Adolescence Show Adolescence is a period of transitions: biological, psychological, social, economic. The stage of development that begins with puberty and ends when individuals make the transition into adult roles -- from ~10 until the early 20s. Individuals become interested in sex and biologically capable of having children Adolescent period has lengthened considerably in the past 100 years, both because physical maturation occurs earlier and because so many individuals delay entering into work and marriage until their mid-20s Early adolescence The period spanning roughly ages 10-13, corresponding roughly to the junior high or middle school years. Middle adolescence The period spanning roughly ages 14-17, corresponding to the high school years. Late adolescence The period spanning roughly ages 18-21, corresponding approximately to the college years. Emerging adulthood The period spanning roughly ages 18-25, during which individuals make the transition from adolescence to adulthood. There is little evidence that "emerging adulthood" is a universal stage or that the majority of young people in their mid-20s are in some sort of psychological or social limbo What is most striking about the transition from adolescence to adulthood today is just how many different pathways there are Puberty The biological changes of adolescence. Boundaries of adolescence 1)
Biological Makes more sense to think of development during adolescence as involving a series of transitions from immaturity into maturity An individual will mature in some respects before he or she matures in others. The various aspects of adolescence have different beginnings and different endings for every individual
Boundaries of adolescence - biological When adolescents begins: onset of puberty When adolescents ends: becoming capable of sexual reproduction Boundaries of adolescence - emotional When adolescents begins: beginning of detachment from parents When adolescents ends: attainment of separate sense identity Boundaries of adolescence - cognitive When adolescents begins: emergence of more advanced reasoning abilities When adolescents ends: consolidation of advanced reasoning abilities Boundaries of adolescence - interpersonal When adolescents begins: beginning of shift in interest from parent to peer relationship When adolescents ends: development of capacity for intimacy with peers Boundaries of adolescence - social When adolescents begins: beginning of training for adult work, family, and citizen roles When adolescents ends: full attainment of adult status and privileges Boundaries of adolescence - educational When adolescents begins: entrance into junior high school When adolescents ends: completion of formal schooling Boundaries of adolescence - legal When adolescents begins: attainment of juvenile status When adolescents ends: attainment of majority status Boundaries of adolescence - chronological When adolescents begins: attainment of designated age of adolescence (10) When adolescents ends: attainment of designated after of adulthood (21) Boundaries of adolescence - cultural When adolescents begins: entrance into period of training for ceremonial rite of passage When adolescents ends: completion of ceremonial rite of passage Salient developmental tasks Issues that are of particular concern during specific periods of development. Study - expectations for the future Three groups Study - expectations for the future - early starters Expected to finish their schooling, enter the labor force and live on their own immediately after high school; they thought they would start a family before they were 22 Study - expectations for the future - employment focused Expected to finish school, start regular employment and live on their own before turning 21, but did not expect to start a family until several years later Study - expectations for the future - educated focused Group did not expect to finish their schooling until they were 22, and did not expect to start a family until age 24 or 25 Framework for studying adolescent development John Hill's model: The fundamental changes of adolescents John
Hill - 3 fundamental features of adolescent development give the period its special flavor and significance: They are universal changes; virtually without exception, all adolescents in every society go through them. The fundamental changes of adolescents - biological Chief
elements of the biological changes of adolescence involve changes in the young person's physical appearance: Development of the ability to conceive children The fundamental changes of adolescents - cognitive Cognitive: processes that underlie how people think Compared with children, adolescents are much better able to think about hypothetical situations and about abstract concepts, such as friendship, democracy, or morality The fundamental changes of adolescents - social transitions Changes in rights, privileges, and responsibilities In some cultures, the social changes of adolescence are marked by a formal ceremony—a rite of passage. In most contemporary industrialized societies, the transition is not clearly marked, but a change in social status is a universal feature of adolescence Contexts of adolescence Effects of these changes are not uniform for all young people. Psychological impact of the biological, cognitive, and social changes of adolescence is shaped by the environment in which the changes take place Contexts of adolescence - ecological perspective According to the ecological perspective on human development, we cannot understand development without examining the environment in which it occurs In modern societies, there are four main contexts in which young people spend time: families, peer groups,
