Chapter 18 Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood Michael

Chapter 18 Cognitive Development in Early Adulthood Michael Hoerger

Dialectical Thought Definition: to simultaneous consider a belief and an opposing belief n Thesis: statement of belief n ¨ “Drug n are bad, mmmkay” Antithesis (an-tith-e-sis): opposing belief ¨ “Drugs n are good” Synthesis: an integrated comprehensive truth ¨ “Minor drug use generally does not have negative long term outcomes, but it’s not for me”

Dialectical Thought Examples Thesis: “Depression is genetic” n Antithesis: “Depression is not genetic” n Synthesis: “Depression is complex” n Thesis: “Breastfeeding improves IQ” n Antithesis: “A 3 rd variable explains both” n Synthesis: “The 3 rd variable problem may explain some of the effect, but breastfeeding may have an impact too” n

Times They are A-Changin’ College life… n Meaningful life philosophy $$$ n Increasingly female: 40% 55% n More diverse across age and ethnicity n Lower income, employed part-time, live at home n Already have children n Decline in liberal arts degrees

Cheating Traditional students, males, Universities n 75% make fraudulent excuses: computer, illness, death/family problems, alarm n 75% of students can identify plagiarism n 50% have cheated on an exam n Lower GPA n Religiosity n Problem of procrastination n

Michael Hoerger To cite this textbook: n Berger, K. (2005). The developing person through the lifespan. New York: Worth. To cite this lecture: n Hoerger, M. (2007, March 26). Developmental Psychology: Early Adulthood Cognitive Development. Presented at a PSY 220 lecture at Central Michigan University.