PLAGIARISM FREE "A" WORK HUMAN DEVELOPMENT CHAPTERS

Chapter 11 Reading: The Adolescent Years: Physical and Cognitive Development

Summary This chapter focused on adolescent physical and cognitive development, including during early adolescence (ages 11–14) and mid-adolescence (ages 15–18). The chapter began with a brief discussion about how adolescence is a distinctively different period that is often associated with a certain degree of fascination captured through various forms of media. Adolescence used to be characterized as a period of “storm and stress,” but the current view is that most adolescents mature in a gradual, mostly continuous manner and navigate through adolescence without major disturbances. The impact of culture on adolescence was addressed, as well as some new challenges that adolescents in contemporary society are forced to deal with that weren’t prevalent years ago.

The first section of the chapter dealt with physical development and the many significant changes that affect the adolescent in various ways. In separate sections, male and female development was addressed, including physical growth, primary and secondary sex characteristics, and differing rates of development. A general discussion of what is associated with puberty was covered, as well as information about adolescent health and eating disorders.

The second section described the cognitive changes that occur during adolescence, including a discussion about brain development and the contributions of Piaget, who developed the concept of formal operational thinking. The chapter included information about the structural and functional changes that occur relative to informational processing and then addressed the stages of moral development. This section included a discussion of how adolescents experience school, describing gender and ethnic differences in achievement and the dropout problem. Finally, David Elkind’s concepts of the invincibility fable, the personal fable, and the imaginary audience were presented.

Chapter 12 Reading The Adolescent Years: Emotional, Identity, and Social

Development

Summary This chapter included a discussion of emotional and identity development. A general discussion about how hormonal changes influence emotions was included, as well as specific information about anxiety and depression, two common emotional problems that affect many adolescents. Signs, symptoms, and who is most vulnerable to depression were described, as well as the connection between adolescent depression and suicide. In terms of identity development, both Erikson’s and Marcia’s theories were described, as well as gender and ethnic considerations relative to identity development.

The second section of the chapter was about social development, including the influence of both family and peers on adolescent development. With regard to family, the chapter discussed four parenting styles—authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and ignoring—and how these styles affect the parent–adolescent relationship. Seltzer’s social identity theory is described in this section, as well as peer relationships, peer pressure, and romantic relationships and dating. Other topics addressed included substance abuse, delinquent behaviors, violence and gang membership, adolescent sexuality, career development, and stages of vocational decision making.

With each generation it seems as if the challenges facing adolescents are more substantial. Consider the fact that all adolescents have the typical developmental tasks to deal with (which many do quite successfully), but in addition there are situational issues that affect more and more youth: living in divorced or blended families, growing up in abusive households, dealing with addicted parents, living in poverty, being victimized or bullied, and so on. As helping professionals we

have an obligation to help adolescents living in a contemporary society to grow up without giving up.