schools, and work and leisure settings. Contexts of adolescence are themselves shaped and defined by the larger society in which young people live Contexts of adolescence - family Adolescence is a time of dramatic change in family relationships Changes within the family, and in the broader context of family life, affect young people's psychological development. Contexts of adolescence - peer groups Peer group has come into play an increasingly important role in the socialization and development of teenagers Contexts of adolescence - schools Contemporary society depends on schools to occupy, socialize, and educate adolescents Contexts of adolescence - work, leisure, and the mass media Some of the most important influences on adolescent development are found outside of home and school: part-time, extracurricular activities, the mass media - including the Internet Psychological development in adolescence Psychosocial developments of adolescence: identity, autonomy, intimacy, sexuality, and achievement as well as certain psychosocial problems that may arise in adolescence Social scientists use the word psychosocial to describe aspects of development that are both psychological and social in nature. Psychosocial issues are present throughout the lifespan. They represent basic developmental challenges that we face as we grow and change Psychological development in adolescence - identity Discovering and understanding who we are as individuals Period of experimentation - time of trying on different personalities in an attempt to discover one's true self The adolescent's quest for identity is not only a quest for a personal sense of self but also for recognition from others that he or she is a special, unique individual Some of the most important changes of adolescence take place in the realms of identity, self-esteem, and self-conceptions. Psychological development in adolescence - autonomy Establishing a healthy sense of independence Adolescents' struggle to establish themselves as independent, self governing individuals Three aspects of autonomy are important: Psychological development in adolescence - intimacy Forming close and caring relationships with other people Friendships emerge that involve openness, honestly, loyalty, and exchange of confidences, rather than simply a sharing of activities and interests Dating takes on increased importance - the capacity to form romantic relationships that are trusting and loving Psychological development in adolescence - sexuality Expressing sexual feelings and enjoying physical contact with others Concerns include: Psychological development in adolescence - achievement Being successful and competent members of society Adolescence is a time of important changes in individuals' educational and vocational behavior and plans Psychological development in adolescence - psychosocial problems Although most adolescents move through the period without experiencing major psychological upheaval, this stage of life is the most common time for the first appearance of serious psychological difficulties Problems often associated with adolescence: Theoretical perspectives on adolescence Extremely biological to extremely environmental Biological Biosocial, organismic, and learning theories are mainly on forces within an individual, or within that individual's environment, that shape development and behavior Sociological theories of adolescence attempt to understand how adolescents, as a group, come of age in society. Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - biosocial theories Theorists who have taken a biological or "biosocial" view of adolescence stress the hormonal and physical changes of puberty as driving forces 1) Stanley Hall Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - biosocial theories - Stanley Hall G. Stanley Hall: the "father" of the scientific study of adolescence (very much influenced by Charles Darwin) Recapitulation theory: development of the individual paralleled the development of the human species Development of the individual through these stages was determined primarily by instinct—by biological and genetic forces within the person—and hardly influenced by the environment. More than 100 years ago Hall speculated about brain maturation, hormonal influences on behavior, and changes in patterns of sleep during adolescence Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - biosocial theories - Stanley Hall - "storm and stress" "Storm and stress": most important legacy of Hall's view of adolescence The hormonal changes of puberty cause upheaval, both for the individual and for those around him or her. Because this turbulence is biologically determined, it is unavoidable. Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - biosocial theories - Stanley Hall - current research Scientists no longer believe that adolescence is inherently problematic or that pubertal hormones themselves cause emotional problems Contemporary work continues to emphasize the role that biological factors play in shaping the adolescent experience. Current work explores the genetic bases of individual differences in adolescence and the evolutionary bases of adolescent behavior Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - biosocial theories - dual systems theories "Dual systems" theories: stress the simultaneous development
