Adolescence

Physical Development
During adolescence, physical growth is immense. Body
size undergoes tremendous gains due to doubled growth
hormones and boys in particular show a dramatic increase
in strength, speed, and endurance (Berk, 2013).
At age 14, girls are nearly finished with their growth spurts
while boys are just beginning theirs (Berk, 2013). This Photo by Unknown Author

Language Development
Adolescents have a more mature understanding of language. They can grasp figurative
language and understand proverbs.
Reading proficiency increases and they can appreciate adult literary works (Berk, 2013).

Cognitive Development
The cognitive development of adolescents moves into the formal
operational stage. According to Piaget, children aged 11 and up begin to
develop the capacity for abstract, systematic, scientific thinking (Berk,
2013). Children in this stage no longer need concrete objects to explain
new concepts.
Decision-making strategies improve and adolescents can begin to reason about
premises that contradict reality as they know it (Berk, 2013).

Social-Emotional Development
Adolescents’ well-organized self-descriptions and differentiated sense of self-esteem
provide the cognitive foundation for forming an identity, first recognized by
psychoanalyst Erik Erikson (1950, 1968) as a major personality achievement and a
crucial step toward becoming a productive, content adult.
Young people with healthy emotional self-regulation have a sense of emotional self-
efficacy – the feeling that they are in control of their emotional experience (Berk, 2013).
 Moral Reasoning/Self-Regulation
Teacher and peer-reported aggression declines in adolescence (Berk, 2013).
Adolescents who are advanced in moral reasoning report more close friendships and
participate more often in conversations with their friends (Berk, 2013).

Atypical Development
If an adolescent has a delay in manual dexterity, this may be a sign of serious issues
with development. Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder reported
significant delay in manual dexterity between the ages of 6-15 years old (Liu, 2012). If
parents notice issues with their adolescent’s fine motor skills, such as holding a pencil,
buttoning a shirt, etc., they should consult with their child’s pediatrician.
One of the most common mental illnesses is Major
Depressive Disorder (MDD), with rates increasing as much
as six times from early to late adolescence (Shapero,
McClung, Bangasser, Abramson & Alloy, 2017).

This Photo by Unknown Author is

Learning and Development Strategies
Peer pressure can have both positive and negative effects on the adolescent’s self-
esteem. Adolescents believe that the opinions of others have real consequences for
peer pressure, self-esteem, and social support (Berk, 2013).
Parental monitoring of a child’s activities protects adolescents from antisocial
involvements and is dependent on the adolescent’s disclosure of information (Berk,
2013).

Social
Ideal reciprocity helps adolescents to realize that individual motives and circumstances
should be taken in account and rules can be reinterpreted to insure just outcomes for all
(Berk, 2013).

Cultural
Stereotypically male traits, activities, and roles are more numerous, diverse, and
desirable than those associated with females. Western cultures have more
stereotypically masculine occupations than feminine occupations (Berk, 2013).