Introduction
Adolescence is a transition period, and these changes may be so drastic that parents question whether they are witnessing normal adolescent behavior or reason for alarm. Sometimes, adolescents do not wholly comprehend the repercussions of their behaviors. Parents need to realize that many adolescent habits that are strange to them are generally normal. These unusual behaviors are influenced by social factors like drug and alcohol use and emotional and reactive brain regions rather than brain regions concerned with logic.
Discussion
Throughout adolescence, a person demonstrates remarkable physical, cognitive, and social development. It starts with puberty and culminates with the transformation to maturity. During this stage of life, people begin to take control of their destinies by deciding where to go to school, who to spend time with, and what they will do for a profession (Newman. & Newman, 2020). Hormones cause the physical changes linked with adolescence that transpire during this period, which also sees the fastest development. Teenagers are more likely to engage in dangerous behavior because of alterations occurring in various brain sections at varying rates.
Given the fast development of the adolescent brain, cognitive changes encompass gains in complicated and abstract reasoning. Additionally, adolescents continue to refine their previously established schemas (McCormick & Scherer, 2018). The bonds between adolescents and their parents undergo a phase of reinvention, during which they grow increasingly autonomous. During this period, their choices transition from being strongly impacted by their parents and relatives to being significantly motivated by their friends and what they see on media platforms. Identities are formed when individuals explore and adopt various behaviors and viewpoints.
Consistently, puberty is accompanied by a spurt in physical and sexual development. Developments associated with puberty often last between three and four years. Gender disparities emerge throughout puberty, often complemented by the formation of sexual maturation. In particular, the adolescent years are a time of transition in which both primary and secondary traits change (Newman. & Newman, 2020). The internal and external reproductive organs are the first distinguishing features of a newborn. Secondary features are outward manifestations of sexual development that are not typically connected with reproduction and serve as indicators of this process.
The larynx expands, and the male voice drops in pitch as the shoulders broaden (McCormick & Scherer, 2018). The pelvic region, the armpits, and the face all experience hair growth and rougher, thicker hair. In females, breast formation begins at about ten; however, complete growth takes time. The pubic and armpit hair also thickens, darkens, and coarsens, and the hips expand.
Furthermore, hormone levels fluctuate significantly throughout puberty. Changes in genetic impacts on teenage behavior are prominent throughout this transitional stage. Teenage years exemplify the ever-changing complexity of genetic impacts on human development (Newman. & Newman, 2020). Numerous concepts of genetic effect on teenage behavior are highlighted in the research on teenage alcohol use and abuse based on twin studies. They show how, as adolescents mature, their genes become more influential as they get greater latitude to act on their intuitions and mold their social environments (McCormick & Scherer, 2018). Different genetic pathways to risk have been identified in identical studies with others showing that environmental factors may moderate their effects.
Piaget’s and Erickson’s Theories of Development
Piaget established five manifestations of cognitive development in adolescents: formal operations, hypothetico-deductive reasoning, propositional thinking, the imaginary audience, and the personal fable. In his theory of cognitive development, Piaget identified a set of skills called “mental operations,” including the capacity to picture a fantasy scenario and predict a probable conclusion without seeing or executing the event (Thompson, 2012).
Adolescence, as per Piaget, is notable since it is at this time that people gain the capacity to think abstractly, moving further than the constraints of actual mental activities. To characterize this development, Piaget coined the phrase “formal operations,” which is the capacity to assess or characterize the impact of non-physical notions like “poverty” or “justice” (Thompson, 2012). This explains why adolescents often imagine non-existent things or experiences.
Multiple variables may influence the cognitive development of adolescents, including family background, formal training or education level, health complications, and physical or emotional trauma. Memorization skills continue to improve as teenagers can remember massive volumes of precise information, including long, intricate instructions (McCormick & Scherer, 2018). Piaget identified teenage self-schemas as a potential means of improving their functioning and fostering favorable developmental milestones (Newman. & Newman, 2020). Higher parental support and concern for a child’s actions and experiences are associated with reduced degrees of negative self-schemas throughout puberty. Conversely, a harsher and parental negative control was associated with decreased earlier levels of adolescent positive self-schemas (Thompson, 2012). In other words, parents must understand that their relationship with a child considerably influences their teenage years.
Psychologist Erik Erikson formulated another well-known and widely used development theory. Influenced by Sigmund Freud’s work, Erikson’s theory focuses on psychosocial instead of psychosexual maturation. According to Erikson, teenagers’ primary responsibility is to resolve their identity crises and role uncertainty (Thompson, 2012). Erickson divided these functions into four major psychosocial tasks:
- To distinguish oneself by forging an identity and pursuing autonomy.
- To blend in, choose welcoming groups, and win the approval of others.
- To perform well, become competent, and discover strategies to succeed.
- To adopt and establish a commitment to objectives, practices, and values (Thompson, 2012).
These responsibilities are associated with the challenges teenagers face. Firstly, various risky activities might either facilitate or delay the execution of these objectives. Second, teenagers may engage in dangerous activities to deal with their inadequacy in any of these aspects (McCormick & Scherer, 2018). Teenagers strive to work on their self-concept throughout puberty. The increasing diversification of the self during this difficult stage may be explained by their increased capacity for alternative thinking and abstract reasoning.
Nonetheless, the adolescent’s sense of identity is often contradictory. Adolescents’ self-perceptions are complex, including traits like extroversion and introversion, positivity and pessimism. Adolescents may experience confusion due to these inconsistencies and the developing awareness that their identity and demeanor appear to shift according to the people around them or circumstances. They can be extremely reserved and moody with their parents yet lively and playful around their peers. When comparing adolescent self-esteem to that of their peers, it is important to consider academic achievement, social standing, physical attractiveness, and athletic prowess (Newman. & Newman, 2020).
This may include their sense of accomplishment in intimate partnerships, the workplace, and acquaintances. More importantly, Erickson believed that adolescents struggle with the issue of who they are, which includes concerns about their looks, employment decisions and goals, schooling, associations, sexual orientation, social and political beliefs, personality, and hobbies (Thompson, 2012). Erikson considered this a time of identification and life trajectory uncertainty and exploration. Teenagers who fail to transition successfully through this stage may develop atypical behaviours and struggle in later life.
Conclusion
Many typical adolescent behaviors may seem odd or unconventional to adults. Some adolescents’ maturation includes experimenting with unconventional appearances and lifestyles, such as body piercings, using drugs and alcohol, and friendship groups. Additionally, hormonal shifts in an adolescent’s body might lead to irritability. More importantly, adolescents may withdraw from their parents because of the pressure they feel to find their own identity. Amid these behavioral changes, parents must understand that a teen’s reasoning is still immature, which may cause poor decision-making and even dangerous actions.
References
McCormick, C. B. & Scherer, D. G. (2018). Child and adolescent development for educators (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Newman, B. M. & Newman, P. R. (2020). Theories of adolescent development. Academic Press.
Thompson, M. J. (2012). Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development and Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development. In C. Laver-Bradbury, M. J. Thompson, C. Gale & C. M. Hooper, (Eds.), Child and adolescent mental health (pp. 55-59). CRC Press.