What Goes on in the Mind of a

7th Grader?

By Akriti SinghPeterson Middle School

Have you ever wondered whether other people think the same way you

do?

The Survey: Life of a 7th

Grader

What did you think of when you were asked to take this survey? “Oh... cool. A survey.”

“A survey about how we think…. That’s interesting. I’ve wondered about the same question before too. It would be cool knowing whether your friends’ minds work the same way yours does.”

When your mind wanders during class, where does it usually go? Lunch A certain class An earlier event After school lessons Meeting with friends An exciting upcoming event Something read in a book Daydreaming- (Fantasies, Wishes, etc.)

When you tune someone out while they are talking, what do you think of?

Random things. Anything I enjoy more than listening to

whatever the person is saying. Whatever makes my happier, like maybe

something happening after school or on the weekend.

Fantasies in my head about ways to get rid of the person… which can sometimes get violent.

I replace the bad-guy-character in a book with this person.

What do you worry most about?

Academics Sports teams Look/Appearance “My biggest worry in middle school is that

I won’t have a place to fit in like everyone else and that I’ll stick out like a sore thumb. I try hard to blend in with everyone else and act like I don’t care about my “appearance,” although I do.”

How would you describe your personality?

“I’m extremely complicated. I can be nervous, shy, and self-conscious At the same time, friendly and tolerant,

sometimes even obnoxious. Studious and really introverted. Around my friends I’m fun-loving and

adventurous, outgoing and extroverted. You just have to get to know me a bit to

see the real me.

How would you describe your personality?

I have a very bipolar personality. One moment I can be totally relaxed and

cheerful, and the next, I can be stressed out and angry.

I can really be enjoying myself, but then all of a sudden I feel self-conscious and feel like everyone is watching me.

I’d like to stay pleasant and tolerable all the time, but I can’t control what I feel.

What are some things that you feel influence the way you think?

What I watch on T.V., books I read, and also by the people I hang out with.

My thoughts are worded in the same way I talk to my friends at school.

The topics we discuss at lunch are usually the thoughts that stick around with me till the end of the day.

How violent or “weird” my thoughts are depend on my mood.

What is your mood like for the majority of the time?

I don’t have any one mood that I feel all the time, and it keeps changing really frequently.

It all depends on my environment, really. If there’s music playing or something then I’m

usually calm and relaxed. If there are little kids making a lot of noise

then I can get really annoyed. What happened during school or earlier

in the day also makes a difference.

What kind of person are you?

I’d like to think of myself as a sociable, agreeable person that everyone loves and can get along with.

But I’m not really that sort. I am really introverted and studious.

Maybe you could call me creative and thoughtful as well.”

Describe yourself in 3 words.

“Thoughtful, shy, and indecisive.” “Sociable, extroverted, and friendly.” “Depressed, emo, and hated.”

How often do you daydream randomly?

I daydream during class a lot. Before I go to sleep everyday, I usually do

some sort of analysis of everything that happened that day.

Whenever I get bored or tired.

The Adolescent Brain

Frontal Cortex

•CEO of brain•Planning•Strategizing•Judgment•Grows at 11 - 12

Amygdala•Emotional and gut responses•Matures earlier than Frontal Cortex

Cerebellum•Coordination of physical movement, muscles, and thinking processes.

Corpus Callosum

•Controls creativity and problem solving•Grows significantly during adolscence

Adolescents are more likely to: act on impulse misread emotions get into accidents of all kinds get involved in fights engage in dangerous or risky behavior

Adolescents are less likely to: think before they act pause to consider the consequences of

their actions modify their dangerous or inappropriate

behaviors

How do we Think?

Abstract thinking if A>B and B>C, then A>C

Hypothetical-deductive reasoning Teens think things over and then conclude,

while children use trial and error methods

Comparisons Ideal standards and fantasy wishes

Egocentrism

Being self-conscious of what other people think about you

Imaginary Audience- other people are just as interested in you as you are. We are the actors and everyone else is the

audience.

Personal Fable- sense of uniqueness and invulnerability Thinking “No one else can understand how I

feel.”

Decision Making

Harder in adolescence Generate different options Variety of perspectives Consequences

Adolescents make better decisions when calm Amygdala triggers fear and aggression

"Indecision is one of the biggest thieves of time"

Critical Thinking

Thinking reflectively and productively and evaluating evidence

Increases with age In a survey for 11th graders, only 43% thought

critically If a strong base hasn’t been set in

childhood, potential gains in adolescence aren’t likely.

Examples of Critical Thinking Determine the common saying depicted in

these verbal picture puzzles.

a. DECI     SIONb. CHIEDITOREFc. ANOTHER     ONEd. T   2222

a. Split decisionb. Editor in Chiefc. One after anotherd. Tea for 2

Memory

Adolescents have more short-term memory space than children Makes it easier to solve problems like

analogies Apology : Courteous :: Retort : _____

a) Incensedb) Slyc) Cheekyd) Meaningless e) Dull

Effects of Short-Term Memory

Engaging in strong, intense interests, often short lived

Preferring interactions with their peers

Preferring active to passive learning Passive = Taking notes on lectures (retains 10%) Active = Doing activities and actively looking up

things (retains 50%)

Attitude

Self-Esteem The way we evaluate ourselves Decreases over transition from elementary to

middle Identity

Identity confusion Peer Groups

Peer pressure Crowds/Cliques/Independents

Thank You for Watching!!