CASE STUDY OF JOSH,

AGE 17 CHILD
BY: ADDHILIZ LONDONO
 PHYSICAL

Snowmans General Characteristics: According to Snowman, during high school years

adolescents typically gain a lot of weight (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Developmental Level: Josh has some of the physical characteristics that Snowman said would
be prevalent in high schoolers:
1. Ever since middle school, Josh has gained a total of 15 pounds
Observation: According to the University of Washington, characteristics that are common
amongst 17 year-olds are, completed physical maturation, having their physical features
shaped and defined, and more probability of acting on sexual desires (University of
Washington, 1993)
His physical maturation is complete and his physical features are shaped and defined
 PHYSICAL CONTD.

Although Josh is educated on sex, he has no curiosity or interest in it and does not
want to try it
He has low self-esteem and does not like the way he looks physically
According to the Center for Disease Control, normal physical characteristics of
teens of the ages of twelve to nineteen include being concerned with physical
appearance and acne appearing ( CDC, 2017)
This is true for Josh because he is constantly worried on what he looks like
 PHYSICAL CONTD.
Recommendations: According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), there are many things that parents can do to help their children in these
times (2017)
1. For example, asking the adolescent about how he feels and specifically if he
has ever felt depressed can help him know his parents are interested in his
well-being and will also help them determine if professional help is needed
(CDC, 2017)
Complimenting the teen on his achievements, along with encouraging the
adolescent to be active in sports or clubs, can help him stay happier (CDC, 2017)
 PHYSICAL CONTD.

Also, encouraging the teen to exercise enough, eat healthy foods, and get plenty of
sleep can help him maintain a healthy body (CDC, 2017)
According to the University of Washington, complimenting their physical
appearance can help them feel better about themselves and informing them about
the consequences of sex can help them make better choices (1993)
 EMOTIONAL
Snowmans General Characteristics: According to Snowman, many teens may
experience different mental diseases like schizophrenia and depression, others
may even commit or want to commit suicide (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Developmental Level: Although the male I am observing does experience
depression from time to time, he maintains his grades at all times and does not
take drugs or alcohol
Observation: According to the University of Washington, normal characteristics
of teens aged sixteen through nineteen include constant worries about failure,
appearances of being moody, angry, lonely, impulsive, self-centered, confused,
and stubborn, and have conflicting feelings about dependence/independence
(1993)
 EMOTIONAL CONTD.
The CDC mentions that these negative feelings can cause them to have bad grades
and use alcohol or drugs (2017)
He experiences moodiness a lot and worries about being unsuccessful on different
tasks
He often gets sad for no apparent reason, and sometimes experiences feelings of
worthlessness and negative thoughts; however, he has never attempted or thought
of suicide
Recommendations: According to the CDC, parents can help their children
emotionally by showing them they care and keeping an open line of
communication (2017)
 EMOTIONAL CONTD

Parents can talk to their children about how they feel and ask them if they
have ever felt suicidal or depressed (CDC, 2017)
According to the University of Washington, parents can also help by being
available to talk and listen to them whenever it is needed and understanding
that children need to have their own space sometimes (1993)
Not overreacting and working together on limits can also help (University
of Washington, 1993)
 INTELLECTUAL
Snowmans General Characteristics: According to Snowman, 17-year-olds may
engage in formal thought and their thoughts and opinions on political issues may
also change (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Developmental Level: Josh engages in formal thought and he is also capable of
explaining why he thinks the way he does and why he has certain opinions
He has also changed the way he views politics
1. One example is that when he was younger, the way he thought about politics was
largely influenced by his parents, but when he turned 16 or 17, he started to learn
more about political issues, and currently he hates the president and the decisions he
makes while his parents completely love the president
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.
Piagets Theory: Piagets theory is made up of three categories: organization,
schemes, and adaption (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Piaget said that adaption is accomplished by two subprocesses: assimilation and
accommodation (Snowman & McCown, 23, 2013)
He also believed that people often reorganize their schemes so that they can better
adapt to their environment and understand experiences (Snowman & McCown,
2013)
This type of balance is often driven when disequilibrium occurs, which is when
people learn something that does not match what they already know or believe
(Snowman & McCown, 2013)
When people encounter disequilibrium, people are driven to eliminate it and they
often try to find solutions to the problem (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.
According to psychologists, the process of creating knowledge to solve a
problem and eliminate a disequilibrium is referred to as constructing
knowledge (Snowman & McCown, 25, 2013)
One of the stages that Piaget said schemes evolve through is the formal
operational stage (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
1. This is the last stage and it is for children 11 years and older
(Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Developmental Level: Josh correlates with Piagets Cognitive Development
Theory because he uses organization, formulates schemes, and adapts by
using accommodation
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.

