Adolescence: Ages 11 through 19

Objectives Analyze the physical development of adolescents ages 11 through 19. Analyze the cognitive development of adolescents ages 11 through 19. Analyze the socio-emotional development of adolescents ages 11 through 19. continued

Objectives Compare and contrast various developmental theories relating to adolescents. Identify developmentally appropriate guidance techniques for adolescents. Examine factors contributing to independence.

Physical Characteristics and Growth Adolescence is the stage in life when humans change from children to adults Changes occur in height, weight, muscle development, and reproductive organs The brain also changes in form and function Physical changes are the most apparent continued

Physical Characteristics and Growth Puberty is a period of development marked by growth spurts and sexual maturation These changes are signaled by the body’s pituitary gland The onset of puberty and the changes that occur during puberty happen at different times for everyone continued

Physical Characteristics and Growth Growth spurts are rapid changes in both height and weight Following the growth of hands and feet, the arms and legs increase in size This uneven timing of growth is asynchrony Many other physical changes also occur during puberty continued

Physical Characteristics and Growth Females increase in weight considerably and often reach their full height during the middle years of adolescence Males typically do not experience a growth spurt until around the age of 14 A male’s voice changes during the early teen years and frequent voice cracking occurs continued

Physical Characteristics and Growth Adolescents are more responsible for their own food choices than in earlier life Eating regularly and following MyPlate can help adolescents maintain proper nutrition The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest adolescents participate in 60 minutes of vigorous activity per day continued

Physical Characteristics and Growth To maintain a healthy body weight, people must be in energy balance Maintaining a healthy body weight through proper nutrition and physical activity positively affects physical and socio-emotional well-being Energy Intake Energy Balance Energy Output continued

Physical Characteristics and Growth An eating disorder is a serious condition that involves abnormal eating patterns that can cause severe or life-threatening physical problems People who have eating disorders need professional help to treat the condition continued

Physical Characteristics and Growth Anorexia nervosa is the relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that uses a bingeing and purging pattern Binge-eating disorder involves eating large amounts of food without taking any actions to reduce the amount of food intake continued

Physical Characteristics and Growth Adolescents often need about 9–10 hours of sleep to feel rested In addition to annual health and dental checkups, adolescents often have their first gynecological exam A doctor may recommend inoculations or vaccinations

What key bodily changes can be expected during puberty? What is adolescence? the stage in life when humans go through the transforming process of changing from children to adults What key bodily changes can be expected during puberty? growth in height, weight gain, muscle growth, and sexual maturation continued

Define energy balance. How does energy balance relate to managing healthy weight? To have energy balance, the intake of calories must equal the output of calories. When either side of this energy equation is unbalanced, body weight is affected. If the intake of calories is greater than the output of calories, a person will be overweight; if the intake of calories is less than the output of calories, a person will be underweight. continued

Describe three types of eating disorders. anorexia nervosa—the relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation; bulimia nervosa—the use of a bingeing and purging pattern to achieve thinness; binge-eating disorder—the consumption of large amounts of food without taking any actions to reduce the amount of food intake continued

What health exams are common during adolescence? annual checkups, inoculations, genital exams, and dental exams What are the final teeth to grow in the mouth? When do they typically surface? the wisdom teeth, which surface in late adolescence

Cognitive Characteristics and Growth Adolescents frequently use personal fable, a thinking pattern related to cognitive function Personal fable often leads to the dangerous belief of being invincible Piaget believed the formal operations stage starts at the beginning of adolescence continued

Cognitive Characteristics and Growth Adolescents can reason abstractly and use metacognition The brain of an adolescent is both physically and functionally different from the brain of a child or an adult The amygdala develops early and the prefrontal cortex develops later continued

Cognitive Characteristics and Growth Language development continues to be important during adolescence Adolescents differ from children in the way they use metaphors and idioms As language develops, so do reading and writing skills continued

Cognitive Characteristics and Growth Adolescents are able to make many decisions on their own The decision-making process involves examining the issue, analyzing alternatives, and acting based on evaluation There are six steps involved with the decision-making process continued

Cognitive Characteristics and Growth The Decision-Making Process Step 1. Decide which decisions need to be made. Step 2. Think through all possible alternatives. Step 3. Evaluate each alternative carefully. Step 4. Select the best alternative. Step 5. Act. Step 6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the decision. continued

Cognitive Characteristics and Growth The decision-making process can help in setting goals Short-term goals are goals that are achievable in the immediate to near future Long-term goals are major goals that may take months or even years to achieve continued

Cognitive Characteristics and Growth The FCCLA planning process can help identify, analyze, and execute a strategy to help set and meet a goal The management of resources, or items available to reach or achieve a goal, is crucial Accepting responsibility for decisions is part of becoming independent continued

Cognitive Characteristics and Growth Many adolescents are in Kohlberg’s second level of moral development, or conventional morality They are making moral decisions based on how others perceive them or on respect for laws and regulations

Describe how adolescents frequently resort to personal fable Describe how adolescents frequently resort to personal fable. What is the danger of resorting to personal fable? They distort and inflate the opinion of themselves and their own importance. This leads to the belief of being invincible, which can cause adolescents to participate in high-risk activity that can be harmful and possibly result in death. continued

According to Piaget, what is the formal operations stage of cognitive development? stage in which adolescents can reason abstractly continued

