Adolescent Paper

Adolescent Paper Capri L. Jackson Wayne State University

Adolescent Paper Abstract This paper has been written to ive an overview o! "y li!e as an adolescent. # will !irst

de!ine what the ter" adolescence "eans. # will then disc$ss the si ni!icant iss$es and li!e events that are e%perienced d$rin adolescence& alon with what # e%perienced d$rin "y adolescence. There are three theories that will be inte rated into this paper that incl$de the !ollowin ' (rik (rikson)s Psychosocial Theory& Si "$nd *re$d)s Psychodyna"ic Theory and Albert +and$ra)s Social,Learnin Theory. While disc$ssin these three theories& # will incorporate "y li!e e%periences in the" as well. -o$ will !ind that "any o! the iss$es # !aced as an adolescent are still c$rrent iss$es that # a" !acin today. #n doin this paper # was able to ain a better $nderstandin o! how e.$ally i"portant this sta e o! li!e is as it relates to in!ancy and both early and "iddle childhood.

Adolescent Paper Adolescence is typically de!ined as the period o! rowth be innin at abo$t 10,12 years o! a e and endin aro$nd 21,22 years o! a e 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. 4ne di!!ic$lty in st$dyin adolescence is the de!inition o! the period itsel! 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. When # think o! adolescence& # typically think abo$t a yo$n & i""at$re child that is transitionin into the ne%t phase o! li!e. 4ne enerally wo$ld not think that the adolescence sta e carries well over into what "any o! $s wo$ld consider yo$n ad$lthood. There are three periods o! adolescence' early& "iddle and late. (arly adolescence ran es !ro" 10,1/ years o! a e& "iddle

adolescence ran es !ro" 15,16 years o! a e and late adolescence ran es !ro" 17,22 years o! a e 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. Within adolescence yo$ have the biophysical& psycholo ical and social di"ensions. 8i"ension can be de!ined as a level o! e%istence or conscio$sness 19erria" Webster& 20123. All o! these di"ensions are e.$ally i"portant. They each involve so"e !or" o! develop"ent in which we incorporate into the process o! discoverin who we are. Adolescence represents a :o$rney o! discovery& establishin one)s identity 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. #n readin chapter ; o! the <andbook o! Adolescent Psycholo y by Joseph Adelson& it was proposed that another way o! constr$in identity co$ld be seen as a sel!,str$ct$re , an internal& sel!,constr$cted& dyna"ic or ani=ation o! drives& abilities& belie!s& and individ$al history 1Adelson& 1>?03. #t is said that the better developed this str$ct$re is& the "ore aware individ$als appear to be o! their own $ni.$eness and si"ilarity to others and o! their own stren ths and weaknesses in "akin their way in the world 1Adelson& 1>?03. #n o$r world o! adolescence& we can be !aced with "any iss$es that "ay incl$de se%$ality& dr$ s& peer press$re& body i"a ine and even o$r own !a"ily dyna"ics. All o! these iss$es can ste" !ro" o$r biophysical& psycholo ical or social di"ensions. #t is d$rin this ti"e in which we are tryin to !ind o$rselves !ro" as early as 10 years o! a e to as late as 22 years o!

Adolescent Paper a e. 9y world o! sel! discovery d$rin adolescence be an aro$nd 11 years old. #t is said that early adolescents place reat i"portance on peer approval 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. 8$rin this ti"e we are typically lookin to be accepted by o$r peers who" we interact with daily. Peer interaction is a critical so$rce !or personal and social co"petence develop"ent 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. At this phase in "y li!e # can honestly say that # was not accepted by "y peers. # did not know whether this was a ood thin or a bad thin . *or as lon as # co$ld re"e"ber& # was always known as the .$iet irl in school. # a" not s$re i! "y shy personality or !ear to speak "ade people too shy or a!raid to speak to "e. # have !o$nd that # a" still .$iet and shy today. @ot beca$se # don)t have anythin to say& b$t si"ply beca$se # don)t

