Editing Adolescence (section)

===Hypothetical and abstract thinking===
Adolescents' thinking is less bound to concrete events than that of children: they can contemplate possibilities outside the realm of what currently exists. One manifestation of the adolescent's increased facility with thinking about possibilities is the improvement of skill in [[deductive reasoning]], which leads to the development of hypothetical thinking. This provides the ability to plan ahead, see the future consequences of an action and to provide alternative explanations of events. It also makes adolescents more skilled debaters, as they can reason against a friend's or parent's assumptions. Adolescents also develop a more sophisticated understanding of probability.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

The appearance of more systematic, abstract thinking is another notable aspect of cognitive development during adolescence. For example, adolescents find it easier than children to comprehend the sorts of higher-order abstract logic inherent in puns, proverbs, metaphors, and analogies. Their increased facility permits them to appreciate the ways in which language can be used to convey multiple messages, such as satire, metaphor, and [[sarcasm]]. (Children younger than age nine often cannot comprehend sarcasm at all.)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Demorest |first1=Amy |last2=Meyer |first2=Christine |last3=Phelps |first3=Erin |last4=Gardner |first4=Howard |last5=Winner |first5=Ellen |title=Words Speak Louder Than Actions: Understanding Deliberately False Remarks |journal=Child Development |date=August 1984 |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=1527–1534 |doi=10.2307/1130022 |jstor=1130022 }}</ref> This also permits the application of advanced reasoning and logical processes to social and ideological matters such as interpersonal relationships, politics, philosophy, religion, morality, friendship, faith, fairness, and honesty.