Adolescent Self and Socio-Emotional Development - Essay Example

Adolescent self and socio-emotional development Introduction During adolescents young people not only undergo physical changes but also significant socio-emotional development. Socio-emotional development during this stage entails developing a coherent and realistic sense of identity , coping with stress, effectively managing emotions and relating with others (Santrock, 2001). The key aim of this paper is to critically analyse a self-portrait of a 15 year old boy revolving around his socio-emotional development. In this self-portrait, the 15 year old boy in his mid-adolescents describes himself, his relationships with parents, friends and the opposite sex. Basically, this paper will identify and discuss in-depth key socio-emotional issues depicted in the alleged mid-adolescent's portrait. Secondly, it will outline the trends that take place in the identified areas socio-emotional development as a normal student transitions from early adolescence to mid-adolescence and finally to late adolescents. In addition, this paper will examine how a High School teacher can employ evidence-based practice to accommodate the socio-emotional needs of students who learn in mixed ability classrooms. Socio-Emotional Issues Identity crisis/ formation of identity A critical look at the illustrated mid-adolescent's portrait highlights key socio-emotional issues that affect adolescents. One of the evident socio-emotional issues is an identity crisis entailing the formation of a sense of identity or the development of self- identity and concept. In this self-portrait, the adolescent talks about how sometimes he acts like other people so as to be considered “cool.” He feels like everyone is watching and thus develops the need to act or pretend. He notes that if a person acts like himself for the rest of his life he may never know or appreciate how great it is to be himself. He also notes that, when one tries to act “cool” for a little and it fails, it helps, since it enables someone to figure out who they are. In addition to this, the adolescent consideres his peers who try to act “cool” as stupid. In essence, it is apparent that the adolescent is coming to a realisation of self-identity. He is able to know when he is acting or being himself. He also appreciates the need for one to discover who they are and be themselves. Moreover, based on this self-portrait, it is evident that, the adolescent is gradually gaining a sense of self-concept and self-identity. It seems like he understands what he is going through as an individual rather than what takes place in peer groups. In his book, “Adolescents” Santrock (2010) notes that young people especially those in their mid-adolescent stage constantly try to discover who they are. This notion is replicated in Erik Erikson theory on the stages of psycho sociological development. In this theory, Erikson (1968) proposes that during the adolescent stage (approximately 13-19 years), adolescence go through a stage whereby they experiment and explore their self –identity. In the course of this stage, most adolescents become increasingly concerned about how they appear to others. Similar to the sentiments of the adolescent in the self-portrait, Erikson notes that, proper reinforcement through personal exploration of identity may cause an adolescent to emerge from this stage with a strong sense of identity and independence. However, adolescents who fail to effectively explore their identify during this stage may become insecure and unsure of themselves in future (Erikson 1968 ; Santrock 2010). Development of Emotional Intelligence/ competence Another socio-emotional issue evident from this self-portrait is emotional intelligence. During adolescence most young people begin to master skills that are necessary for coping with stress and relating to others. Goleman (1994) refers to these skills as “emotional intelligence”. According to Goleman, emotional intelligence entails self-awareness and relationship skills that enable an individual to make friends and get along with others. It also entails the ability to recognise and manage ones emotion constructively. Emotional intelligence occurs gradually during this stage and its development occurs uniquely for each individual. Some individual may have a high level of emotional intelligence whereas others may have a low level of emotional intelligence. Adolescents who fail to effectively develop a certain level of emotional intelligence often end up feeling depressed due to stress and pressure from parents, peers and teachers. They may also lack effective relational skills thus they may constantly engage in conflict with others and vent their frustrations or anger on others (Goleman 1994; Santrock 2010). From the self-portrait, it is evident that the adolescent has gradually mastered a certain level of emotional intelligence. This is mainly because; he is aware of what he feels and finds constructive ways of coping with stress and pressure from demanding school work and expectations from his parents and teachers. For instance, he notes that, he hates homework, in some ways he feels that he does not have a personality since school, music and soccer take up much of his time. He also notes that he really gets “pissed off” when he has so much to do. He feels that nobody understands him and his parents put pressure on him. From this disclosure, it is evident that the adolescent has some level of self-awareness since he understands the challenges he is facing and is able to identify how he feels about these challenges. This is a sign of a gradually developing emotional intelligence. Furthermore, from the