How is the brain development of an adolescent unique from a child or an adult? The brain is full sized and larger than a child’s brain, but the connections and pathways between nerve cells are still developing. The amygdala, responsible for emotional reactions, develops early. The prefrontal cortex, that regulates emotions and impulse control, develops later. continued

What are the six steps of the decision-making process? Decide which decision needs to be made. Think through all possible alternatives. Evaluate each alternative carefully. Select an alternative. Act. Evaluate the effectiveness of the decision. continued

How can the decision-making process and FCCLA planning process help meet short- and long-term goals? by helping to identify, analyze, and execute a strategy to set and meet goals According to Kohlberg’s theory, how do adolescents make moral decisions? based on how others perceive them and respect for laws and regulations

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth For adolescents, emotions ride up and down Hormones contribute to the emotional rollercoaster, but the developing brain also plays a part Adolescents’ focus is often on establishing an identity and becoming more independent continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth According to Erikson, the most important task of adolescence is the quest to establish identity and life roles, which he termed identity versus identity confusion Adolescents often believe that everyone is watching them This is called imaginary audience continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth As adolescents near the end of this stage, they are often more self-assured and have fewer self-doubts As adolescents become independent and develop self-identity, the transition can be difficult for family members continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth During the middle years of this stage, adolescents tend to have the most conflict with parents and other adult authority figures Parents often struggle with the parenting process during adolescence Becoming independent is an important part of establishing identity outside the family continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth Common types of messages involved in parent-adolescent communication are you-messages I-messages we-messages continued ©Golden Pixels LLC/Shutterstock.com

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth Relationships with peers continue to be important during the adolescent years Popularity and the opinions of peers are very important Peer pressure is the influence a group of people has on an individual in the same age group continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth Negative peer pressure also includes forms of bullying Cyberbullying is the harassment of others through a digital medium Adolescents may face negative pressure from peers to use tobacco, alcohol, and drugs continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth Substance abuse is the misuse of drugs to a toxic, dangerous level Adolescents must learn the skills to direct their own behaviors This often requires developing refusal skills Effectively using refusal skills requires confidence continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth Fitting in and belonging to a group are very important in adolescence Extracurricular activities promote group interactions and have a positive effect on social skills Career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) allow students to demonstrate social skills continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth During the adolescent years, dating becomes a fascinating, relevant topic Although dating practices and customs differ, dating commonly happens in stages Group dating Casual or random dating Steady dating continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth Some adolescents will begin to express romantic feelings in a physical manner Engaging in sexual activity, however, can result in teen pregnancy and contracting STIs To avoid pregnancy and STIs, the only form of contraception that is 100 percent effective is abstinence continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth With constant use of digital technology, the media is a major part of daily life Media influences may be direct or indirect Text and instant messaging lets friends and family communicate with each other more frequently continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth Social networking sites are also prominent and can be highly influential They can positively and negatively influence self-identity When using the Internet, it is important to remember that posting images or content can have negative consequences continued

Socio-emotional Characteristics and Growth Depression and suicide are prevalent in the adolescent years Adolescent females may be twice as likely to experience depression as adolescent males Depression may lead to suicide Speaking with a school guidance counselor, therapist, family member, or friend can make a difference for struggling adolescents

What methods can be used to improve the parent-teen relationship? According to Erikson, what factors contribute to defining self-identity? likes and dislikes, values and beliefs, educational and occupational goals, and role expectations What methods can be used to improve the parent-teen relationship? Expressing feelings openly and without placing blame can promote effective communication. Taking the time to understand the other’s point of view can ease stress for both parties. continued

How do social relationships change during adolescence? Adolescents learn to feel at ease with those of the opposite gender, develop more mature friendship skills, and become comfortable with simply talking in addition to doing activities together. Electronic mediums become important forms of communication. Peer pressure can be an issue and can have devastating consequences. continued

Describe the different stages of dating. group dating—peers attend or schedule activities in a mixed group setting; casual dating—two people spend time together in order to get to know each other; steady dating—the couple is exclusive and committed to each other continued

List six possible health risks involved with substance abuse. cancer; heart, lung, and blood vessel damage; memory loss and other brain damage; delusional behavior; violence; death List three factors that may contribute to depression in adolescence. (List three:) a lack of friends, feelings of rejection from peers, financial problems, school struggles, being a victim of bullying, a perceived lack of parent support

Special Needs While some adolescents are preparing for independence and adulthood, others may need extra help and support Recovery from physical disabilities requires therapy People with physical disabilities will need to adjust to new lifestyles continued

Special Needs Teens with cognitive disabilities also plan for the transition from school to adulthood An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) outlines how to pursue goals after high school Postsecondary education or occupational studies Employment Independent living

How might a person obtain a physical disability that was not present in childhood? a car accident, sports injury, natural disaster, or severe illness continued

How do different types of therapy help a person recover from a serious accident or injury? Physical therapy offers treatment to an area through physical or mechanical strategies. Occupational therapy involves building strength by practicing everyday activities. Recreational therapy focuses on physical and socio-emotional health. Psychological therapy can help a person emotionally and mentally adjust to new challenges and life changes. continued

What steps are outlined in a teen’s Individualized Education Plan? steps for the teen to pursue goals after high school, such as postsecondary education, occupational studies, employment, or independent living