Megan Troy

INTRO / BIOLOGICAL TRANSITIONS

1. Using your definition of adolescence, include a discussion of what terms and/or aspects
are the most important. Did any part of your definition change based on today's
discussion? If so, what?
a. One of the most important terms I used for my definition of adolescence was
transformation. Throughout adolescence, a child drastically changes physically,
sexually, cognitively, and emotionally. Childhood and adulthood are on different
ends of the spectrum of an individuals development, and the transformation that
has to happen to get from one to the other is called adolescence. My definition
did not change after todays discussion, but it was added to. My group talked
about adolescence being a time filled with crying and hormones. Although that
statement sounds funny, puberty causes a lot of hormone development that can
cause teens emotions to whirl. I neglected to mention puberty in my definition,
but it is one of the biggest marks of adolescence. Adolescence is also a time of
self-discovery. Changes are happening at a high rate and adolescents are trying to
find their identity through all of the fluctuations. Their own biological makeup
and the context and culture they are in drives them to start forming their own
opinions and making their own decisions. In class, I learned that the stage of
adolescence does not have a firm start or end. It looks different and starts and
ends at different times for everyone.
2. With theoretical perspectives of adolescence in mind, what respective weight do you put
on the influence of nature vs. nurture (give percentages)? Why do you weight it this
way? Use your own adolescent / development experiences to frame and support your
answer. Think about the role of context and culture as it pertains to those of genetics
and heredity.

a. I would give nature 40% and nurture 60%. I have seen a great deal of nature and
nurture affecting the way a person develops biological, cognitively, and socially.
However, I have seen the environment or context a person grows up in form
them the most. If a child grows up in poverty or in a high-stress environment,
they normally will go through puberty earlier. If there is a girl with an early onset
of puberty, she is more likely to face issues having to do with confidence, identity,
and self-worth. As seen in this situation, our environment has the power to even
shape out physical or sexual development. The people around us also have a great
deal of influence in our lives. A person is connected to a huge web of different
people through multiple avenues. We have our family, friends, teachers, coaches,
peers, etc. who influence us through each stage of our lives. We are even
influenced by people far removed from us through mass media. My friends had a
great influence on me, especially in my adolescent stage. My friends taught me a
lot about my faith and who Jesus Christ was when I was not walking in a
relationship with Him. This impacted my life in a transformative way, and I am
who I am today because of Jesus entering my life. My faith was not biological. I
was born with a tendency to chase after sin, but my friends showed me that
Christ came to save me, and I am forever changed. What we learn and hold firm
to in belief can greatly shape who we are and what decisions we make. They can
make us resilient or fearful in the face of obstacles.
3. React to the lecture and video today regarding the biological changes of adolescence and
recount your own puberty experiences. Were you prepared for what was going to
happen? Were you an early onset or late blooming kid? How did that impact your
elementary or middle school life?
a. The lecture helped me to see the vast amount of changes we go through in
development. There are fundamental changes biologically, cognitively, socially,
emotionally, educationally, and legally. Development is also asynchronous

because different changes are start and end at different times. The video was
really relatable, because it talked about puberty through the life of real
adolescents. I was an early bloomer like Alex. I found it interesting that being an
early bloomer and developing before everyone else can be a confidence killer in
girls. I have always struggled with confidence and self-image, but I never
attributed by struggle to going through puberty early. I knew the changes that
were going to occur in puberty, but I was not ready for its early onset. I
remember being so embarrassed to have to deal with puberty earlier than other
girls. It was also hard to be so much taller than everyone else. I felt awkward and
weird. However, everyone caught up to me really quick. I went from being one of
the tallest people to just being average. Starting in fourth grade and to middle
school, I remember being so insecure and hating the way I looked. I was very
aware of the changes happening in my body and I just wanted to fit in with
everyone else. Being different can definitely be difficult, and that is what I
experienced in those early years of adolescence.