Intro into Adolescence
, Lecture 1 – Intro
LO1 - Describe and discuss evidence for adolescent cognitive development
Cognitive development = change in cognitive abilities with age
How to study cognitive development in adolescence?
Lonitudinally – compare across age. Held as gold standard. Controld for stable individual differences
to show developmental trajectory. Are subject to cohort effects. Still considerable noise/variability
even when studying the same people longitudinally. Difficult to conduct – require funding for a
number of years. More working hours for data input and requires the same people across time –
subject to attrition.
Cross-sectionally – pragmatic choice. Shows age group differences which we can interpret as
(weaker) evidence for development. Age groups must be matched on variables that might affect
interpretation of age group differences to justify the direct comparisons. Matching is never perfect.
Trajectory can be linear – shallow or steep? – and non-linear – accelerating or decelerating, U
shaped or inverted? At what age is the point of inflection/peak.
Interpreting the shape of the developmental trajectory
Casey - For an adolescent researcher, some trajectories are more interesting than others. Linear =
adolescent nonspecific. Nonlinear acceleration than plateau = adolescent emergent. Inverted U =
adolescent specific.
Trajectories can give us clues about mechanisms
Mechanisms = explaining the shape of the developmental trajectory = why does this happen?
What is adolescence?
Transition from childhood to adulthood age 10-19 which is also the transition from parental
dependence to relative autonomy. Includes but does not equate with puberty. Period of continuing
brain and cognitive development. Period of increased or increasing risk for some risky behaviours or
adverse outcomes e.g. substance use initiation, some psychological disorders. Commonalities as well
as differences. Important to acknowledge the forces that shape how we view adolescence. If
adolescence is an evolutionary conserved period of life, then there are particular features of
adolescence that is optimal for the time of life.
, Lecture 1 – Intro
LO1 - Describe and discuss evidence for adolescent cognitive development
Cognitive development = change in cognitive abilities with age
How to study cognitive development in adolescence?
Lonitudinally – compare across age. Held as gold standard. Controld for stable individual differences
to show developmental trajectory. Are subject to cohort effects. Still considerable noise/variability
even when studying the same people longitudinally. Difficult to conduct – require funding for a
number of years. More working hours for data input and requires the same people across time –
subject to attrition.
Cross-sectionally – pragmatic choice. Shows age group differences which we can interpret as
(weaker) evidence for development. Age groups must be matched on variables that might affect
interpretation of age group differences to justify the direct comparisons. Matching is never perfect.
Trajectory can be linear – shallow or steep? – and non-linear – accelerating or decelerating, U
shaped or inverted? At what age is the point of inflection/peak.
Interpreting the shape of the developmental trajectory
Casey - For an adolescent researcher, some trajectories are more interesting than others. Linear =
adolescent nonspecific. Nonlinear acceleration than plateau = adolescent emergent. Inverted U =
adolescent specific.
Trajectories can give us clues about mechanisms
Mechanisms = explaining the shape of the developmental trajectory = why does this happen?
What is adolescence?
Transition from childhood to adulthood age 10-19 which is also the transition from parental
dependence to relative autonomy. Includes but does not equate with puberty. Period of continuing
brain and cognitive development. Period of increased or increasing risk for some risky behaviours or
adverse outcomes e.g. substance use initiation, some psychological disorders. Commonalities as well
as differences. Important to acknowledge the forces that shape how we view adolescence. If
adolescence is an evolutionary conserved period of life, then there are particular features of
adolescence that is optimal for the time of life.
