Psychology Adolescence - Essay Example

Running head: Psychology Adolescence Psychology Adolescence The adolescence stage signifies the transition from childhood to adulthood. There are several developments that take place during this period, making it a turbulent period for both the adolescents and their parents. Adolescence is a period that is usually fraught with conflicts, but this need not be the case as long as parents or guardians can understand these changes. There are several theories that have been advanced in order to explain the changes that take place during adolescence. This paper has analyzed the main developments that take place in adolescence, as well as some of the theories that have been advanced in an effort to explain the changes that take place during this period. It is however important to note that despite the theories that have been advanced to explain adolescent changes, adolescents should always be treated as distinct individuals. Paper Outline Introduction Adolescence is a development stage that signifies the transition from childhood to adult hood. It is characterized by physical and psychological changes, which usually leads to conflicts between parents and adolescents. The paper analyzes the main developments in adolescence as well as the theories that have been advance to explain the adolescent changes. A. Term that are synonymous with adolescence i) Though the term puberty and adolescence are used synonymously, they have different meanings. ii) Adolescents are prone to imaginary audiences which affects their behavior in public. iii) Imaginary audiences are usually linked to the adolescents’ personal fables. B. The four developments in adolescence i) Physical development ii) Cognitive development iii) Emotional and social development iv) Psychological development C. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development i) Pre-conventional level iii) Conventional level iii) Post-conventional level D. Erikson’s psychosocial theory i) Personal identity ii) Role confusion iii) Parent-teen conflict E. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development i) Formal operations Conclusion Adolescence is a turbulent period for both adolescents and parents, but this need not be the case as long as there is prior understanding of the resultant changes. The onset of adolescence differs in all individuals, thus it begins at different times for every adolescent. Although different theories have been advanced to explain adolescent changes, it is important that adolescents are handled individually so as to ease their transition into adulthood. Introduction Adolescence refers to the stage of development that signifies the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is usually accompanied by physical and psychological developments and is a turbulent period for both the adolescents and their parents. The onset of adolescence differs from one individual to another, thus it does not start at the same time across individuals. It is also characterized by conflicts, as adolescents seek to assert their independence from parental authority. However, a good understanding of the changes that take place in adolescence can greatly help to reduce the incidences of conflict between parents and adolescents. In a bid to understand the changes that take place during adolescence, several theories have been advanced to explain this phenomenon. In this paper, the developments that take place in adolescence will be analyzed, as well as some of the theories that have been advanced in an effort to explain the changes that take place during this period. There are some terms which are synonymous with adolescence, which need to be clarified in order to ensure that adolescence is understood in its right context. Most people tend to use the terms adolescence and puberty interchangeably, not realizing they have different meanings. Puberty usually refers to the physiological changes involved in the sexual maturation of adolescents, while adolescence marks the transition from puberty to adulthood. Puberty usually precedes the onset of adolescence, and usually differs from one individual to another. Adolescents are prone to having imaginary audiences, whereby they assume that they are the focus of people’s attention. As a result, they tend to be painfully self-conscious about their appearance. Imaginary audiences are usually linked to personal fables, whereby adolescents may have mythical believes in their personal uniqueness. In some cases, this may cause them to develop phobias for making mistakes particularly in public. In a real life scenario, adolescents may even adopt new ways of talking or conducting themselves in response to the expectations of their imaginary audiences (Bancroft & Reinisch, 1990). The 4 developments in adolescence One of the most obvious changes during adolescence is physical development, which is characterized by rapid physical changes for both boys and girls. Some of these changes include the onset of menstruation in girls and testicular development in boys. The other development in adolescence is cognitive development. Adolescents develop abstract thinking skills, which enable them to think from different perspectives. They start to question parental authority, while parental standards that were readily accepted are disregarded. Adolescence is also characterized by emotional and social development, whereby adolescents seek to be more independent. During this time, adolescents begin to define others in relation to themselves. As a result, they are unable to understand the impact of their behavior on other people. The other form of development during adolescence is psychological development, whereby adolescents begin to feel and think differently. They increasingly seek acceptance from fellow adolescents particularly from the opposite sex, whose relationships they value over those of their parents and family (Russell & Christie, 2001). Kohlberg’s theory of moral development Kohlberg’s theory of moral development consists of six stages which have been grouped into three levels of development, in which each level has two stages. The three levels of moral development are the pre-conventional level, the conventional level and the post-conventional level. In the pre-conventional level of moral development, reasoning is usually based on self-gratification, in that decisions are made based on their resultant benefits. In the conventional level, an individual’s reasoning is based on conformity, whereby individuals conform to the socially accepted standards. In the post-conventional level, an individual’s reasoning is influenced by values that have already been internalized, with individuals exercising their ethical principles and values. As it relates to adolescence, the theory states that adolescents operate at the conventional level. At this level, morality is usually determined by the existing social norms in the society. Since adolescents desire to be viewed in a favorable light, their decisions are usually aimed at winning the approval of the people whose opinions matter in their lives such as peers. In real life, this usually happens in situations whereby adolescents go to the extent of engaging in crime in order to impress their peers (Darlon, 2007). Erickson’s self vs. personal identity, role confusion vs. identity and parent-teen conflict According to Erikson’s psychosocial theory, adolescents are usually categorized in the fifth stage of psychosocial development. At this stage, they are faced with the conflict of identity versus role confusion. As the adolescents reflect on the roles that they are supposed to play in their adulthood, they experience role confusion regarding their role in their society. Adolescents who manage to formulate satisfying plans for their future have positive outcomes, since they are able to establish a sense of identity. However, adolescents who are unable to develop a sense of identity develop role confusion, moving aimlessly through life without any definite plans for their future. As they seek to establish boundaries for themselves, adolescents usually get into conflict with their parents regarding their choices. Parents in this case feel that they have a role in their decisions, while the adolescents feel that they should make their own personal choices (Moshman, 2009). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, most adolescents are in the stage of formal operations. At this stage, the adolescents develop new ways of processing information. As children, they can only think in a specific way but during this stage, they can deduce their own conclusions from the available information. During this stage, adolescents can also reflect on future possibilities, deal with problems flexibly as well as anticipate solutions to situations in which they have no firsthand experience. This occurs as their brain matures and social networks expand, offering more opportunities for experimenting with life’s experiences. Worldly experiences play an important role in achieving formal operations, thus not every adolescent enters this stage of development. However, previous research studies have shown that reasoning skills can be taught, thus the absence of worldly experiences need not have a negative impact on adolescents (Sigelman & Rider, 2011). Conclusion Owing to the changes that characterize adolescence, it is usually a tumultuous period for both parents and the adolescents. However, this need not be the case, as long as parents have a prior understanding of these changes. The developments that take place during adolescence differ from individual to individual, thus the onset of adolescence is not similar across all adolescents. In view of this, though different theories have been advanced to explain the changes in adolescence, adolescents should be handled individually in order to ease their transition into adulthood. References Bancroft, J. & Reinisch, J.M. (1990). Adolescence and puberty. London: Oxford University Press. Darlon, E.B. (2007). Adolescent behavior research advances. California: Nova Publishers. Moshman, D. (2009). Identity, Morality, and Adolescent Development. Human Development, 52(5), 287-290. Russell, V. & Christie, D. (2001). ABC of adolescence: Adolescent development. British Medical Journal, 330(7486), 301-304. Sigelman, C.K. & Rider, E.A. (2011). Life-Span Human Development (7th ed.). Wadsworth: Cengage Learning. Read More