When he learns something new, he obtains disequilibrium, but since he loves to

learn and is often interested in many subjects, he obtains equilibration by learning
about the subject and understanding better, and in this way, he constructs
knowledge
Josh is in the formal operational stage of his life:
1. Josh is able to deal with mental abstractions representing concrete objects,
he shows this by formulating hypotheses as a way to approach problems
a) For example, he can imagine what would happen if he took off his shoe
and threw it at his teacher, but instead of having to do that specific action
to know what will happen, he can already imagine what might happen
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.
In a similar way, instead of experimenting different things, he is able to imagine
how some problems can be fixed by simply thinking of the different consequences
that may occur
When he does not understand something, he reads more or asks his teachers
questions
By doing this, he is using accommodation in order to better learn the material
Another characteristic of Piagets theory is that he often concentrates more on
possibilities than on realities, and this affects his stress level
1. For example, he often spends a lot of his time stressing about the potential
problems he could face at work instead of thinking about realistic scenarios
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.
He also has a very common characteristic between adolescents, which is
adolescent egocentrism, and because of this, he is very self-conscious and he
thinks everybody is observing his every move
He is also able to mentally sort out solutions
Instead of using trial and error to solve problems, he is able to accurately solve
them mentally
His excellent grades in school, especially in Math and Science, are great evidence
to show that he is able to deal with abstractions, form hypotheses, and engage in
mental manipulations
Vygotsky Theory: According to Vygotsky, How we think is a function of both
social and cultural forces (Snowman & McCown, 32, 2013), and the most
important things a culture passes on to its members are psychosocial tools
(Snowman & McCown, 2013)
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.
Vygotsky believed that because of social interaction, children were able to
develop cognitively (Snowman & McCown, 2013) and that children gain
significantly from the knowledge and conceptual tools handed down to them by
those who are more intellectually advanced, whether they are the same-age peers,
older children, or adults (Snowman & McCown, 35, 2013)
According to Vygotsky, it is important to teach children how to use scientific
concepts, which are the psychosocial tools such as language, formulas, rules, and
symbols that allow people to manipulate their environment consciously and
systematically (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Developmental Level: Josh meets Vygotskys Cognitive Development
The social interactions with his parents and teachers have helped him develop
cognitively because they are all very intelligent
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.

His parents have also played a crucial part in helping him develop because they
have taught him how to use psychosocial tools, which are an important part of the
cognitive development
His parents and teachers have used scaffolding techniques to help guide him find
the correct solutions to a problem
His way of thinking is based off his Chinese culture
He strives to obey his parents and always gets excellent grades
The Chinese culture also values wisdom, and for this reason he always aims to
learn as much as he can
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.

Observation: According to the University of Washington, adolescents at this age

may lack information or self-assurance about personal skills and abilities (1993)
They may also be concerned about the future and may begin to integrate
knowledge leading to decisions about the future (University of Washington,
1993)
The CDC mentions that adolescents learn more defined work habits and are
interested in future schools and work plans (2017)
They are also more capable of explaining why they think the way they do and
why they have certain opinions (CDC, 2017)
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.
Josh fits perfectly into this description because he lacks confidence in many
aspects of life
1. For example, he is often scared to do something because he automatically
assumes he will do it wrong
Josh does not like to talk a lot because he thinks others will not like him
He is also scared to try new things like sports, because he does not think he will
do well
This adolescent shows he is concerned about his future because he is constantly
talking about the future and asking others about careers and how to make money
He is concerned about what he should study, what type of job he will have, and
what his future will look like
 INTELLECTUAL CONTD.

