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Emerging Adulthood: Cognitive Development
How do 18-25 year olds think?
What is post-formal thought?
O Problem finding O Not just problem solvingO Anticipating problems &
dealing with themO More open to ideas
less concerned with absolutesThinking of multiple choices or perceptions
What is delay discounting?
O Discounting the effects of delayingO Favoring immediate gratification
over future consequencesO E.g. going to the beach instead of
studying for finalO Sex & pregnancy
What is the difference between subjective & objective thought?
O Post-formal thought combines subjective and objective thinkingO Combines emotion with logic
O Subjective thoughtO Based on personal qualities
O Experiences, culture, goals
O Objective thoughtO Thinking based on facts and numbers
O Not personal qualities
Do you remember?O What are two of the main
developments in post-formal thought?
O Can you give an example of “delay discounting”?
O What two types of thinking does post-formal thought focus on?
How can we counter stereotypes?
O Needs cognitive flexibility to counter previously ingrained stereotypes and assumptions.
O Stereotype threatO Possibility of being negatively
stereotyped creates anxiety and interferes with cognition (thinking) and emotional regulation (feelings).
What is cognitive flexibility?
O Realizing there are many perspectives on any topic
O Each problem has many possible solutions
What is dialectical thought?
O ThesisO Idea
O AntithesisO Opposite idea
O SynthesisO CombinationO Not a compromise
O Synthesis can become new thesisO Process continues
How does our morality and religion develop?
O Maturing values, moral reasoning, and religion develops
O Culture & nationality determines moral values
O Females – Reluctant to judge right and wrong as absolutes
O Males – Do tend to judge right and wrong as absolutesO Emphasize justice over compassion
Do you remember?O What are the effects of the stereotype
threat?O What would be an example of the
concept of cognitive flexibility?O What would be an example of the
concept of dialectical thought?O What main forces create our concepts of
morality and religion?O How do men and women differ
regarding moral absolutes?
Cognitive Growth and Higher Education
What are the effects of college?
O Secure vocational and financial futureO Correlates with better health & longer life
O E.g. Less likely to smokeO Improves:
O Verbal and quantitative (math) abilitiesO Professional knowledgeO Reasoning skills
O More females than males in collegeO More students in business and professions
(Law and Medicine) than liberal arts
How are colleges changing?
O U.S. has twice as many colleges as 50 years ago
O More career programsO More part time facultyO Income = most important reason for
collegeO Stronger correlation between college
education and income because of loss of unskilled jobsO No education = no job
Do you remember?O What are some of the main effects of
college?O Why does college education
correlate with better health?O How are colleges changing?
