Cognitive Development, Adolescent Competence and Substance Abuse - Assignment Example

A permissive parent appeals to his or her child through the use of reason and does not limit the child from exploring the world. The freedom accorded to the child by the parent makes many people perceive the child as a person in charge of his or her own affairs (Baumrind 56-95).

The consequences of this parenting style are that it makes the child defiant, stubborn, and rebellious, and they lack the inability to control any emotions that may come their way. Such children may also engage in antisocial behavior such as indulgence in alcohol and drugs.

The other parenting pattern that Baumrind identified is the authoritarian parenting style, which entails strictness and a code of conduct that the child should not question. Authoritarian parents value obedience, believe that their word is final, and discourage discussion with the child. If a child of an authoritarian parent disobeys, the parent uses punitive and harsh methods for the child to comply with standards of proper conduct. Authoritarian parenting includes the use of punishment and force by the parent in order to compensate for fear that the child may become uncontrollable during adulthood. The consequences of such parenting include making the child withdrawn and anxious in life. They may also be futile or hostile when they face frustrations in achieving their goals. Moreover, such children perform well in academics, and they may not engage in anti-social behaviors (Baumrind 56-95).

The third pattern of parenting is the authoritative parenting style, which falls in the continuum of the Baumrind parenting style. This parenting style includes the parent directing the activities of the thoughts in a goal-oriented and thoughtful way. The parent is open to the child for negotiation on certain issues; however, the parent does not negotiate with the child on some issues. An authoritative parent also emphasizes values such as spontaneity as well as individuality. The parent teaches the child to have respect for other people and show self-control. The consequences of raising children using this style include making the child confident and happy in life. In addition, such children portray control of their emotions and develop excellent social skills (Baumrind 56-95).

#2
The information processing theory of cognitive development was developed during the 1960s and 1970s. The model acts as a way of understanding and examining the cognitive development of children. By using the model, children’s mental processes are conceptualized through computer processing, encoding, storing, and decoding of data. From the age of 2 to 5 years, children develop skills to be attentive for long periods, realize the information they encountered previously, and remember old information. Long-term memory also begins to form at this age (Oakley 1-176).

Between the age of 5 and 7 years, children learn how they can use their abilities in cognition for certain purposes. For example, children may learn to memorize some facts or words and also pay attention. At the age of 5 to 7 years, children also learn that they can be able to influence the ability to process information by controlling their brains. As such, children at the school-going age come up with certain strategies to approach various tasks. As they learn to read, children start identifying words that may not be possible to sound through the use of phonics (Oakley 1-176). Read More