When asked, he said he often ponders about whether he will have a family or not, and if
so, how many kids he will have, how he will sustain them, and what they will look like
Recommendations: According to the CDC, some things that could help are encouraging
the adolescent to come up with solutions to problems he might have (2017)
Creating opportunities for him to use his own judgment, and be available for advice and
support will help him make good decisions (CDC, 2017)
According to the University of Washington, having them talk to a counselor can also help
them as well as the parent making an effort to talk to them about and plan for the future
(1993)
 SOCIAL
Snowmans General Characteristics: According to Snowman, teens are usually
influenced by their parents when it comes to long-range plans and are employed
after school (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Developmental Level: Josh currently has a job; he works for a clothing store and
he is a part-time worker
He is influenced by his parents about long-term goals and is also influenced by his
peers about social matters
1. One example is the way he dresses
a) He often dresses and has the same type of hairstyle most of his peers have at school,
but when it comes down to matters of more importance like future plans and what
career he should have, he pays more attention to his parents and mature adults, and
takes into consideration what they say
 SOCIAL CONTD.
Eriksons Psychosocial Development Theory: Eriksons Psychosocial
Development theory considers psychological growth from infancy through old
age, and portrays people as playing an active role in their own psychological
development, and highlights the important role that cultural goals, aspirations,
expectations, requirements, and opportunities play in personal growth (Snowman
& McCown, 17, 2013)
According to Erikson, a childs personality develops through different stages and
different parts of the organism develop before others (Snowman & McCown,
2013)
Eriksons theory has eight stages that range from birth to old age (Snowman &
McCown, 2013)
Five of the stages are: trust versus mistrust, anatomy versus shame and doubt,
initiative versus guilt, industry versus inferiority, and identity versus role
confusion (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
 SOCIAL CONTD.
Erikson believed that personality is formed when a person successfully resolves a
series of turning points called psychosocial crises (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
James Marcia, a developmental psychologist, suggested that obtaining maturity
depends on crisis and commitment (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Developmental Level: Josh meets Ericksons Psychosocial Development Theory
Josh has faced all of the psychosocial stages mentioned in Eriksons theory
This has helped him become the person he is now and as he grows his personality
will keep developing
 SOCIAL CONTD.
Although his identity can continue to undergo developmental change as he
progresses from adolescence to adulthood, the most important parts of his
personality seem to be already defined
He has faced turning points in his life and this has helped him form his personality
His culture has played a major part in the way his personality has developed; this
leans more toward Vygotskys theory
Observation: According The Child Development Guide of the University of
Washington, having odd relationships with parents that change from friendly to
unfriendly are common within adolescents ages 16 to 19 (1993)
Also, it is normal for them to feel like their parents are too invasive and they want
to know everything about them and their lives (University of Washington, 1993)
 SOCIAL CONTD.
The Child Development Guide also mentions that teens this age usually have many
friends, but not necessarily many people who they trust (University of Washington,
1993)
It is also common for adolescents to date actively (University of Washington, 1993)
Josh does not want to date because he wants to find someone who is right for him;
however, he does fulfill the other characteristics mentioned
He does not seem to get along with his younger siblings and he gets irritated very
often
He also does not like to kiss his parents or even hug them, these two things are
common amongst kids aged twelve to fifteen according to the child development
milestones of the University of Washingtons Child Development Guide (1993)
 SOCIAL CONTD.

