Life Span Development II School age and Adolescence

Life Span Development II: School age and Adolescence 3 (2+1)

Lesson 18 : Cognitive development during Adolescence

Adolescent’s egocentrism

David Elkin (1967) proposed that Formal operational thought also leads to adolescents’ egocentrism (difficulty in differentiating one’s own thoughts and feelings from those of other people). Adolescents reflect an enhanced ability to reflect about one’s own thoughts. He identified 2 types of adolescent egocentrism. The two distorted images of the relation between self and others are

1. The imagery audience: Adolescent’s belief that they are the focus of everyone else’s focus and attention. They believe that everyone around them is monitoring their performance, a critical remark from their parent or teacher can be a mortifying event. It is a product of inability to differentiate between self and others. As a result they become extremely self conscious, often going to great lengths to avoid embarrassment.


2. Personal fable: A tendency of adolescence to think that their thoughts and feelings are unique. This is a product of differentiating too much. This leads them to conclude that others cannot possibly understand their thoughts and feelings and that they are invulnerable to danger. They feel that rules that apply to others do not apply to them. Adolescent egocentrism may persist when adolescents have insecure relationships with their parents that may make themselves conscious and lacking in self confidence.