Question

A teenager gets a "C" in algebra. The mother angrily states, "All you ever do is listen to music and text your friends." The teenager replies, "What is it that you're really upset about mom?" Which response pattern is the teenager expressing?

1) Clouding and fogging
2) Shifting from content to process
3) Delaying assertively
4) Assuming responsibility for one's own statements

Answer 1

The teenager is employing the response pattern known as 2) shifting from content to process.

Step-by-step explanation:

The response pattern the teenager is expressing in the given scenario is shifting from content to process. This pattern involves moving the focus away from the specific content of what the mother is saying (the 'C' grade and activities like listening to music and texting friends) to the underlying process or emotions behind the interaction (asking what the mother is really upset about). By doing so, the teenager is attempting to understand the emotions driving the conversation rather than responding directly to the criticism.

Adolescence is a period marked by the need for self-expression and the development of an independent sense of identity. This shift represents a more abstract way of thinking that is common in adolescent psychosocial development, as teens often try to assert their independence and understand their own identity in relation to their parents and others.