I noticed that Josh prefers to be alone rather than be around his parents; this shows
his independence
He is also very social, and he likes to be around his friends a lot
As stated in the CDC, adolescents show more independence from their parents
and tend to be more social (2017)
Josh prefers to be alone rather than be around his parents
He is also very social, and he likes to be around his friends a lot
Recommendations: According to the CDC, if the teen plays games or uses chat
rooms and instant messaging, parents can encourage them to think about what
they post and how much time they spend on social media (2017)
 SOCIAL CONTD.
Also, if the teen is working, parents can talk to them about how they should act in
public and what responsibilities they may have (CDC, 2017)
Talking to teens about what people they should pick to be their friends will help
them be safe and make wise decisions (CDC, 2017)
According the University of Washington, trying to maintain a good relationship
with the adolescent and being friendly will help them (1993)
Not being too nosy and giving them the space they need is also a good tip given
(University of Washington, 1993)
Letting them talk to people from different ages and different cultures along with
not overreacting when they are interested in someone from the opposite sex is
another good tip (University of Washington, 1993)
Last, talking to them about what is expected of them in a relationship will help
them know how to behave appropriately (University of Washington, 1993)
 MORAL
Snowmans General Characteristics: According to Snowman, 17-year-olds may
engage in formal thought, are usually influenced by their parents when it comes to
long-range plans, are influenced by their peers when it is on immediate status, are
employed after school, and may experience psychiatric disorders like
schizophrenia, depression, and suicide (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Their thoughts and opinions on political issues may also change (Snowman &
McCown, 2013)
Also, it may be common for high-schoolers to use drugs or engage in sexual
activities (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Developmental Level: Josh does not use drugs or engage in any sexual activity
 MORAL CONTD.
Kohlbergs Moral Development: Kohlberg believed that moral reasoning
takes place through fixed stages and through instruction; the speed at which
a person develops morally can increase (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
Kohlberg believed there are six stages of moral reasoning (Snowman &
McCown, 2013)
The first stage is the punishment-obedience orientation stage, the second
stage is instrumental relativist orientation, the third stage is good boy-nice
girl orientation, the 4th stage is law-and-order orientation, the 5th stage is
social contract the last stage is the 6th stage which shows that moral
decisions should be based on consistent applications of self-chosen ethical
principles (Snowman & McCown, 2013)
 MORAL CONTD.
Developmental Level: Josh seems to be at the appropriate level according to
Kohlbergs theory and is meeting the majority of the stages as he grows up
So far he has gone through stages 1, 2, 3, and has partially gone through stage 4
Although he started stage 4 when he was around age 11 or 12, he has not
completed it
He still stresses sometimes about following rules because he believes that if no
one follows the rules, the world cannot and will not run smoothly, but he is also
flexible at times with rules, and this is part of stage 5
He believes that he cannot always follow the rules in every single situation
 MORAL CONTD.
For example, if breaking the rules can save his life, he thinks it is much better to
break them because it is an emergency
For this reason, Josh seems to be in the middle of stage 4 and 5
Observation: According to the child development milestones of the University of
Washington's Child Development Guide, it is common for adolescents to feel
confused and disappointed about discrepancies between values and actual
behaviors of family and friends, experience feelings of frustration, anger, sorrow,
and isolation, and may be interested in sex as response to physical-emotional
urges and as a way to participate in the adult world (1993)
The teen I am observing feels all of the above, except interest in sex
He does not have the temptation to do it and does not use it as a way to seem more
adult-like
 MORAL CONTD.
Also, according to the CDC, children this age are better able to give
reasons for their own choices, including about what is right or wrong and
feel a lot of sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at
school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, and other problems (2017)
The CDC perfectly describes Josh in this section because Josh understands
why he makes certain choices about what is right or wrong and he is able to
explain those reasons
He also feels depression sometimes but that does not affect the way he acts
because he does not cause problems in school or anywhere else
He has excellent grades and does not have sex, use drugs, or cause trouble
in any way
 MORAL CONTD.

Recommendations: According to the CDC, taking the time to talk with the teen
and planning out what they could say or do when someone asks him to use drugs
or have sex or offers him a ride home even though they are drunk, will help him
feel more comfortable about the situation (2017)
The CDC also recommends to talk with your teen about the dangers of drugs,
drinking, smoking, and risky sexual activity and ask him what he knows and
thinks about these issues, and share your feelings with him (2017)
Something else it mentions is talking to the adolescent about how dangerous it can
be to drive and how they can take precautions and be safe (CDC, 2017)
By having the family eat together, this gives an opportunity for the family to talk
and for the adolescent to express himself (CDC, 2017)
 MORAL CONTD.
Apart from that, according to the CDC, a teen who eats meals with the family is
more likely to get better grades and less likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs, and
also less likely to get into fights, think about suicide, or engage in sexual activity
(2017)
According to the University of Washington, it is important to let the teenager
express his thoughts and opinions and be respectful of them, but also tells parents
to understand your own perspectives relating to values (1993).
It also advises parents to know that sexual experimentation is normal but to advise
the teen to not engage in unprotected sex (University of Washington, 1993)
Providing accurate information on human sexuality, the diseases they can get, and
the different methods they can use to make sex safer will help adolescents make
better choices when it comes the time to make them (University of Washington,
1993)
 REFERENCES
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child development: Teenagers (15- 17
years of age). Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolesc ence2.html
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child development: Young Teens (12
14 years of age). Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolesc ence.html
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013). ED PSYCH. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning.
University of Washington. (1993). Child development: Using the child development guide.
Retrieved from http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/chidev/cd06.ht
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