Which statement best reflects a theme in adolescent social cognition as they grow older?

Which statement best reflects a theme in adolescent social cognition as they grow older?

• A. As individuals move into and through adolescence, they become less able to step outside themselves and see things from other vantage points.
• B. Adolescents are rarely able to see that the social rules we follow are not absolute and are therefore subject to debate and questioning.
• C. With age, adolescents develop a more rigid, 'black and white' understanding of social norms.
• D. With age, adolescents increasingly question issues their parents and other authority figures have the right to regulate

Answer: (D)

As adolescents grow, their social reasoning becomes more nuanced, especially about rules and authority. They start to see that social norms and the rights of those in authority aren’t fixed or absolute, and they test whether regulations align with fairness, autonomy, and their own values. This growing autonomy leads them to question issues that parents and other authorities have the power to regulate, which fits the typical trajectory of maturing social cognition. The idea that they become less able to see others’ viewpoints clashes with the standard pattern of increasing perspective-taking during adolescence. The notion that social rules are rarely seen as debatable and that norms become entirely absolute also misreads development, as older teens often recognize that rules can be context-dependent and open to discussion. Likewise, a more rigid, black-and-white view of norms runs opposite to the move toward greater nuance and relativism in adolescence.

As adolescents grow, their social reasoning becomes more nuanced, especially about rules and authority. They start to see that social norms and the rights of those in authority aren’t fixed or absolute, and they test whether regulations align with fairness, autonomy, and their own values. This growing autonomy leads them to question issues that parents and other authorities have the power to regulate, which fits the typical trajectory of maturing social cognition.

The idea that they become less able to see others’ viewpoints clashes with the standard pattern of increasing perspective-taking during adolescence. The notion that social rules are rarely seen as debatable and that norms become entirely absolute also misreads development, as older teens often recognize that rules can be context-dependent and open to discussion. Likewise, a more rigid, black-and-white view of norms runs opposite to the move toward greater nuance and relativism in adolescence.