1. Adolescence Modules 51-52

2. Adolescence The period between childhood and adulthood
From puberty (the start of sexual maturation) to independence from parents

3. Physical Development in Adolescence
Module 52

4. Puberty
The period of sexual maturation where the person becomes capable of reproducing
Starts at approximately age 11 in females and age 13 in males
Major growth spurt
Sequence of physical changes same for all, timing can differ

6. Physical Development

7. Primary Sex Characteristics
The body structures that make sexual reproduction possible
Ovaries in females
Testes in males

8. Secondary Sex Characteristics
Nonreproductive sexual characteristics
Breasts and hips in females
Facial hair and voice changes in males

9. Sexual Characteristics

10. Brain Development Pruning of unused neurons and connections occurs
You lose what you don’t use!
Frontal Lobes maturing
Grow myelin – speeds up neural communication
Because emotional limbic system is more developed, teens tend to be more emotional
Give in to emotional impulsiveness & risky behaviors & immediate rewards
As Frontal Lobe matures so will judgment, impulse control & long-term planning

11. Cognitive Development
Overcoming Egocentrism – Understand their own thinking & what others’ thinking
Formal Operations (Piaget) – Reason Hypothetically & detect hypocrisy.

12. Social Development in Adolescence: Forming an Identity Module 52

13. Identity A strong, consistent sense of who and what a person is
Who am I?
What do I want to do with my life?
What values should I live by?
What do I believe in?
Identity search includes the following characteristics:
Experimentation
Rebellion
“Self”-ishness
Optimism and energy
Some form this identity early by adopting their parents’ values & expectations.

14. Social Identity
Part of our identity that comes from our group memberships
Ethnicity
Gender
Team/Clubs

15. Social Development in Adolescence: Developing Intimacy

16. Intimacy
A close, sharing, emotional, and honest relationship with other people
To Erikson this is the primary task of early adulthood
Not necessarily one’s spouse or a sexual relationship

17. Parent & Peer Relationships
Adolescents in Western cultures pull away from parents as they seek their identities
Parental influence diminishes as peer influence increases
Positive parent-teen relations & peer relations go together
Teens who feel close to their parents tend to be healthy & successful in school
Heredity seems to set temperament & peers influences the rest