Changes that occur in adolescence

1. Pre-Adolescence and
Adolescence
Lesson 5 HG and D

2. Learning targets
• Identify and describe developmental tasks of
these preadolescence and adolescence.
• Establish knowledge of health concerns in
each age group.

3. Preadolescence

4. An In-Between Stage
• Pre-Adolescence may also be called latency or
middle childhood.
– The rapid period of change from early childhood
and infancy slows significantly.
– This is roughly from age 7 to 12 (later grade school
and middle school aged kids)

5. Key Points
• School and Same Gender Peers are the biggest
social influences.
• Praise of success from both parents, role
models and peers is important for
socioemotional development.
• Logic, Morals and Reasoning become much
more sophisticated.

6. Changes in Physical Development
• Physically, growth slows from earlier in
childhood.
– Growth averages about 5 to 7 lbs. per year, and 2-
3 inches in height.
• Slower growth allows for more sophisticated
physical coordination.
– Children in this age group have well established
motor skills. May be able to ride bikes, play team
sports, etc.
– Fine motor skills continue to refine, faster in girls.

7. Cognitive Development: Piaget’s
Stages
• Concrete Operational:
– Children in this stage of reasoning can easily
understand and analyze events and concepts that are
represented physically or in their reality.
– Can apply some abstract concepts, but not fully
understand or integrate (ex: time).
– Tend to solve problems in a one dimensional manner.
– Have awareness of other’s points of view.
– Can engage in inductive reasoning and reversibility.

8. Socioemotional Development:
Erikson’s Task
• Industry VS Inferiority
– Major event in life is school or other peer group
association such as church, sports, etc.
– Children in this age group are driven to “fit in”, to be
accepted and praised for meeting expectations.
– If children do not meet this task, they may struggle
with relationships and challenges in the future due to
fear of rejection.
• Primary focus is on approval from same gender
peers.
– Play continues to be a social learning tool, and group
play is common.

9. Socioemotional Development: Kohlberg’s
Moral Development
• Continue to be in the stage of Preconventional
Moral Reasoning:
– Most moral reasoning based on consequences of
actions rather than social expectations or abstract
ideas of morality.
– Begin to see the “grey scale” of morality as it
exists in the world.
• Recognize multiple authorities on different levels and
identify that “rules” are not always the same in every
setting.

10. Shift to Adolescence
• Occurs at the beginning or puberty (earlier in
girls than boys) usually around ages 11 to 13.
– Become more interested in opposite sex
relationships
– Begin to seek self “identity”
– Shift further away from caregivers to peer group
for social exploration, approval and acceptance.

11. Adolescence

12. Key Points:
• Puberty Happens.
– Sexual maturity develops during this time.
• Can lead to emotional issues about body image, etc. (Not
just girls)
• Struggle with identity socially/emotionally
– Straddling the line between child and adult is difficult
and often leads to conflict with caregivers.
• Interest in romantic relationships occurs
– Also seeks deeper friendships with peers
– Relies on peers for emotional support

13. Physical Development
• The hormonal changes that occur at the onset
of puberty have several consequences:
– Rapid growth: will reach adult size by age 20
(earlier in women)
– Sexual Maturity: onset of menses in women,
changes in physical appearance (secondary sex
characteristics) in both
– Clumsiness or Awkwardness: result of rapid
growth and brain’s failure to adjust to changes in
body.

14. Puberty
Women
• On set of ovulation and
menstrual cycle
• Development of wider hips,
breasts
• Changes in body fat
distribution that changes
body shape
• Growth of body hair
Men
• Maturation of sexual organs
and begin production of
sperm.
• Body changes to have more
muscle mass, broader
shoulders.
• Voice deepens, body and
facial hair

15. Cognitive Development: Piaget’s
Stages
• Formal Operation Stage:
– Begins early in adolescence and matures
throughout early adulthood
– Marked by a grasp of abstract concepts, higher-
order logical reasoning.
– Can problem solve in several dimensions, and/or
without physical representations.
– Can make predictions and inferences based on
new knowledge and past experience.

16. Socioemotional Development: Erikson's
Task
• Identity Vs. Role Confusion
– Uses peer group to explore sense of self
– May feel need to assert that they are different from
parents, etc.
– Seek approval of peers
– Self expression is important to establish identity.
– Those who do not successfully establish and settle
into self identity may have issues making confident
decisions about the future, relationships, etc. due to
lack of confidence.
– This all builds on tasks from earlier in childhood.

17. Socioemotional Development: Kohlberg’s
Stages
• By mid to late adolescence, will reach the
stage of Conventional Moral Reasoning:
– At this point, the person has internalized some of
societies and caregivers expectations of behavior
– Recognize the failure to act morally leads to
difficulty socially.
– Begin to understand how greater social structure
and function relies on law and order.

18. Socioemotional Development: Peer
Relationships and Sexuality
• Mixed gender peer interaction becomes more
common throughout adolescence.
– Seek approval from peers, both same and
opposite gender.
• Biology (puberty) creates a natural
development of sexual attraction.
– Orientation usually becomes evident at this point.

19. Speed Bumps in Adolescence
• Body Image Issues:
– Rapid changes and need for
peer approval often creates
self consciousness with
appearance that can lead to
problems.
– May feel shame/confusion
related to new sexual
feelings.
• Independence/Dependence
Balance:
– Conflict with caregivers over
boundaries, self expression
are common. Must find
medium between parental
control and independence
• High Risk Behavior:
– Especially in people with poor
self image or week identity,
tend to engage in riskier
activity.
– Made worse by adolescences'
inability to accurately assess
risk.

20. Health Concerns
• Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle
are still important.
– Modeled at home.
– Eating disorders are most
common in young women with
poor self esteem.
• Safety: high risk behavior is
common, especially with cars
and recreational activities.
– Studies show that teens are not
able to accurately assess risk
until early twenties.
– Teens have a high rate of
depression and suicide (closely
related to social setting and self
esteem).
• Social and Sexual Behavior:
– Also related to high risk
behavior.
– Teens are likely to
experiment with
substances, high risk
sexual behavior
(unprotected) without
considering consequences.
– Studies show adequate
adult/role model guidance
and support will reduce
pressure felt to conform to
these behaviors. Also
those with low self esteem
are more likely to engage.

21. Transition to Young Adulthood
• Prolonged in our culture:
– Adult children often remain financially dependent on
parents well into twenties.
– May not move out of parents home until marriage.
• Transition is gradual:
– Small steps such as getting a job, moving in with a
room mate, graduating from college, getting married,
etc. are ways that we slow loosen our connection with
childhood “home” and build our own “home.”