You be the Developmental Psychologist Assignment
Diana Klyuchnik
LUOA, Liberty University
PSYC101: General Psychology (D12)
Professor Valerie Murphy
April 10, 2023
You be the Developmental Psychologist
The life stage of adolescence is full of many changes and transformations. It is the stage
when a person transforms from childhood to adulthood and that can be very overwhelming for
many people. According to the textbook, this transformation is divided into three age categories
called early adolescence, middle adolescence, and late adolescence and ranges from ages 12-21
(George, et al, 2023). During these stages, the child develops socioemotional skills which relate
to relationships and feelings.
In the textbook, Erikson's theory reveals that one of the needs that adolescents have
during this development is the need to search for their identity. Erikson calls this an identity
crisis (George, et al, 2023). Adolescents ask themselves questions like ‘Who am I?’ and ‘What is
my purpose?’ Another necessity that adolescents require is the need for self-regulation which is
defined as learning how to manage behaviors, emotions, and motivations (George, et al, 2023).
The authors of the textbook say that G. Stanley Hall calls this a storm and stress period which is
“A period of emotional turmoil during adolescence” (George, et al, 2023, pp. 93). As hormones
change, adolescents often experience mood swings and become very emotional. This can lead to
a tendency to take risks, pursue sensations, and make emotional decisions.
Adolescence can be a challenging time for many and can cause identity crisis and storm
and stress. It is important to know how to deal with these problems. As an expert in human
development, one of the things I would suggest doing during an identity crisis is pray and ask
God to help you find your identity and purpose in life. Another important thing is to read the
Bible because in His word, God reveals about our identity. He says in Genesis 1:27 that we are
created in His image. This tells us how much He loves you and how much you mean to Him.
Ephesians 2:10 talks about how God sees us and our purpose as children of God saying, “For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them” (King James Bible, 1611/2004). God views us as His
workmanship, in other words, as His masterpiece. We were created by a mistake because we
know that God does not make mistakes. Reading the Bible consistently will help you understand
your identity and purpose. The third activity is sports. It was proven many times that physical
activity improves emotional health. Fossati says “Sport participation and exercise practice are
considered to be beneficial for mental status, yielding an improved mood and better quality of
life” (2021, para. 1). Using these activities will help foster healthy developmental outcomes and
improve your health.
References
Fossati, C., Torre, G., Vasta, S., Giombini, A., Quaranta, F., Papalia, R., & Pigozzi, F. (2021,
November 24). Physical exercise and mental health: The routes of a reciprocal relation.
International journal of environmental research and public health. Retrieved April 15,
2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8656946/
George, S., Kelley, B., & Piferi, R. (2023). Introduction to psychology from a Christian
worldview. (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt Publishing Co. Liberty University Online
Bookshelf. https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9798765736036/epubcfi/6/
22 [%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3DChapter02]!/4
King James Bible. (2004). King James Bible Online. Retrieved from
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1611)
