Developmental (Physical , emotional and intellectual) and Psychological Characteristics of Adolescents

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Adolescents
Suresh Babu G
Assistant Professor
CTE CPAS Paippad

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Adolescence
• The English word “adolescence” comes from
the Latin word “adolescere” which means to
“grow to maturity”
• Adolescence is the span of year during which
boys and girls move from childhood to adulthood
mentally, emotionally, socially and physically.
• It is the period of development from the onset of
puberty to the age of maturity.

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• It is a period of transition when changes of
attitude and behavior are most rapid.
• Stanley Halls called this the period of
great stress and strain, storm and
strife.
• Holling Worth Calls this the period of
temporary insanity

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Characteristics of Adolescence
• Developmental Characteristics of Adolescence
1. Physical and Motor Development :-
 The physical growth reaches its peak and body
takes its final shape
 As adolescence draws to close, the arms and
legs gain their final length and size of bones and
muscles increase to the greatest extent possible.
 Growth and functioning of organs and organ-
systems reach their upper range and the glands
become extremely active.
 As adolescence draws to close, the somatic
changes and motor activity also attains its
maximum limit.

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 In this period individual attains biological
maturation which is accompanied by the
appearance of secondary sexual characteristics.
They are different in boy and girl.

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• There is growth of hairs under arms and around
genital organs.
• There is roundness of the breasts and hips
among the girls.
• Boys develop beared and moustaches on their
face.

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• There is a distinct change in voice among both
sexes – While the girls voice acquires shrillness
and become sweet, boys voice deepens and
become harsher.
• The girls begin to menstruate monthly during
this period and boys have nocturnal emission
accompanied by erotic dreams

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2. Emotional Development
Adolescents emotions are often intense,
uncontrolled and irrational.
Adolescents can express their emotional
feelings in relation to abstract things.

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They develop competencies to bear the tensions
in different social situations.
They develop an increased capacity for sharing
emotional experiences with others.
Too sensitive, inflammable and moody.

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3. Intellectual Development
 According to Piaget it is the stage of formal
operations, which is characterized by the ability
to think abstractly.
 Adolescents show increased ability to generalize
facts.
 There is an increase in the ability to utilize
symbolism in thought process.

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 The adolescent is able to use abstract rules to
solve a whole class of problems.
 The ability to deal with abstraction increases
during adolescence.
 His power of imagination, memory, critical
thinking and observation also increases.

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4. Social Development
• Adolescence is a period of establishing hetero-
sexual relationships.
• There is an increase influence of peer group
during adolescence.
• Group loyalty becomes very much pronounced
during this period.

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• Co-operation reaches its peak and the individual
is in a mood to sacrifice his own interests for the
greater cause of the group.
• During adolescence, a feeling of social
responsibility develops and the adolescent is
highly critical of social evils and injustice.

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5. Sexual Development
During adolescence, the sexual development goes
into three stages ad follows:-
 Stage of Auto-erotism –
 Sexual tendency manifests itself in self-love.
 Boys and girls fall in love with themselves.
 Self decoration and admiring before the mirror is
a common practice.
 Freud calls this the stage of Narcissus.

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• Stage of Homo-sexuality – Girls and boys are
attracted to the members of their own sex.
• Stage of Hetero-sexuality – During the later
adolescence, young men and women are seen
attracted towards each other.

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Psychological Characteristics of Adolescence
• Adolescence is a period of recapitulation – Many
characteristic features of earlier years appear
again
• The adolescent is intensely emotional.
• An adolescent is essentially a hero-worshipper.

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• Adolescent shows interest in physical
attractiveness and goes grooming.
• Self-consciousness is too much.
• There is a craving for recognition in adolescents.
• Sex-consciousness become too intense.

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• Adolescent exhibits exuberant imagination –
period of day-dreaming
• Peer group relationship is too much.
• There is a strong tendency of self-assertion ie,
prominent due to the new orientation sets in life.
• The adolescent wants to free himself from
bondage. Tendency to revolt against authority.

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• The adolescent is extremely passionate for
expressing own opinions and appreciation.
• A typical feature of adolescence lies in the
interest in ideals.
• Adolescence is the period of acquiring the
attitudes and values needed for effective
participation in society.
• Strong desire to achieve self-sufficiency.

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