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What likely contributes to the healthy development of autonomy and independence in adolescents? Does such development require "detachment" and severance of emotional ties from parents as proposed by psychoanalytic theorists such as Anna Freud? Is an increase in stress on the family system a required component to the successful development of an adolescent's autonomy? If you don't think detachment is necessary, how do you explain the process of developing emotional autonomy? |
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| 2 | |
How are parenting practices and styles related to the development of emotional autonomy? Which parenting style is the most beneficial for adolescents? Discuss what you know about outcomes associated with the different parenting styles. |
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Think about the cognitive changes of adolescence and how they relate to behavioral autonomy development. Imagine that you are a policy maker who is deciding whether 16-year-olds should have the same medical and legal rights as adults. Discuss whether you (and researchers whose work you are familiar with) think that 16-year-olds should always be treated like adults, or never be treated like adults, or some combination. What justification, from research studies, can you give for your opinion? |
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Discuss the different theories of cognitive autonomy development (e.g., Piaget, Kohlberg). What are the strengths and weaknesses of each theory, in your opinion? How do these theories help explain changes in political and religious thinking during adolescence? Do you think schools should spend more time teaching adolescents how to think about moral, political, and religious matters? |
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Why can't social scientists state conclusively that certain parenting practices foster the development of autonomy? What kind of research would social scientists need to do to establish a causal link between parenting and psychosocial development? Would this type of research be feasible? Would it be ethical? |
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Suppose you were asked to give a parenting class about peer pressure during adolescence. Parents want to know who is most susceptible to the influence of peers and if peer pressure is really more potent during adolescence than during other times in the life cycle. Parents also want to know how researchers study conformity and peer pressure. What would you tell them? |
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| 7 | |
Recall what you learned about the normative cognitive changes during adolescence. How do these advances in thinking affect how adolescents think about moral, political, and religious issues? |
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