Question

Seventeen-year-old Tabitha carefully weighs her own judgment and the suggestions of others to arrive at a personally satisfying, well-reasoned independent decision. Tabitha has developed the ________ component of adolescent ________?

1) behavioral; autonomy
2) cognitive; decision making
3) emotional; autonomy
4) ethical; decision making

Answer 1

Tabitha has developed the cognitive component of adolescent decision making, which is part of the normal cognitive and psychosocial maturation during adolescence. Thus (option 2) is right answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

Seventeen-year-old Tabitha, who carefully weighs her own judgment and the suggestions of others to arrive at a personally satisfying, well-reasoned independent decision, has developed the cognitive component of adolescent decision making.

This development aligns with the psychological and social changes typically observed during adolescence, where individuals move beyond concrete thinking to become capable of abstract and formal operational thought. These advancements in cognition contribute to adolescents' abilities to challenge societal norms, question authority, and establish an independent system of moral and ethical values, corresponding with Erikson's stages of psychosocial development and Kohlberg's stages of moral development. Thus (option 2) is right answer.