self-portrait it is apparent that the adolescent exudes some level of emotional intelligence since he sometimes uses constructive strategies of coping with stress and pressure. For example he notes that; “ I'll just go to school and even if I'm not feeling that great I'll just act like I'm normal….. Sometimes I get really angry. It builds up and then I usually go into my room or get away by myself. I sometimes punch things, for no reason like a pillow or a wall or just the air….” Nevertheless, it can be argued that the adolescent lacks some level of emotional intelligence since he does not talk about his feeling to anyone, withdraws and brushes his parents off for no apparent reason. Evidently, these are not constructive approaches of coping with stress or pressure thus, it can be argued that the adolescent lacks some level of emotional intelligence. Adolescent Egocentrism A critical look at the illustrated mid-adolescent's portrait also highlights some form of adolescent egocentrism. Adolescent egocentrism can be described as an adolescent’s preoccupation with their own internal world. In this case, an adolescent tends to believe that an imaginary audience is constantly watching and judging them. As a result, they become overly concerned with their appearance and behaviours in front of others and fail to act or view themselves as they are. Adolescent egocentrism can be also be characterised by an exaggerated feeling of invulnerability and uniqueness. As a result, an adolescent may feel that their experiences are unique and no person can relate to their personal experiences (Alberts, Elkind, & Ginsberg, 2007; Santrock 2010). A close look at the illustrated mid-adolescent's portrait shows that the adolescent exudes some form of adolescent egocentrism. For instance, he talks about how sometimes he acts like other people so as to be considered “cool.” He feels like everyone is watching and thus develops the need to act or pretend. In addition to this, he feels that nobody understands him or can relate to his experiences. Development of interest in the opposite sex In addition to the issues highlighted in the above section, development of interest in the opposite sex is also another issue that can be identified from the self-portrait illustration. For instance the adolescent notes; “There is a girl in my homeroom I’m friends with. Being friends with girls you can say a lot of stuff and they'll just listen. I call her sometimes because she lives out of town and we can just talk…” From this portrait illustration, it is evident that the adolescent is gradually developing an interest in the opposite sex. This development concurs with the sentiments of Sigmund Freud, who considers adolescence as a genital stage of psychosexuality. Pathan (2011) notes that, besides mental, physical and psychological changes that occur during adolescences, social changes in relation to interpersonal relationships also takes. Acceptance by the opposite sex often increases the confidence of adolescents and gives them a sense of acceptance and approval (Pathan 2011). Trends that occur in the identified areas of socio-emotional development Identity crisis/ formation of identity During the early stages of adolescence, cognitive developments that are taking place bring about a great sense of self-awareness. Consequently, most adolescents begin to experience a shift from simple self-description to more complex self-descriptions that are based on thoughts, values and opinions. At this stage adolescents also develop multiple conceptualisations of “possible selves” this in turn affects their self-presentation since they attempt to shift from their actual self to the ideal self thus resulting to an identity crisis (Carlson, 2010; Steinberg, 2008). Although Sigmund Freud paid little attention to identity development during adolescent and only discussed it the context of psychosexual development, his psychoanalytic theory of development provides substantial insights on identity development during different adolescence stages. Generally Freud’s theory accentuates that, the early adolescence stage is characterised by social, behavioural and emotional changes. The relationships between psychological and physiological changes inevitably influence an individual’s self-image thus playing a critical role in the development of their self-identity. Building on Freud’s theory, Erikson’s theory further expounds on the trends that take in the mid and later stages of adolescents particularly in relation to the development of self-identity. According to Erikson, during the mid and later stages of adolescents, young people tend to ask; “Who am I? “ “What can I be?” During these stages adolescents undergo an identity crisis and tend to grapple with career related moral and relational issues (Erikson, 1968; Steinberg & Morris, 2001). Development of Emotional Intelligence/ competence The theory of emotional intelligence suggests that individuals have the ability to perceive, convey, manage and understand emotions. Different research studies have established that individuals who have a high level of emotional intelligence tend to effectively manage stressful situations whereas those with a low level of emotional intelligence fail to manage stressful situations effectively thus they are vulnerable to depression and hopelessness (Goleman, 1994). In the early stages of adolescents, emotional competence or intelligence begins with the ability or the capacity of an individual to recognise their personal emotions and that of others (Santrock 2010).Therefore, in the early stages of adolescence a typical student may become aware of how they feel about key issues in their life. For