know how to say it. # wasn)t very vocal with "y tho$ hts as a child beca$se # !eared that # wo$ld say the wron thin and everyone wo$ld la$ h. # tho$ ht to "ysel!& A#! # say the wron answer or ask a st$pid .$estion& then "y peers "ay la$ h at "e and then they really won)t accept "e.B # tho$ ht that keepin "y "o$th sh$t wo$ld save "e the e"barrass"ent. There!ore& instead o! vocally voicin "ysel!& # chose to $se a written !or" o! co""$nication to e%press "ysel!. #n adolescence co"es a reater capacity !or e!!ective co""$nication 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. Writin beco"es "$ch "ore "eanin !$l in adolescence 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. This is the a e where "any yo$n people be in a :o$rnal to record their inner tho$ hts and personal e%periences 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. # re"e"ber "y !irst diary. # wo$ld write abo$t "y school day and even "y !a"ily li!e. # wo$ld !eel so "$ch better a!ter writin . The pa es in "y diary beca"e "y best !riend at this ti"e. # be an to t$rn "y !eelin s into poe"s. # started writin stories abo$t what # wished "y li!e was like. # beca"e so e%pressive in "y writin style& both inside and o$tside o! school that "y teachers be an to showcase "y work. # have !o$nd that "y written !or" o! co""$nication has de!initely st$ck with "e since that

Adolescent Paper ti"e. 9y observation as a child is what allowed "e to be so e%pressive and detailed in "y

writin . As ti"e went on& # beca"e socially disconnected !ro" "any o! "y peers. We can easily link this to +and$ra)s Social Learnin Theory. Accordin to social,learnin theory& "odels are critical in the develop"ent o! personality beca$se o! the principle o! observational learnin 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. +and$ra ass$"ed that learnin can occ$r by observin others& witho$t direct involve"ent in the learnin e%perience 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. Social,learnin theory is an approach that co"bines learnin principles with co nitive processes& pl$s the e!!ects o! observational learnin & to e%plain behavior 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. There!ore& beca$se # "ay not have been socially interactin with "y peers by verbally speakin to the"& # was still interactin with the" by observin the". #t was thro$ h "y observations that # learned who they were& and even "ore so who # was not. An i"portant aspect o! +and$ra)s approach to social,learnin theory is the notion o! sel!,e!!icacy behavior 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. Sel!,e!!icacy re!ers to a person)s belie! abo$t his or her ability to per!or" certain behaviors that lead to e%pected o$tco"es 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. #t is said that when people have a stron belie! in their ability to per!or" certain behaviors& their con!idence is hi h 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. <owever& when people have low sel!,e!!icacy& they are not very con!ident and so are likely to ive $p easily 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. # was de!initely at a point where a displayed a reat deal o! low sel!,e!!icacy d$rin "y adolescence. # was not very con!ident and # did not believe in "ysel! and "y abilities as "$ch as # sho$ld have. *indin !riends was a hard task to acco"plish !or "e. A!ter repeated atte"pts& # was $ns$ccess!$l a lot o! the ti"e d$e to "y lack o! con!idence and inability to verbally voice "y tho$ hts and !eelin s. # beca"e content with sittin & watchin & observin . # wo$ld always sit and observe the other ro$ps o!

Adolescent Paper children aro$nd "e and :o$rnal "y tho$ hts o! what it was like to be accepted or pop$lar. A!ter all& ood peer relations are critical to pop$larity 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. # :$st knew that bein pop$lar was o$t o! the .$estion !or "e. 9any !actors contrib$te to pop$larity& attractiveness bein one o! the". Attractiveness is a power!$l !orce in deter"inin one)s pop$larity 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. This appears "ost critical at the e%tre"esCeither very attractive or very

$nattractiveCand is a deter"inant o! social acceptance or re:ection 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. So"e key aspects o! adolescence as a develop"ental period are that yo$n people beco"e concerned abo$t their physical appearance and abo$t other)s perceptions o! how they look 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. # be an to row "ore and "ore concerned abo$t "y physical appearance d$rin "y transition !ro" early adolescence into "iddle adolescence aro$nd 1/,15 years o! a e. # !o$nd o$t that # wo$ld be ettin "y !irst pair o! lasses when # was in the si%th rade. 4! co$rse # wanted the cool !ashionable !ra"es& b$t at that ti"e "y !a"ily co$ld not a!!ord the". # ended $p with the !ra"es that # !elt "y peers wo$ld know # ot o$t o! the case that they ive 9edicaid recipients as an option. @ot so !ashionable& ri htD To "y s$rprise& no one "ade !$n o! "y new lasses& b$t # was still very concerned abo$t "y appearance. So "any tho$ hts ran thro$ h "y "ind. A" # c$te eno$ hD 8o # look like a AnerdBD # wanted to know how everyone else viewed "e. 9y physical appearance was a very bi iss$e !or "e d$rin this ti"e. # was concerned abo$t why a lot o! the irls aro$nd "e were "at$rin "$ch !aster than # was. A lot o! the irls had very lar e breast and they started to develop hips also. #t sho$ld be noted that so"e irls interpret their "at$rin bodies ne atively 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. # :$st knew !or s$re that none o! the boys wo$ld even consider talkin to "e. 9iddle adolescence can be appropriately associated with the ti"e irls be in to e%press their interest in

