Observation Paper #4

Joanna Espinosa
FHS 1500-508
Observation 4

Background Information
Child’s age: 18
Name: Erick
Location: Vasa Gym/ Basketball
Brief Description: Erick is playing basketball at the gym and working out.

Biological Development

As I was observing Erick play I notice he was trying to act mature with guys who looked
a lot older than him and I think he has realized that maturity is a lot cooler. Which is a good
connection to what the book states. It talks about, Puberty refers to the years of rapid physical
growth and sexual maturation that end childhood, producing a person of adult size, shape, and
sexuality. Berger, Kathleen Stassen. Invitation to the life Span [ Chegg, pg. 315, 2016].
Something else that I could observe as I was watching Erick play against other guys he realized
he has got a bit taller and he could jump higher and was a lot faster in speed. He was worried he
wouldn’t be good enough. But all the other guys that were playing in game kept telling him he
was really good. That is also a connection of growth spurt, where sudden and rapid physical
growth occurs during puberty. Each body part increases in size on a schedule: weight usually
precedes height, and growth of the limbs precedes growth of the torso. Berger, Kathleen Stassen.
Invitation to the life Span [ Chegg, pg. 322, 2016]. Erick was just playing confidently against
some older and taller guys than him. He was starting to get very competitive because the guys
were not being easy on him. They kind of were picking on him and trying to fool him with some
tricks but Erick was trying to maintain himself and take joke and continue to play. He then
mentioned to me that he would have just punched him but because he was matured enough he
brushed it off his shoulders. He continued to play until the game was done and then they took a
small break.

Cognitive Development

So, as I continued to observe Erick play the basketball game he then finished and his
team ended up losing and Erick seemed really bummed about it. He went outside to take a
breather and then he came back and started to practice and him in the guys that he played with
started to talk about what they could have done better. Erick though was really hard on himself
that’s a connection I feel is with egocentrism. Which the book explains are in “pigaet’s theory,
the fourth and final stage of cognitive development, characterized by systematic logical thinking
and by understanding abstractions”. Berger, Kathleen Stassen. Invitation to the life Span [
Chegg, pg. 329, 2016]. Which I felt Erick was thinking very deeply about how he played and he
could have done better. He seemed frustrated for a second and was disappointed about missing
some shots. Adolescents spend a lot of time thinking about themselves through social media,
friends, texting, talking on the phone. So, then Erick and the group of guys he became friends
started a second basketball game. And I felt Erick more focused and ready to win the game, he
 Observation Paper #4

realized that he has skill that he can provided to the team. That is a good example of adolescent
egocentrism it is a characteristic of adolescent thinking that leads young people to believe in
their own uniqueness, and to imagen that other people are also focused on them. I could also
totally relate to the feeling Erick had in feeling unique and ready to play I have always played
sports and I know how it feels to lose and win and Erick was doing very well the second time.

Psychosocial Development

Erick finished off the game and they won and they took a small break and Erick started to
work out on his own. Erick started to mention that he likes working out because it helps clear his
mind and make plans. Since he knows he is graduating this June he’s trying to figure out what to
do after high school and what to study. It was a good connection with what is Identity
achievement is a term that trying to figure out the future plans and experiences throughout life.
Identify things like religion, sexual gender, political ethnic, and vocational. I felt like Erick was
trying to figure himself and how his going to live his life or at least what route his planning on
taking Berger, Kathleen Stassen. Invitation to the life Span [ Chegg, pg. 350, 2016]. Also, Erick
mentioned to his friends that he also had some traditions and things the he has grown up with and
things he was raised to do. Like the religion, the way he lives his life and principles he lives by.
That is also a connection of foreclosure. It occurs when, in order to avoid the confusion of not
knowing who they are, young people accept traditional roles and values ( Marcia, 1966; Marcia
et al., 1993). Sometimes we are taught things we are little and taught that’s the way of living and
life. But as you get older things change and your option changes as well and Erick feels like he
will stick to what he has been taught his whole life it feels right. Erick finished off his workout
and got ready to head home.

Child named was change for privacy purpose.

Reference list:

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.) [chegg]. New York, NY: Worth
Publishers.