Chapter 9 Adolscence Ages 11-19

Physical Development Adolescence is the stage in life when humans change from children to adults. Changes occur in height, weight, muscle development and reproductive organs. The brain also changes in form and function. Puberty is a period of development marked by growth spurts and sexual maturation. These changes are signaled by the body’s pituitary gland. Onset of puberty and the change that occur during puberty happen at different times for everyone.

Physical Development – Cont. Growth spurts are rapid changes in both height and weight. Females increase in weight considerably and often reach their full height during the middle years of adolescence. Males typically do not experience a growth spurt until around the age of 14. A male’s voice changes during the early teen years. Adolescents are more responsible for their own food choices than in earlier life. Eating regularly and following MyPlate can help maintain proper nutrition.

Physical Development The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest adolescents participate in 60 minutes of vigorous activity per day. To maintain a healthy body weight, people must be in energy balance.

Physical development – Cont. An eating disorder is a serious condition that involves abnormal eating patterns that can cause severe or life-threatening physical problems. Anorexia nervosa is relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that uses a bingeing and purging pattern. Binge-eating disorder involves eating large amounts of food without taking any actions to reduce the amount of food intake. Adolescents often need about 9-19 hours of sleep to feel rested. Medical and dental examines continue. Needs vary based on individual needs.

Cognitive Development Adolescents often use personal fable (thinking pattern when they distort and inflate the opinion of themselves and their own importance) which can lead to the belief of being invincible. Piaget believed the formal operations stage starts at the beginning of adolescence. Adolescents can reason abstractly and use metacognition. The brain is different physically and functionally than a child or an adult The amygdala ( part of brain responsible for emotional reactions such as anger) The prefrontal cortex doesn’t develop until early adulthood (age 25) Language development continues to be important.

Cognitive Development – Cont. Decision-making process can help in setting goals. Short-term goals are goals that are achievable in the immediate to near future. Long-term goals are major goals that may take months or even years to achieve. Accepting responsibility for decisions is part of becoming independent. Many adolescents are in Kohlberg’s second level of moral development or conventional morality. They make moral decisions based on how others perceive them or on respect for laws and regulations.

Cognitive Development – Cont. Adolescents are able to make many decisions on their own. The Decision-Making Process Step 1. Decide which decisions need to be made. Step 2. Think through all possible alternatives. Step 3. Evaluate each alternative carefully. Step 4. Select the best alternative. Step 5. Act. Step. 6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the decision.

Socio-emotional Development Emotions ride up and down. Hormones contribute to the emotional rollercoaster but the developing brain also pays a part. Focus is often on establishing an identity and becoming more independent. According to Erikson, the most important task is the quest to establish identity and life roles or identity versus identity confusion. Adolescents often believe everyone is watching them (imaginary audience).

Socio-emotional Development – cont. As adolescents become independent and develop self-identity, the transition can be difficult for family members. During the middle years of this stage, adolescents tend to have the most conflict with parent and other adult authority figures. Parent often struggle with the parenting process. Becoming independent is an important part of establishing identity outside the family. Common types of messages (you, I or we ) involved in parent-adolescent communication

Socio-emotional development – Cont. Relationships with peers continue to be important. Peer pressure is a key influence. Negative peer pressure can lead to tobacco, alcohol and drug usage and can include bullying. Cyberbullying has few limits. Adolescents must learn the skills to direct their own behaviors. Fitting in and belonging to a group are very important in adolescence. Extracurricular activities promote group interactions and have a positive effect on social skills.

Socio-emotional development – cont. Dating becomes a fascinating, relevant topic. With constant use of digital technology, the media is a major part of daily life. Media influences may be direct or indirect. https://vimeo.com/12379575