of two different brain systems: The arousal of the first system takes place early in adolescence, while the second system is still maturing The main challenge of adolescence is to develop better self-regulation, so that this imbalance doesn't result in problems Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - organismic theories Organismic theorists recognize the importance of the biological changes of adolescence. But unlike their biosocial counterparts, organismic theories also take into account the ways in which contextual forces interact with and modify these biological forces Main contributors Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - organismic theories - Freudian theory Development was best understood in terms of the psychosexual conflicts that arise at different points in development Freud saw adolescence as a time of upheaval - puberty temporarily throws the adolescent into a period of psychological crisis, by reviving old conflicts over uncomfortable sexual urges that had been buried in the unconscious (including feelings toward one's parents). Freud had very little to say specifically about adolescence but his daughter, Anna Freud (1958), extended much of her father's thinking to the study of development during the second decade of life - emphasizing the need for adolescents to break away, or "detach," from their parents in order to develop normally. Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - organismic theories - Eriksonian theory Erik Erikson work built on Freud's Erikson: believed that internal, biological developments moved the individual from one developmental stage to the next but stressed the psychosocial, rather than the psychosexual, conflicts faced by the individual at each point in time Erikson proposed eight stages in psychosocial development, each characterized by a specific "crisis" that arises at that point in development because of the interplay between the internal forces of biology and the demands of society Erikson's theory: development in adolescence revolves around the identity crisis Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - organismic theories - Piagetian theory Jean Piaget: development could best be understood by examining changes in the nature of thinking Piaget's theory: adolescence marks the transition from concrete to abstract thought. The development of abstract thinking in adolescence is influenced both by the internal biological changes of the developmental period and by changes in the intellectual environment encountered by the individual. Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - learning theories Learning theorists: stress the context in which behavior takes place. The capacity of the individual to learn from experience is assumed to be a biological given that is in place long before
adolescence Key component: content of what is learned. Learning theorists are not especially developmental in their approach and have little to say specifically about adolescence as a developmental period Main contributions Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - learning theories - behaviorism Behaviorists: emphasizes the processes of reinforcement and punishment B.F. Skinner: main proponent of behaviorism who came up with operant conditioning Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - learning theories - behaviorism - operant conditioning Operant conditioning: reinforcement is the process through which a behavior is made more likely to occur again, whereas punishment is the process through which a behavior is made less likely to occur again. Adolescent behavior is nothing more or less than the product of the various reinforcements and punishments to which the individual has been exposed
Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - learning theories - social learning theory Albert Bandura Social learning theorists: emphasize the ways in which adolescents learn how to behave. They place more weight on the processes of modeling and observational learning Theory: adolescents learn how to behave not simply by being reinforced and punished by forces in the environment but also by watching and imitating those around them. Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - sociological theories Sociological theories of adolescence attempt to understand how adolescents, as a group, come of age in society. Sociological theorists focus on the factors that all adolescents or groups of adolescents have in common by virtue of their age. Sociological theories of adolescence: relations between the generations and have tended to emphasize the difficulties young people have in making the transition from adolescence to adulthood, especially in industrialized society Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - sociological theories - adolescent marginality Marginality of young people: emphasize the difference in power that exists between the adult and the adolescent generations. Two important people: Kurt Lewin and Edgar Friedenberg Contemporary
