder They restrict teens decision-making, interfering with autonomy Coldness & punitive attitudes push teens to assert themselves in rebellious ways- just a reaction to frustration, not true autonomy Indulgent families- dont provide guidance, so teens are insecure in knowing what is good- turn to peers Depending on the peer group, antisocial behavior may be encouraged Parents may react by over-monitoring for the first time Not true autonomy Behavioral Autonomy Some rebellion is just an effort to conform to peers, not from independence To become autonomous one must be able to assess influence of others & decide for oneself We turn to others based on our assessment of their judgment, knowledge, & their agendas Ultimately autonomy means making our own decisions after having considered outcomes & consequences Changes occur in three domains Decision-making abilities Can hold multiple concepts in mind at once Can think hypothetically & envision consequences Enhanced perspective-taking Susceptibility to influence of others Feelings of self-reliance What are the benefits of better decision making skills? More likely to be aware of risks More likely to consider future consequences

Istuti pathak 111267 More likely to turn to an independent specialist for a consultant More likely to realize when someone has vested interests More likely to be cautious about accepting advice from those who are biased

What about teens as defendants? Teens are less likely than adults to think about long term implications of their decisions More likely to focus on immediate consequences Less able to understand the ways other peoples interests bias their interests Younger people are more likely to believe confession is best Younger people are more likely to give a false confession- just so they can go home Psychosocial maturation takes longer than cognitive maturation Mature decision making requires both- reasoning & impulse control Thinking is not behaving Susceptibility to influence Its not that teens no longer ask for parental input, but they decide what things they want peer or parental input on More likely to conform to peers on daily social matters- style, music, activities- and especially during early adolescence More likely to consider parental opinions regarding long-term questions of education, career, values, ethics More likely to consider experts on issues of fact- especially for older adolescents Peer pressure Most powerful when parents are absent Conformity peaks around age 14- especially for antisocial behavior & for boys Particularly dangerous regarding false confessions May be a first form of autonomy Also may be due to increased pressure Who is most susceptible? Teens from single-parent homes, less involved parents, less nurturing Parents who are extremely controlling or permissive, neglectful Nature of the pressure matters- those from authoritative homes are less responsive to antisocial pressure, more responsive to high achieving pressure Detaching from parents increases effects of pressure Parents who become most oppressive create teens who are most peer oriented Ethnic & gender differences Sex differences in levels of freedom are most severe in African American homes Immigrant families have to deal with teens expectations due to American timetables

Istuti pathak 111267 Girls report greater feelings of self-reliance before boys Self-reliance relates to higher self-esteem & fewer behavior problems

Value autonomy- regarding moral, political, & religious issues One reason teens like to get into deep philosophical discussions is they are trying to consider the possibilities Teens become more abstract in how they think about these issues Beliefs become rooted in ideological principles Beliefs become rooted in the teens values, not those of authorities/parents Moral development Kohlberg developed a theory of moral development from Piagets theory using moral dilemmas to assess moral thinking He generated stages of moral reasoning: Preconventional- concern for self Conventional- concern for opinions of others Postconventional- abstract principles of ethics What advances moral reasoning in teens? Teens show advanced levels of reasoning in authoritative homes which encourage discussions In which family conflict is neither too high nor too low In which family members expose moral arguments at a higher level than the teen can think on her own In African American homes that are committed to traditional values of spirituality & community Moral reasoning increases with age & education Moral reasoning is not moral behavior People dont always act in concert with stated values Those who reason at higher levels tend to behave in more moral ways: Less likely to commit antisocial acts, to cheat, to bow to external pressure More likely to be tolerant, to engage in political protests, to volunteer, to aid others in need At lower levels of reasoning- more aggressive, more accepting of violence, more tolerant of misbehavior Moral decisions dont exist in a vacuum Situational factors influence behavior (moral people refused to stand up to the Nazis) When people perceive threat to themselves for a moral stand, they often remain silent When people see an issue as personal choice rather than ethical dilemma (using drugs)

Istuti pathak 111267 When protected by law or tradition (blue-eye/brown-eye experiments, Stanford prison experiment, Milgram experiment)

Does gender matter? Gilligan believed Kohlbergs concepts excluded female reasoning Justice- based on reciprocity/ respect; position of objectivity- the law Care- based on responsiveness to human need; position of attachment to others Research found few gendered differences in reasoning Prosocial reasoning Volunteers score higher on moral reasoning, are more committed to bettering society, & are more aware of suffering of others Those high in prosocial reasoning are more empathic, less likely to behave violently even following violence Girls tend to be more advanced, more prosocial due to socialization Best predictor for volunteering is religious involvement & having parents who volunteer Volunteering relates to social responsibility, increased value in helping others, commitment to tolerance, equal opportunity, diversity Political thinking shifts: Becoming more abstract Becoming less authoritarian, less rigid Coherent ideology appears in late adolescence SES matters: explaining poverty Higher SES teens say these problems are due to social factors (unemployment due to global economy) Lower SES teens say these problems are due to individual factors (people having problems managing money) But does political thought translate to political behavior? Most important influence on political behavior is the context in which teens come of age Community & larger social environment Minorities tend to be more cynical about politics Until the 08 election, youth had been very apathetic politically Interest has risen since 9/11 College students have become more liberal recently (probably an effect of 8 years of conservatism/ Iraq War) Religious beliefs Beliefs become more abstract, principled & independent as teens age Less oriented toward rituals & customs More emphasis on internal beliefs

