2. Adolescence: Ages 11 through 19

3. Objectives
Analyze the physical development of adolescents ages 11 through 19.
Analyze the cognitive development of adolescents ages 11 through 19.
Analyze the socio-emotional development of adolescents ages 11 through 19.
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4. Objectives
Compare and contrast various developmental theories relating to adolescents.
Identify developmentally appropriate guidance techniques for adolescents.
Examine factors contributing to independence.

5. Physical Characteristics and Growth
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
Physical changes are the most apparent
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6. Physical Characteristics and Growth
Puberty is a period of development marked by growth spurts and sexual maturation
These changes are signaled by the body’s pituitary gland
The onset of puberty and the changes that occur during puberty happen at different times for everyone
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7. Physical Characteristics and Growth
Growth spurts are rapid changes in both height and weight
Following the growth of hands and feet, the arms and legs increase in size
This uneven timing of growth is asynchrony
Many other physical changes also occur during puberty
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8. Physical Characteristics and Growth
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 and frequent voice cracking occurs
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9. Physical Characteristics and Growth
Adolescents are more responsible for their own food choices than in earlier life
Eating regularly and following MyPlate can help adolescents maintain proper nutrition
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest adolescents participate in 60 minutes of vigorous activity per day
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10. Physical Characteristics and Growth
To maintain a healthy body weight, people must be in energy balance
Maintaining a healthy body weight through proper nutrition and physical activity positively affects physical and socio-emotional well-being
Energy Intake
Energy Balance
Energy Output
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11. Physical Characteristics and Growth
An eating disorder is a serious condition that involves abnormal eating patterns that can cause severe or life-threatening physical problems
People who have eating disorders need professional help to treat the condition
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12. Physical Characteristics and Growth
Anorexia nervosa is the 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
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13. Physical Characteristics and Growth
Adolescents often need about 9–10 hours of sleep to feel rested
In addition to annual health and dental checkups, adolescents often have their first gynecological exam
A doctor may recommend inoculations or vaccinations

14. What key bodily changes can be expected during puberty?
What is adolescence?
the stage in life when humans go through the transforming process of changing from children to adults
What key bodily changes can be expected during puberty?
growth in height, weight gain, muscle growth, and sexual maturation
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15. Define energy balance. How does energy balance relate to managing healthy weight?
To have energy balance, the intake of calories must equal the output of calories. When either side of this energy equation is unbalanced, body weight is affected. If the intake of calories is greater than the output of calories, a person will be overweight; if the intake of calories is less than the output of calories, a person will be underweight.
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16. Describe three types of eating disorders.
anorexia nervosa—the relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation; bulimia nervosa—the use of a bingeing and purging pattern to achieve thinness; binge-eating disorder—the consumption of large amounts of food without taking any actions to reduce the amount of food intake
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17. What health exams are common during adolescence?
annual checkups, inoculations, genital exams, and dental exams
What are the final teeth to grow in the mouth? When do they typically surface?
the wisdom teeth, which surface in late adolescence

18. Cognitive Characteristics and Growth
Adolescents frequently use personal fable, a thinking pattern related to cognitive function
Personal fable often leads to the dangerous belief of being invincible
Piaget believed the formal operations stage starts at the beginning of adolescence
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19. Cognitive Characteristics and Growth
Adolescents can reason abstractly and use metacognition
The brain of an adolescent is both physically and functionally different from the brain of a child or an adult
The amygdala develops early and the prefrontal cortex develops later
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20. Cognitive Characteristics and Growth
Language development continues to be important during adolescence
Adolescents differ from children in the way they use metaphors and idioms
As language develops, so do reading and writing skills
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21. Cognitive Characteristics and Growth
Adolescents are able to make many decisions on their own
The decision-making process involves examining the issue, analyzing alternatives, and acting based on evaluation
There are six steps involved with the decision-making process
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22. Cognitive Characteristics and Growth
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.
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23. Cognitive Characteristics and Growth
The 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
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24. Cognitive Characteristics and Growth
The FCCLA planning process can help identify, analyze, and execute a strategy to help set and meet a goal
The management of resources, or items available to reach or achieve a goal, is crucial
Accepting responsibility for decisions is part of becoming independent
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25. Cognitive Characteristics and Growth
Many adolescents are in Kohlberg’s second level of moral development, or conventional morality
They are making moral decisions based on how others perceive them or on respect for laws and regulations

26. Describe how adolescents frequently resort to personal fable
Describe how adolescents frequently resort to personal fable. What is the danger of resorting to personal fable?
They distort and inflate the opinion of themselves and their own importance. This leads to the belief of being invincible, which can cause adolescents to participate in high-risk activity that can be harmful and possibly result in death.
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27. According to Piaget, what is the formal operations stage of cognitive development?
stage in which adolescents can reason abstractly
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28. How is the brain development of an adolescent unique from a child or an adult?
The brain is full sized and larger than a child’s brain, but the connections and pathways between nerve cells are still developing. The amygdala, responsible for emotional reactions, develops early. The prefrontal cortex, that regulates emotions and impulse control, develops later.
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29. What are the six steps of the decision-making process?
Decide which decision needs to be made. Think through all possible alternatives. Evaluate each alternative carefully. Select an alternative. Act. Evaluate the effectiveness of the decision.
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30. How can the decision-making process and FCCLA planning process help meet short- and long-term goals?
by helping to identify, analyze, and execute a strategy to set and meet goals
According to Kohlberg’s theory, how do adolescents make moral decisions?
based on how others perceive them and respect for laws and regulations

31. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
For adolescents, emotions ride up and down
Hormones contribute to the emotional rollercoaster, but the developing brain also plays a part
Adolescents’ focus is often on establishing an identity and becoming more independent
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32. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
According to Erikson, the most important task of adolescence is the quest to establish identity and life roles, which he termed identity versus identity confusion
Adolescents often believe that everyone is watching them
This is called imaginary audience
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33. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
As adolescents near the end of this stage, they are often more self-assured and have fewer self-doubts
As adolescents become independent and develop self-identity, the transition can be difficult for family members
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34. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
During the middle years of this stage, adolescents tend to have the most conflict with parents and other adult authority figures
Parents often struggle with the parenting process during adolescence
Becoming independent is an important part of establishing identity outside the family
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35. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
Common types of messages involved in parent-adolescent communication are
you-messages
I-messages
we-messages
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36. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
Relationships with peers continue to be important during the adolescent years
Popularity and the opinions of peers are very important
Peer pressure is the influence a group of people has on an individual in the same age group
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37. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
Negative peer pressure also includes forms of bullying
Cyberbullying is the harassment of others through a digital medium
Adolescents may face negative pressure from peers to use tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
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38. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
Substance abuse is the misuse of drugs to a toxic, dangerous level
Adolescents must learn the skills to direct their own behaviors
This often requires developing refusal skills
Effectively using refusal skills requires confidence
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39. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
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
Career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) allow students to demonstrate social skills
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40. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
During the adolescent years, dating becomes a fascinating, relevant topic
Although dating practices and customs differ, dating commonly happens in stages
Group dating
Casual or random dating
Steady dating
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41. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
Some adolescents will begin to express romantic feelings in a physical manner
Engaging in sexual activity, however, can result in teen pregnancy and contracting STIs
To avoid pregnancy and STIs, the only form of contraception that is 100 percent effective is abstinence
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42. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
With constant use of digital technology, the media is a major part of daily life
Media influences may be direct or indirect
Text and instant messaging lets friends and family communicate with each other more frequently
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43. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
Social networking sites are also prominent and can be highly influential
They can positively and negatively influence self-identity
When using the Internet, it is important to remember that posting images or content can have negative consequences
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44. Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth
Depression and suicide are prevalent in the adolescent years
Adolescent females may be twice as likely to experience depression as adolescent males
Depression may lead to suicide
Speaking with a school guidance counselor, therapist, family member, or friend can make a difference for struggling adolescents

45. What methods can be used to improve the parent-teen relationship?
According to Erikson, what factors contribute to defining self-identity?
likes and dislikes, values and beliefs, educational and occupational goals, and role expectations
What methods can be used to improve the parent-teen relationship?
Expressing feelings openly and without placing blame can promote effective communication. Taking the time to understand the other’s point of view can ease stress for both parties.
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46. How do social relationships change during adolescence?
Adolescents learn to feel at ease with those of the opposite gender, develop more mature friendship skills, and become comfortable with simply talking in addition to doing activities together. Electronic mediums become important forms of communication. Peer pressure can be an issue and can have devastating consequences.
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47. Describe the different stages of dating.
group dating—peers attend or schedule activities in a mixed group setting; casual dating—two people spend time together in order to get to know each other; steady dating—the couple is exclusive and committed to each other
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48. List six possible health risks involved with substance abuse.
cancer; heart, lung, and blood vessel damage; memory loss and other brain damage; delusional behavior; violence; death
List three factors that may contribute to depression in adolescence.
(List three:) a lack of friends, feelings of rejection from peers, financial problems, school struggles, being a victim of bullying, a perceived lack of parent support

49. Special Needs
While some adolescents are preparing for independence and adulthood, others may need extra help and support
Recovery from physical disabilities requires therapy
People with physical disabilities will need to adjust to new lifestyles
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50. Special Needs
Teens with cognitive disabilities also plan for the transition from school to adulthood
An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) outlines how to pursue goals after high school
Postsecondary education or occupational studies
Employment
Independent living

51. How might a person obtain a physical disability that was not present in childhood?
a car accident, sports injury, natural disaster, or severe illness
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52. How do different types of therapy help a person recover from a serious accident or injury?
Physical therapy offers treatment to an area through physical or mechanical strategies. Occupational therapy involves building strength by practicing everyday activities. Recreational therapy focuses on physical and socio-emotional health. Psychological therapy can help a person emotionally and mentally adjust to new challenges and life changes.
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53. What steps are outlined in a teen’s Individualized Education Plan?
steps for the teen to pursue goals after high school, such as postsecondary education, occupational studies, employment, or independent living