Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed Developmental Psychology 52  Adolescent

 Adolescence ◦ Lasts from 12 to 21years of age ◦ Physical changes of puberty ◦ Adolescent growth spurt ◦ Heightened sexual and romantic interest ◦ Peers become more important than parents ◦ Cognitively – capable of abstract thinking ◦ Ponders abstract issues like justice or equality Developmental Psychology Adolescent Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed 53

 Physical development  Motor development  Language development  Cognitive development  Emotional and social development Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed Developmental Psychology 54 Adolescent

 production of sex hormones ◦ Primary sex characteristics appear:  Females : menstruation, ovulation  Males: Semen ◦ Secondary sex characteristics appear  Females: breasts, pubic hair, and wider hips  Males: testes and penis growth, facial and pubic hair, and broadened shoulders Developmental Psychology Adolescent Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed 55

 In the beginning of stage: 1.Tendency to laziness and lethargy 2.Feeling tired with any activity  In the middle of stage: 1.Muscular adjustment 2.High reaction time 3.Energy and Activity 4.Excessive movement 5.Mastering motor skills: writing - computer - sports Developmental Psychology Adolescent Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed 56

Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed Developmental Psychology 57  High potential for linguistic expression  Increase the linguistic dictionary  Mastering reading and writing  Conditioning Language according to the others  use of symbols Adolescent

 Formal operations stage entered ◦ Ability to use abstract concepts ◦ Shift to stage varies among individuals; some never reach this stage, others reach it in early adulthood ◦ Piaget’s classic experiment with weights Developmental Psychology Adolescent Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed 58

Developmental Psychology CD AB 7-yr-old4-yr-old Piaget’s Balance Test - task: make the weight times the distance equal on both sides of center 10 kg 5 kg 8 kg 5 kg 2 kg 5 kg 14-yr-old 10-yr-old Adolescent Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed 59

 Most notable social changes in: ◦ breaking away from family ◦ Imaginary audience – everyone is watching ◦ Personal fable – belief that s/he is unique ◦ Hypocrisy – okay for one to do it but not another ◦ The Figures Developmental Psychology Adolescent Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed 60

 Most notable emotional changes in:  Time of storm, Contradictions, and stress: rebellion, disobedience, shame, self-doubt, Happiness, and adjustment  Areas of problems:  Parent-child conflicts  Mood changes : self-conscious, awkward, lonely, ignored  Risky behavior : aggression, unprotected sex, suicide, use of drugs or alcohol Identity VS. Role confusion Developmental Psychology Adolescent Dr. Mohsen Lotfy Ahmed 61