Dr. Michelle Stewart

Case study - Michael

Michael has been inspired by a recent visit to his school by a firm of architects

He loves the creativity of the role of an architect and the sense that building design can make a real difference to the environment

Fearing the rejection of his peers he dismisses his dream

He struggles to verbalise his feelings of anger and confusion

Entering the classroom he vents his frustration by slamming the door

Let’s consider what’s going on in Michael’s mind.

Human Development – What do we know?

Social-cognitive development - – making sense of the world ‘out there’ and ‘in here’.

Piaget first pointed out a qualitative change in the nature of mental ability

Ages 7-11: concrete operations – mastering the notions of classes, relations and quantities,

Ages 12 onwards: formal operations – a shift from the ‘real’ to the ‘possible’. Able to test alternative hypothesis.

F

Activity: Place the sticks in height order : smallest to tallest.

AB

C

D

E

G

Answer: E F C D A B G

If B is not as tall as C, and A is not as short as C, then who is the tallest?

Answer: B is shorter than C and A is taller than C, so A is the tallest.

Human Development – What do we know?

Social-cognitive development

➢As adults we are able to consider his story because through socialization we have learnt to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and look at the world from their perspective.

➢Michael’s sense of ‘self ’ been shaped by his exposure to social relationships, language practices, and normative cues

➢During early adolescence his choices and subsequent behaviour will be heavily influenced by his peers – friends matter

➢The risk of losing them is too great – fearful of the consequences Michael dismisses his aspiration to become an architect

Human Development – what do we know?

“ Adolescence is a stage where there are marked changes in the way young people use their developing cognitive abilities to understand their social worlds.” (Coles 2011, p.45)

➢ Moral and political judgements

➢Perspective taking

➢ Impression formation

Human Development – what do we know?

Adolescent Egocentrism

➢Formal reasoning allows the young person to not only think about their own thoughts but also about the thoughts of others.

➢However in early adolescent it is difficult to differentiate between what others are thinking and own preoccupations – if obsessed with a problem then others are as well.

Human development - what do we know?

➢Like many adolescents, Michael struggles to verbalise how he feels. He may not have the words.

➢ In managing their emotions, girls tend to turn to others while boys may adopt more aggressive and confrontational ways of coping

➢To make sense of decisions the brain reasons within the person’s existing framework of experience

Human Development – what do we know?

➢ Individual concerns and feelings come to be seen as very special, even unique.

➢Telling their story serves a valuable purpose in buttressing the adolescent’s fragile self-concept at a time of uncertainty and change.

➢Stories about self enable individuals to develop a cohesive identity, adapt within their environment, and construct the next chapter of their career story.

➢What determines our everyday relationshipexistence is the words that we use.

Human Development - What do we know?

All the meaning we make of the words that we hear, think and say is underpinned by eight emotions:

➢ Survival - Escape and Avoidance: Fear, Anger, Disgust, Shame and Sadness

➢Potentiator: Surprise or Startle

➢Attachment: Excitement / Joy and Love / Trust

So what can we do?

Adolescence is about the integration of different aspects of self and the resolution/acceptance of conflicting attributes.

Activity – Using the a series of concentric circles write your most important characteristics in the centre and the least on the outside

Late adolescence

“Older adolescents are more likely to plan tasks involving memory or learning, and they are more able to stand back and ask themselves which strategy might be most effective in any particular situation.” (Coles, 2011, p.44).

➢However, to make sense of decisions the brain reasons within the person’s existing framework of experience.

➢The best bet for the brain is to trust its own experience and this makes change difficult – often, if it can’t make sense of what is happening it is consignedto the bin!

Career Development - What do we know?

➢Super - Stage 2: Exploration Age 15–24 - “Trying out” through classes, work experience, hobbies. Tentative choice and skill development

➢Gottfredson –

▪ Orientation to social values (age 9–13)

▪ Orientation to internal, unique self (age 14+)

Career Development - What do we know?Marcia 4 vocational states during adolescence

➢ Identity Diffusion –No sense of having choices; has not yet made (nor is attempting/willing to make) a commitment

➢ Identity Foreclosure – Willing to commit to some relevant roles, values, or goals for the future. Adolescents in this stage have not experienced an identity crisis. Tendency to conform to the expectations of others regarding their future and have not explored a range of options.

➢ Identity Moratorium – In a crisis, exploring various commitments and is ready to make choices, but has not made a commitment to these choices yet.

➢ Identity Achievement – has gone through an identity crisis and made a commitment to a sense of chosen identity

So what can we do?

So what can we do?

“Everyone wants to be successful but then you’re just like –well what if I’m not? What if I’m among those that just can’t do what they want to do? Especially if you’re like me and if you have no clue?” (Girl, age 16, cited in Coleman, 2011, p.66)

➢Assist them in focus on one issue at a time.

➢Actively listen so you can develop an understanding of the contextual situation.

So what can we do?

➢Engage the young person in wondering and actively engaging in learning opportunities.

➢Support them in managing risk, reducing anxiety and developing resilience – gradual exposure to new situations.

“The role played by one adult who cared and was available at significant turning points appears to be absolutely central to the development of resilience in the face of adversity.” (Coleman 2011, p.216)

Opening minds and creating possibilities

Krumboltz states that while genetic factors play a role, we should help young people focus on environmental factors and events in their lives, over which they have some degree of control.

➢ Define the problem

➢ Establish the action plan

➢ Clarify the values

➢ Identify alternatives

➢ Discover probable outcomes

➢ Eliminate alternatives

➢ Start action

Opening minds and creating possibilities

Hope - the process of thinking about one's goals, along with ways to achieve (pathways) those goals and the motivation to act (agency)

➢ Goals that provide direction and an endpoint for hopeful

thinking.

➢ Pathways to achieve our desired goals and the individual’s perceived ability to produce these routes.

➢ Agency - the motivation to undertake the routes towards our goals and overcome barriers - we can either give up or we can use our pathway thoughts to create new routes.

Understanding the adolescent mind helps us to find ways for

young people to discover their strengths, to enhance their

self-esteem and to develop positive relationships with adults,

so they are more able to successfully manage their careers.

References:Blakemore, S. (2018) Inventing Ourselves: The secret life of the teenage brain, London:

Penguin

Brown, P. and Brown, V. (2012) Neuropsychology for Coaches: Understanding the

Basics, London: McGrawhill

Coleman, J. (2011) The Nature of Adolescence,(4th Ed.) London: Routledge

Gottfredson’s Circumspection and Compromise -https://careersintheory.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/theories_gottfredson.pdf

Hambly, L. and Bomford, C. (2019) Creative Career Coaching: Theory into Practice,

London: Routledge

Krumboltz - http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/counseling-theories/krumboltz-learning-theory/

Marcia’s Identity Status Theory - https://www.learning-theories.com/identity-status-theory-marcia.html

Savickas’ Using the Narrative -

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/ngrf/effectiveguidance/improvingpractice/theory/new-theories/narrative/

Super’s 5 Stages of Career Development -https://www.careers.govt.nz/assets/pages/docs/career-theory-model-super-20170501.pdf