Adolescent Paper boys "ore verbally. @ot only had # not "astered bein socially involved with "y peers d$rin early adolescence& # was now str$ lin with sel!,estee" iss$es d$e to "y appearance. Sel!,

estee" is a lobal eval$ation o! one)s sel!& o!ten re!erred to as sel!,i"a in or sel!,concept 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. 8$rin early adolescence& yo$n people are hi hly sel!, conscio$s& and their sel! perceptions are "ore easily in!l$encedE this is especially tr$e o! irls "akin the transition to :$nior hi h school 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. # had low sel!, estee" which le!t "e in a constant battle o! tryin to !i $re o$t who # really was. 9iddle adolescence involves a reat deal o! re!lection and is a sel!,discovery :o$rney 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. # had be $n to let "y appearance de!ine "y identity. Adolescence is believed to be an i"portant ti"e !or the develop"ent o! identity 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. #dentity can be de!ined as the distin $ishin character or personality o! an individ$al 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. (rik (rikson developed a psychosocial approach h$"an develop"ent 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. Within his psychosocial theory& (rikson identi!ied ei ht psychosocial sta es. #dentity vers$s identity con!$sion is the sta e in (rikson)s theory in which we can apply to adolescence. At this point we are c$rrently str$ lin with o$r identity o! tryin to !ind o$t who we are. We are in a con!$sed state o! "ind.

#t is i"portant that we "aster this sta e at this ti"e& or it will res$r!ace later in li!e. # tho$ ht # was at a point where # knew who # was. # had an identity. # decided that # wo$ld not con!or" to what it was that "y peers were doin aro$nd "e. # decided that # wo$ld stand o$t and be di!!erent. # did not want to be like everyone elseE or did #& b$t :$st didn)t know howD #dentity develop"ent d$rin adolescence leaves "any yo$n people "akin co"parisons between the"selves and others 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. Today # !ind that # still co"pare

Adolescent Paper "ysel! to others that # enco$nter so"eti"es. Altho$ h # wo$ld co"pare "ysel! .$iet o!ten d$rin adolescence& # was still able to develop "y own sense o! "orality.

9orals are a set o! principles in which we distin $ish ri ht and wron as it relates to o$r behavior 19erria" Webster& 20123. # be an to base "y "orals on the thin s that # was ta$ ht by "y !a"ily and not by what "y peers tho$ ht. #! "y !a"ily said it was wron & then it was wron . #! "y !a"ily said it was ri ht& then it was ri ht. A!ter awhile& # be an to .$estion their "orals& which in t$rn bro$ ht "e to .$estion "y own "orals. # started to wonder who co$ld really :$sti!y that what # did was ri ht or wron . Typically& the behavior that # displayed thro$ ho$t hi h school was not in!l$enced by peer press$re. 8$rin "iddle adolescence we are now transitionin !ro" :$nior hi h into hi h school. #t is also d$rin this ti"e that we be in to !or" ro$ps or Acli.$esB. #n choosin a ro$p o! !riends& one can easily be in!l$enced by those peers in which he or she decides to associate with. Peer press$re and con!or"ity are stron processes in adolescence 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. Adolescent thinkin is o!ten characteri=ed by the lo ic& A#! the ro$p is doin it& it "$st be ood and ri ht 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3.B #t is not $n$s$al to see "any adolescents con!or" to their social ro$p. 4ne "$st keep in "ind that con!or"ity& a reein with the ro$p opinion when press$red& can be both positive and ne ative 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. 9any yo$n people con!or" to dress& "$sic and hairstyle nor"s. Thro$ ho$t hi h school& # !o$nd that # wanted to wear what everyone else was wearin and # wo$ld wear the lon hair e%tensions that see"ed to be accepted by "any o! "y peers as bein bea$ti!$l. # !o$nd that by con!or"in to what others were doin aro$nd "e& # beca"e "ore socially accepted by "y peers. At that point # be an to con!or" even "ore to what # ass$"ed wo$ld help "e ain "ore acceptance by "y peers. As a res$lt o! this& # beca"e se%$ally active at a yo$n a e.