applications: many adolescents are prohibited from occupying meaningful roles in society and therefore experience frustration and restlessness Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - sociological theories - intergenerational conflict Conflict between the generations: adolescents and adults grow up under different social circumstances and therefore develop different sets of attitudes, values, and beliefs. As a consequence, there is inevitable tension between the adolescent and the adult generations Important figures: Karl Mannheim and James Coleman Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - historical and anthropological perspective Historical perspectives: adolescence as a developmental period has varied considerably from one historical era to another. As a consequence, it is impossible to generalize about such issues as the degree to which adolescence is stressful, the developmental tasks of the period, or the nature of intergenerational relations Historians: issues all depend on the social, political, and economic forces present at a given time. Famous figures: Glen Elder, Joseph Kett, and Thomas Hine Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - historical and anthropological perspective - adolescence as an invention Adolescence is entirely a social invention - the way in which we divide Social conditions, not biological givens, define the nature of adolescent development Theoretical perspectives on adolescence - historical and anthropological perspective - anthropological perspectives Anthropologists: Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead - Benedict and Mead pointed out that societies vary considerably in the ways in which they view and structure adolescence. These thinkers viewed adolescence as a culturally defined experience Benedict: distinction between nonindustrialized societies, where the transition from adolescence to adulthood is generally gradual and peaceful, and modern industrialized societies, where transition to adulthood is abrupt and difficult. Stereotypes versus scientific study A disproportionate number of scientific studies of adolescents have focused on young people's problems rather than their normative development Stereotypes of adolescents as troubling, and troubled, have important implications for how teenagers are treated The tremendous growth of the scientific literature on adolescence over the past three decades has led to more accurate views of normal adolescence among practitioners who work with young people Today, most experts do not dismiss the storm-and-stress viewpoint as entirely incorrect but see the difficulties that some adolescents have as due largely to the context within which they grow up Stereotypes versus scientific study - study Method: measured mothers' general beliefs about adolescence to see how well these preconceptions predicted how their teenager behaved Results: the more likely a mother was to believe that teenagers are risk taking and rebellious, the more likely it was that her teenager actually behaved this way one year later, perhaps because the mother's expectations led her to behave in a way that brought out the worst in her adolescent Parent-teenager relations are influenced by the expectations they have about each other Stereotypes versus scientific study - perception Person preconceptions of your adolescence - these beliefs are based in part on your own experiences as a teenager and in part on the images of adolescents that you have been exposed to over the years Scholars' descriptions of teenagers are influenced by the time during which they are writing - we want to see adolescents as different from adults, and we exaggerate the differences between teenagers and their elders and portray young people as "out of control due to hormonal storms" During periods of economic downturn when jobs are scarce, adolescents are depicted as immature, unstable, and incompetent. During periods of war, they
are portrayed as mature, responsible, and capable Common myths 1 Normal adolescent development is tumultuous Storm and stress: highly influential but not highly accurate. It is expected that adolescence will experience these emotional upheaval because they are trying to leave childhood but they haven't Research: 80% of adolescents do just fine Common myth 2 Adolescents are more emotional, experience extreme mood swings that cannot be predicted Study: ecological momentary assessments (EMA)/beeper - a participant is "beeped" randomly during the day and asked how they are feeling. It is supposed
to be more ecologically sound Results: There was almost no difference in their moods (intensity or variability) compared pre-adolescent to adolescent youth Common myth 3 Puberty is a negative event for adolescents Hormones leads to high levels of emotional distress - WRONG Wrong: Common myth 4 Adolescents and parents just can't get along. More frequent, more intense parent-child conflict as teenagers become more rebellious On average, no significant changes in parent-child relationship. No age-related difference in: Common myth 5 Peers, not parents, matter Peer pressure is a controlling influence on adolescence behaviour and ideas Parents still have significant influence on adolescence behaviour and attitudes Which of the following stage of life is between childhood and adulthood?Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood.
Is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood quizlet?The period between childhood and adulthood is known as adolescence .
What is the bridge between childhood and adulthood?Most researchers agree that adolescence is a transitional period that serves as the bridge between childhood and adulthood.
What are the stages of life after childhood?The major stages of the human lifecycle include pregnancy, infancy, the toddler years, childhood, puberty, older adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and the senior years. Proper nutrition and exercise ensure health and wellness at each stage of the human lifecycle.
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