Adolescent development – toets 3
Hoorcollege 10
Moderate discrepancy hypothesis (MDH)
- Children and adolescents are predominantly attracted to
entertainment that deviates only moderately from the things they
know, understand and are capable of
- Children and adolescents are not or less interested in entertainment
that deviates too much from their existing framework and
experiences
- Hypothesis is a viable explanation of why media preferences differ
so much among different age groups
The uses and gratification theory
Needs
depends on
different
situational
and individual
factors,
gratifications needs including
needs use of media
sought satisfied development
Five main developmental characteristics that inform needs and
gratifications
- Identity exploration
- Autonomy and self-efficacy
- Peer orientation
- Emotionality and sensation seeking
Physical development
Hormones:
- Changes in appearance
- Interest in seks
- Impact on mood
Link to media
- 50 sex questions you were afraid to ask
- Sex education
- More sexting
Pruning: decline grey matter more efficient processing
Cognitive development
- Formal operational thinking: logical, abstract hypothetical,
problem-solving, interest in future
, - Only completely in place at the end of adolescence
- Adolescents will swith between concrete and formal operationl
thinking
Formal operationl thinking
Advantages:
- Abstract thinking
- Scientific thinking
- Future thinking
- Metacognition
Disadvantages:
- Nothing goes without saying
- Question everything
- Critical
- Adolescents egocentrism imaginary audience (thinking about what
other people think about you)
Media implications
- More complexity in story lines
- More complex characters
- Topic that deal with big world issues
War movies, science fiction
- Games: fast-past media which stimulates problem-solving skills
Cognitive development
- Desire for adventure
and excitement
increased
changes in
cognitive boredom
dopamine
capacities
Link to media:
- Need for exitement and risk taking
- Imagining the perspectives of others on ‘’overdrive’’
- What do others think of me??
Socio-emotional development
There are three important developmental tasks:
- Autonomy
- Identity
- Intimacy
Two important communication skills adolescents have to learn:
- Self presentation – how to present yourself in situations?
- Self-disclosure – which personal information do you share?
, You learn this through social contact
Affordances of social media
Sense of
control!
Autonomy
- Social media provide control over communication
- Media allows individuals to be producers of content
- Media provide information about how to solve problems
Identity
Self-concept and self-esteem
- Exploration
- Developing self-esteem, fluctuations
- Gender identity
Need for identity-relevant information
Need for role models
Need for identity experiments
Identity exploration
- Media provide relevant identity information
- Media provide role models
- Identity experiments
Intimacy
Relationships
- Cliques and best friends – drama
- Strong need to fit in & validation
- ‘’puppy love’’
Practicing for later sexual relationships
Fear of rejection
- Need for intimacy
- Subcultures and para-social relationships with idols
- Learning about social relationships
, Initial assumption:
- Social media offer poor communication
Hyperpersonal theory of communication (Walther, 1996)
Poses:
- CMC is friendlier, more social, more personal and more intimate
than FTF communication
- This is because of the reduced cues in CMC
- Walther: ‘’it surpasses normal interpersonal levels’’
More intimacy
senders: receivers: and affection
optimal self over evaluation
presentation of cues
channel: feedback:
facilitates optimal positive feedback
self presentation circle
Evidence for hyperpersonal communcation theory – experiment
they measured:
- Social attraction & romantic attraction
In the text only condition social attraction was highest > this
remained even after face-to-face interaction
Hyperpersonal effect existed only in women
Social media and self-esteem
- Social comparison
- Positive feedback
- Self-reflection
‘’This suggests that the true relationship between social media use
and self-esteem is person-specific’’
Social media and mental wellbeing
- ‘’Smartphones and social media are destroying children’s mental
health’’
- Study from Sweden > KUPOL study
Longitudinal design: 3 timepoints
Measures: social media use, internalizing and externalizing
behaviors
Sample: 14-15 year olds
Hoorcollege 10
Moderate discrepancy hypothesis (MDH)
- Children and adolescents are predominantly attracted to
entertainment that deviates only moderately from the things they
know, understand and are capable of
- Children and adolescents are not or less interested in entertainment
that deviates too much from their existing framework and
experiences
- Hypothesis is a viable explanation of why media preferences differ
so much among different age groups
The uses and gratification theory
Needs
depends on
different
situational
and individual
factors,
gratifications needs including
needs use of media
sought satisfied development
Five main developmental characteristics that inform needs and
gratifications
- Identity exploration
- Autonomy and self-efficacy
- Peer orientation
- Emotionality and sensation seeking
Physical development
Hormones:
- Changes in appearance
- Interest in seks
- Impact on mood
Link to media
- 50 sex questions you were afraid to ask
- Sex education
- More sexting
Pruning: decline grey matter more efficient processing
Cognitive development
- Formal operational thinking: logical, abstract hypothetical,
problem-solving, interest in future
, - Only completely in place at the end of adolescence
- Adolescents will swith between concrete and formal operationl
thinking
Formal operationl thinking
Advantages:
- Abstract thinking
- Scientific thinking
- Future thinking
- Metacognition
Disadvantages:
- Nothing goes without saying
- Question everything
- Critical
- Adolescents egocentrism imaginary audience (thinking about what
other people think about you)
Media implications
- More complexity in story lines
- More complex characters
- Topic that deal with big world issues
War movies, science fiction
- Games: fast-past media which stimulates problem-solving skills
Cognitive development
- Desire for adventure
and excitement
increased
changes in
cognitive boredom
dopamine
capacities
Link to media:
- Need for exitement and risk taking
- Imagining the perspectives of others on ‘’overdrive’’
- What do others think of me??
Socio-emotional development
There are three important developmental tasks:
- Autonomy
- Identity
- Intimacy
Two important communication skills adolescents have to learn:
- Self presentation – how to present yourself in situations?
- Self-disclosure – which personal information do you share?
, You learn this through social contact
Affordances of social media
Sense of
control!
Autonomy
- Social media provide control over communication
- Media allows individuals to be producers of content
- Media provide information about how to solve problems
Identity
Self-concept and self-esteem
- Exploration
- Developing self-esteem, fluctuations
- Gender identity
Need for identity-relevant information
Need for role models
Need for identity experiments
Identity exploration
- Media provide relevant identity information
- Media provide role models
- Identity experiments
Intimacy
Relationships
- Cliques and best friends – drama
- Strong need to fit in & validation
- ‘’puppy love’’
Practicing for later sexual relationships
Fear of rejection
- Need for intimacy
- Subcultures and para-social relationships with idols
- Learning about social relationships
, Initial assumption:
- Social media offer poor communication
Hyperpersonal theory of communication (Walther, 1996)
Poses:
- CMC is friendlier, more social, more personal and more intimate
than FTF communication
- This is because of the reduced cues in CMC
- Walther: ‘’it surpasses normal interpersonal levels’’
More intimacy
senders: receivers: and affection
optimal self over evaluation
presentation of cues
channel: feedback:
facilitates optimal positive feedback
self presentation circle
Evidence for hyperpersonal communcation theory – experiment
they measured:
- Social attraction & romantic attraction
In the text only condition social attraction was highest > this
remained even after face-to-face interaction
Hyperpersonal effect existed only in women
Social media and self-esteem
- Social comparison
- Positive feedback
- Self-reflection
‘’This suggests that the true relationship between social media use
and self-esteem is person-specific’’
Social media and mental wellbeing
- ‘’Smartphones and social media are destroying children’s mental
health’’
- Study from Sweden > KUPOL study
Longitudinal design: 3 timepoints
Measures: social media use, internalizing and externalizing
behaviors
Sample: 14-15 year olds