Adolescent Paper +ein se%$ally active can take a yo$n person down "any new roads 1Ash!ord 2

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Winston Lecroy& 201/3. # !o$nd that # be an to $se se% as a copin "echanis" o! bein accepted. Accordin to Si "$nd *re$d)s Psychodyna"ic Theory& all h$"an behavior is driven by a special kind o! ener y re!erred to as the libido 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. The libido is in constant search o! pleas$re 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. The libido is associated with instinct$al drives s$ch as h$n er& eli"ination and se%& which are biolo ically deter"ined 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. *re$d identi!ied in his psychodyna"ic theory what we know as the id& e o and s$pere o. The id is the co"ponent o! a person)s "ental apparat$s that is the pri"ary "otivator o! behavior 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. The s$pere o is the "oral $idance that helps balance the drives associated with the id 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. 8$rin the ti"e that # beca"e se%$ally active # was in search o! acceptance& which as a res$lt bro$ ht "e pleas$re. At that point& pleas$re beca"e the pri"ary "otivator !or "y se%$al activities. 9y id had be $n to overpower "y s$pere o. Tho$ h # knew that in the back o! "y "ind this was "orally wron & # contin$ed to be involved in this act. As a res$lt o! this& # beca"e pre nant as # entered "y senior year o! hi h school. Poverty is said to be the reatest risk !actor !or teena e pre nancy 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. (n a in in se% and beco"in pre nant is a response to the li"ited opport$nities available to "any yo$n irls 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. When # !o$nd o$t that # was

pre nant # was e"barrassed. # knew that event$ally # wo$ld have to tell "y !a"ily. # didn)t hide it !or lon . A !ew days a!ter !indin o$t that # was pre nant& # told "y "other. She was "ore s$rprised than disappointed. # was so .$iet and displayed s$ch innocence that she had no idea that # was even se%$ally active d$rin this ti"e. #n receivin the acceptance and reass$rance !ro" "y !a"ily that it wo$ld all work o$t& # be an to think "ore positive abo$t the o$tco"e o!

Adolescent Paper "y pre nancy. # contin$ed to o to school thro$ ho$t "y pre nancy. 9any o! "y peers were s$rprised beca$se # was very .$iet in school. All o! "y teachers were very enco$ra in in the process o! "e co"pletin "y senior year. Tho$ h there were so"e peers who did not a ree& there were others who s$pported "e. # ave birth to "y da$ hter :$st a !ew weeks be!ore pro"

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and a "onth be!ore rad$ation. # was able to attended pro" and # also participated in rad$ationE rad$atin with honors as # was the Faledictorian o! "y senior class. # then went on to start "y !resh"an year o! colle e at 4akland University. 8evelop"ent o! vocationalGcolle e plans typically arise d$rin late adolescence. *or "e it was very i"portant that # contin$e "y ed$cation and receive "y de ree in order to provide !or "y da$ hter. Altho$ h they say that there are not "any opport$nities !or those who beco"e teena e "others& # a" one o! "any to prove that despite what barriers yo$ "ay !ace in li!e& anythin is possible with hard work and deter"ination. Adolescence is one o! the "any sta es in li!e which we "$st "aster thro$ ho$t o$r li!e span. There are so "any sit$ations that adolescents will be !aced with& both ood and bad. #n spite o! o$r chan in society& the tasks adolescents !ace have re"ained stable 1Ash!ord 2 Winston Lecroy& 201/3. (ach o! the three develop"ental sta es o! adolescence incl$des a set o! speci!ic characteristics that one will be seekin or displayin . We can say that one is "ore i"portant than the other& b$t we "$st re"e"ber that each sta e b$ilds $pon the ne%t.

Adolescent Paper He!erences Adelson& J. 11>?03. Handbook of adoscent psychology. 1p. 10>3. @ew -ork' Wiley 2 Sons.

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Ash!ord& J.+.& 2 Winston Lecroy& C. 1(ds.3. 120123. <$"an +ehavior in the Social (nviron"ent' A 9$ltidi"ensional Perspective 1;th ed.3. +el"ont& CA' +rooksGCole& Cen a e Learnin . 9erria" Webster. 120123. Dictionary. Hetrieved !ro" http'GGwww."erria", webster.co"GbrowseGdictionaryGa.ht"