instance, during this stage they may become aware that they like or dislike a certain type of sport or subject. When they reach their mid-adolescent years, adolescents begin to develop necessary emotional skills that they can apply when it coming to dealing with pressure or managing stress. During this stage, they also tend to develop necessary emotional skills that help them to become sensitive towards others and relate effectively with other people. For instance, during this stage a student may develop necessary mechanisms or skills for coping with school related pressures and stress. They may also begin to form close knit friendships with their peers and learn to work in groups. When a typical high school student reaches the later stage of adolescents they are bound to learn constructive conflict resolution, develop a cooperative attitude and foster empathy towards others. Basically, in the school settings, conflicts are inevitable since each individual have different opinions, values and needs. This type of environment helps students to understand and appreciate others regardless of their differences (Johnson & Johnson, 1991; Santrock 2010). Adolescent Egocentrism Based on the Piagetian theory of intellectual development, the concept of adolescent egocentrism is considered as the lack of differentiation in a particular subject or object of interaction. At different stages of mental development adolescent egocentrism occurs in different forms and is manifested through different behaviours. David Elkind one of the pioneer theorists of adolescent egocentrism argues that, due to physiological metamorphosis young people in their early and mid stages of adolescents become preoccupied with self and as a result fail to differentiate between their own mental preoccupations and what others think. Adolescents during this stage tend to assume that other people are concerned with their appearance and behaviour just like they are. Moreover during this stage, adolescents are not able to clearly identify the perceptions of other people (Elkind, 1967). Elkind further observes that, in the later stages of adolescence, adolescent egocentrism is manifested through increased levels of self-consciousness and depression (Elkind, 1967; Frankenberger 2000; Baron & Hanna, 1990). Development of interest in the opposite sex In late childhood boys prefer interacting with boys and girls prefer interacting with girls. However, as a student enters the early adolescent stage, things change. Development of interest in the opposite sex mainly starts in the early stages of adolescence. This interest in fuelled by physical growth charcterised by bodily changes and hormones. This stage can also be influenced by peer pressure. As a young adolescent goes through several physical changes, they also undergo emotional and psychological changes. As a result, when they reach the mid and later stages of adolescence their outlook changes and they begin to develop interest in the opposite sex. They become self-conscious towards themselves and individuals of the opposite sex (Pathan, 2011; Santrock 2010). Evidence-based practice for HS teachers to accommodate the socio-emotional needs of adolescent students in a mixed ability classroom. In order to accommodate the socio-emotional needs of adolescent students in a mixed ability classroom, HS teachers can use instructional strategies or approaches that facilitate and support active learning. Basically active learning focuses the responsibility of learning on students. Some of the key socio-emotional needs of adolescent students include the need to develop their self identity and emotional intelligence. The use of active learning can help meet these needs since it has a powerful impact on student learning. For instance, through the use active learning approaches such as class debate and group discussions students can learn more about their self, their abilities thus enabling them to develop a sense of self-identity and awareness. Moreover, active learning approaches such as class debate and group discussions can help students to develop emotional intelligence since they require students to collaborate and listen to others. Bonwell & Eison (1991) observe that, several research studies show that most students learn better through action learning rather than traditional learning approaches. As a result, active learning is bound to exert more impact and influence in student’s learning progress than the use of traditional strategies like lecturing (Bonwell & Eison, 1991). Conclusion Basically, this paper has examined adolescent’s socio-emotional development. The findings of this paper depict that some of the evident issues in adolescent’s socio-emotional development include; adolescent egocentrism, development of interest in the opposite sex, development of emotional intelligence and the formation of identity. The socio-emotional developments that take place during adolescence help young people to develop a realistic sense of identity, cope with stress, effectively manage their emotions and relate with others. References Alberts, A., Elkind, D., & Ginsberg, S. (2007).”The Personal Fable and Risk-Taking in Early Adolescence”. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36(1), 71-76. Bonwell, C.; Eison, J. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom AEHE- ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. Washington, D.C.: Jossey-Bass. Carlson, N. R. (2010). Psychology: the science of behaviour. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada. Elkind, D. (1967). "Egocentrism in adolescence". Child Dev 38 (4), 1025–34 Erikson, E. H. (1968). 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