Assessment 4
Assessment 4
Responding to Important Adolescent Development Issues
Overview
Adolescence is a time of transition and change. Recognition of this period as a distinct and significant life phase was first reported by Hall (
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904), who referred to this period as “storm and stress,” illustrating his view of adolescence as a turbulent time. Although researchers no longer agree with Hall’s view, his major contribution was to draw interest to the field.
Impact of Physical Changes
Early adolescence is distinguished by the onset of puberty. The physical changes initiated by puberty are dramatic. Equally impressive is the variation among adolescents as they experience these physical changes. There is variance in the timing of onset, as well as in the rate of growth and development. Timing of puberty has been found to have a psychological impact on adolescents. Researchers have discovered that early-developing females and late-developing males have had the most negative reaction to puberty. On-time developing girls (compared with peers) and early-developing boys were found more likely to have the easiest adjustment. Two factors have been found to affect attitudes regarding puberty. First, how closely an adolescent perceives his or her body to match cultural ideals of attractiveness; and second, how an adolescent believes he or she physically fits in with peers. Moreover, body image of girls has been associated with their internal model of what they considered appropriate pubertal timing.
Social Factors
While the variance in the time of onset, rate of growth, and development is significant in puberty, there is general agreement that social factors heavily impact the adolescent’s evolving view of this process. There is a complexity in the interrelationship between the physical, emotional, and psychological changes occurring during puberty. Many early adolescents undergo changes in relation to the school setting as they transition to junior high school. Psychological issues such as self-esteem may be a particular concern for girls in early adolescence. Mental health professionals are in a unique position to address issues generated by the psychological effects of puberty.
Health and Nutrition
During puberty, health and nutrition are also important factors. Eating disorders are one of the most significant health problems for adolescents. Several factors contribute to eating disorders: early puberty, the discrepancy between an image of a desirable body and perceptions of one’s own body, family issues or parenting, the culture of thinness, genes, and psychological issues (Berk,
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016).
Abstract Thinkers
By adolescence, thinking becomes more abstract; teens become capable of what Piaget (1962) referred to as the formal operational stage. This stage describes the ability to think hypothetically, in terms of what-ifs. Abstract reasoning allows adolescents to think about alternative scenarios as they begin to self-explore. According to Piaget (1962), adolescents are able to think in a formal operational manner, to use hypothetical and abstract thinking, and to go beyond what is real to what is possible. Piaget’s formal operational stage has been criticized in relationship to culture. In some contexts, individuals may not develop formal operational thought; education and the utility of this cognitive stage influence this development. Elkind (1984) theorized adolescents engaged in egocentrism, which is manifested in two ways. Adolescents develop beliefs that they are on stage most of the time and react to what is called their imaginary audience. Adolescents also believe they are unique in their experiences, which is known as the personal fable. These cognitive self-distortions may be a result of over concern for what others think.
Changes in Parent and Peer Relationships
During adolescence, changes in parent and peer relationships occur. The adolescent peer group takes on increased significance in the life of the teenager. Striking a balance between gaining peer acceptance and maintaining individuality is a challenge for many adolescents. Another possible source of stress is balancing relationships with and influences of peers and parents. The role of parents and family on psychological growth continues to be profound in adolescence.
Adolescents with healthy family relationships are able to negotiate major developmental tasks successfully, while teens lacking effective parenting in some form typically experience a variety of significant problems and associated challenges. Although teens do feel tension establishing independence from their parents, conflicts usually ensue over mundane issues. Serious adolescent-parent conflict has been found to occur in only 5–10 percent of families, usually where problems existed prior to adolescence.
Goals and the Future
During adolescence, important choices about goals and the future become salient. Knowledge about the self also becomes important as adolescents begin to question their purpose and the direction that their lives should take. Questions such as “Who am I?” “Where am I going?” and “What will I do with my life?” typify what Erikson (1968) referred to as identity crisis. He described identity crisis as the task of negotiating the conflict between identity and role confusion. He considered this stage as a time adolescents cross the developmental hurdle of making the transition from childhood to more adult roles. To accomplish this task, Erikson believed adolescents needed to attain a sense of who they are, discovering their place in society. He referred to this task as creating an ego identity, which is derived from the Freudian concept of ego—the thinking, conscious element of personality.
Much of the research on assessing identity development has been based on the paradigm formulated by Marcia (1966), who identified four identity types or statuses based on Erikson’s theory: identity achievement, identity moratorium, identity foreclosure, and identity diffusion.
References
Berk, L. E. (2016). Infants, children, and adolescents (8th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Brooks-Gunn, J., Gus, G., & Furstenberg, F. F., Jr. (1993). Who drops out of and continues beyond high school? A 20-year follow-up of Black urban youth.
Journal of Research on Adolescence, 3(3), 271–294.
Elbedour, S., Baker, A. M., & Charlesworth, W. R. (1997). The impact of political violence on moral reasoning in children.
Child Abuse & Neglect, 21, 1053–1066.
Elkind, D. (1984). All grown up and no place to go: Teenagers in crisis. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley.
Erikson, E. (1968).
Identity, youth, and crisis. Norton.
Hall, G. S. (1904). Adolescence: Its psychology and its relations to physiology, anthropology, sociology, sex, crime, religion, and education (Vols. 1–2). D. Appleton.
Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego identity status.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 551–558.
Piaget, J. P. (1962).
Play, dreams, and imitation in childhood. Norton.
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