ADOLSECENCE

 The period of life from about 13 to the early

twenties, during which a young person is no
longer physically a child but is not yet an
independent, self-supporting adult.

 Also concerns how a person deals with life

issues such as work, family and relationships.
FOUR STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

 Physical Development
 Cognitive Development
 Moral Development
 Psychosocial Development
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

 PUBERTY-the physical changes that occur in

the body as sexual development reaches it’s
peak.
 Primary sex characteristics
 Secondary sex characteristics
 Occurs as a result of complex series of
glandular activities stimulated by the master
gland, when the proper genetically
determined age is reached.
  Thyroid gland-increases growth rate
 Adrenal gland and sex gland- stimulate the
growth characteristics.
 often begins two years after the beginning
of growth spurt.
 Physical characteristics related to being
male/female undergo rapid and dramatic
change
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

 Final maturation of the frontal lobes allow

cognitive advances
 Teenagers begin to think about hypothetical
situations, leading to picture of what an
“ideal” world would be like.
 Despite the advances, still have egocentric
thought that emerges I a variety of ways.
TWO WAYS IN WHICH ADOLESCENT EGOCENTRISM
EMERGES

 Personal Fable- type of thought common to

adolescents in which young people believe
themselves to be unique and protected from
harm
 Imaginary Audience-type of thought
common to adolescents in which young
people believe that other people are just as
concerned about the adolescent’s thoughts
and characteristics as they themselves are.
MORAL DEVELOPMENT

 Understanding of what is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.

 Early theory was proposed by KHOLBERG;
suggested three levels of moral development
Preconventional Morality The consequences determine morality
behavior that is rewarded is right; that
which is punished is wrong.

Conventional Morality Conformity to social norms is right;

nonconformity is wrong.

Postconventional Morality Moral principles determined by the person

are used to determine right and wrong
and may disagree societal norms.
 Some researchers (eg. Gilligan) suggest that
Kohlberg’s ideas applied more to males
others suggest that assessment was based on
hypothetical, rather than real-life dilemmas.
PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

 Adolescence Is largely marked by the search

for a consistent sense of self or personal
identity.
 Erikson: the psychosocial crisis that must be
resolved is identity vs role confusion.
 Teens must choose among many options for
values in life and beliefs concerning things.
 Parent/teen conflict to be expected