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Cognitive development, epistemic doubt, and identity formation in adolescence
1Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, T2N 1N4, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|November 23, 2013
Summary
Adolescent skepticism, or epistemic doubt, influences social-cognitive development and identity formation. Formal operational thinking is key to understanding this doubt, linking it to identity statuses like moratorium and achieved identity.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Adolescence involves significant cognitive shifts, including the development of formal operational thought.
- These cognitive changes can challenge an adolescent's prior certainty in their beliefs (epistemic certainty).
- Nascent skeptical doubt emerges as a critical factor in adolescent development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of skeptical doubt in adolescent social-cognitive development.
- To propose an epistemic model explaining how adolescents cope with doubt.
- To test the hypothesis that interpretive strategies for doubt influence identity formation.
Main Methods:
- Study involved 96 high school students, classified by cognitive stage (concrete vs. formal operational).
- Participants (N=70) completed measures of ego identity status and epistemic doubt.
- Epistemic doubt was categorized into realistic, defendedly realistic, dogmatic/skeptical, and rational stances.
Main Results:
- A significant relationship was found between cognitive development and epistemic doubt.
- Formal operational adolescents recognized the general nature of doubt impacting their certainty.
- Postrealist epistemic stances were strongly linked to moratorium or achieved identity statuses.
Conclusions:
- Epistemic doubt plays a crucial role in shaping adolescent social-cognitive development.
- Cognitive maturation, specifically formal operational thought, is essential for understanding and navigating epistemic doubt.
- The findings support the proposed model linking cognitive, epistemic, and identity development in adolescence.
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