Contents:
Introduction:
Definition of adolescents
Adolescent Identity Development: a theoretical overview
Definition of Cognitive Dissonance
A theoretical Overview of Cognitive Dissonance and its relation to understanding adolescents
Assisting counsellors in working with adolescents who experience symptoms of cognitive dissonance.
Introduction:
In this assignment I will be doing a case study (made up) on an adolescent named Mark. I will be explaining in further detail how cognitive dissonance is a vital factor to be taken into consideration in one's life, specifically why and how it ties into working with adolescents.
Definition of Adolescents:
"According to the Macquarie Dictionary, …show more content…
Children grow up from infancy with these norms, some of which are formalised in statutes (e.g. prohibition of theft); while others are established by use and tradition (e.g. human life is sacred). Adolescents become familiar with these norms through education. Thus adolescents gain moral independence and responsibility. This entails that they must choose between right and wrong, propriety and impropriety, and they have to accept responsibility for such choices. (Gouws, 2008, p. …show more content…
128).
Religious Development:
"Cognitively adolescents begin to develop a capacity for abstract thought, which enables them to move from a concrete level of intellectual activity to a level at which spiritual matters are understood. Accordingly adolescence is characterised by a search for spiritual fulfilment and certainty, for a religion that can serve as a spiritual refuge where conflict and doubt can be resolved and the meaning of life and the answers to life's questions can be found.
Abstract thought also enables adolescents to be more tolerant and less emotional and dogmatic about differences in religious convictions. Some adolescents begin to question religious convictions that they used to accept by asking questions as: 'Why must we go to church/mosque/temple/ synagogue?', 'Why are priests not allowed to marry?', 'Is there a heaven and a hell?', 'Does God exist?' and so on." (Gouws, 2008, p. 141).
Definition Of Cognitive