Istuti pathak 111267 90% pray; 95% believe in God; 40% feel organized religion is not very important in their lives Involvement in religion declines during adolescence College particularly affects religious beliefs (unless attending a religious college) Many leave college with little of their former beliefs New beliefs have not yet erupted

Benefits of religion Those who are more religious are less depressed, less likely to engage in premarital sex, use drugs, or be delinquent More likely to be altruistic, prosocial, involved in the community They are more likely to have supportive parents, prosocial peers, Particularly important for inner city African American teens Cults Charismatic leader Iconoclastic beliefs Exclusion of former relationships Unquestioning obedience Mind-control methods in recruiting Exploitation of members resources Self-promoting of leader rather than altruistic values

Why would teens be susceptible to cults? 1/3 of members have some pathology Transitional phase of life Loneliness Simple solutions to complex problems are offered. Youth who are susceptible to cults Loneliness Loneliness is part of adolescence since they feel great need for support, but dont yet have the social skills and understanding to develop those types of relationships. Personal fable leaves them feeling too unique to be understood. Lack of time for females relates to loneliness in both M/ F. Lonely teens also report poorer relationships with parents. Lonely teens have lower self-esteem than others. Going to college associates with loneliness. Loneliness comes in two forms: Emotional isolation occurs when someone lacks an intimate relationship.

Istuti pathak 111267 Social isolation occurs when someone lacks a sense of integrated involvement. This person doesnt feel a part of a group, a sense of belonging.

Loneliness can be reduced by: Changing social activities Adding hobbies Forming new relationships at work and in other areas Adding relationships with pets Teenagers and the Struggle For Identity Who am I? is a question oft-repeated by teenagers, though they may not voice it out loud or use precisely those words. One of the biggest challenges that they face during the transition between childhood and adulthood is this struggle with their own sense of identity. For one thing, it seems to constantly shift: they may act one way with a particular group of peers and completely different with another. There is a sense of being neither here nor there, also. They are so often in a state of becoming that it can be difficult, at any one time, to pinpoint exactly where they are. Part of the confusion is caused by hormonal changes, which are occurring so rapidly at this stage in their lives. Their appearance is undergoing a radical transformation; their bodies not only look but also feel different. Theyre suddenly confronted with issues that theyd given little thought to before: body odor, oily hair and acne, having their periods, needing to shave. The way that they see themselves in the mirror has a big impact upon their selfimage. Its human nature to want to identify who we are with the way our bodies are, and when changes are happening so quickly it can be hard to form a clear picture. Parents often wonder why even previously obedient kids will suddenly start questioning everything that theyre told once they reach their teen years. Though it looks like nothing more than rebellion (and that may be part of it), what kids are really doing is exploring their own independence and preparing for the life of responsibility that lies ahead of them. If growing up means that they have to learn to think for themselves and make their own choices, then they cant take other peoples word for anything even if those people are their parents. Ironically, though, the opinions of their friends and acquaintances become very important at this age even as kids are rejecting their parents overtures. Here is another area where their sense of identity can become clouded, because they start comparing themselves to everyone else. They may worry about why theyre developing earlier or later than their peers in certain areas. Because puberty and adolescence are such confusing transitions, kids can feel a strong urge to check their own progress alongside that of another, or to gravitate to people who, for all outward appearances, seem to have it all figured out. No wonder they end up questioning who they really are, after having spent so much time imitating others. The ways in which teenagers are apt to lose themselves, however, probably help them to really find themselves in the end. A certain amount of experimentation with rebellion,

Istuti pathak 111267 imitation, and changes of image and attitude is probably necessary before they can form a real sense of what they want and how to go about getting it. Parents who recognize this come to understand that they have to let go of their children, to a certain extent, just when they most want to protect them the most. They cant choose their kids identities; kids have to discover it for themselves. AUTONOMY The best way to define autonomy would be a state of personal independence. Some synonyms for autonomy could be liberty or self reliance. Autonomy (Greek: Auto-Nomos - nomos meaning "law": one who gives oneself his/her own law) is the right to self-government. Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political, and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it refers to the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision. In moral and political philosophy, autonomy is often used as the basis for determining moral responsibility for one's actions. One of the best known philosophical theories of autonomy was developed by Kant. In medicine, respect for the autonomy of patients is an important goal, though it can conflict with a competing ethical principle, beneficence. Politically, it is also used to refer to the self-governing of a people. Definition: Autonomy means behaving and thinking independently of others. Children develop autonomy gradually over the course of development. In the toddler years, they begin to develop autonomy by exploring their environment and starting to do things for themselves. The next major struggle with autonomy occurs during the tween and teen years. During that time, children fight to become autonomous, but simultaneously feel pulled back toward childhood by their own longings and/or by the boundaries parents and society places on them.

Emotional Autonomy Are you dependent upon others to fulfill your need for love, affection and recognition? Do you find it difficult to be alone? Do you see yourself as independent, even if you constantly strive to make others happy? Come and learn to identify the signs typical of an emotional dependency, and discover its origin. You will leave with the methods and procedures necessary to establish your emotional autonomy, fill your inner void, and create emotional stability in your life.