Adolescence involves significant physical, cognitive, and social development. Puberty brings sexual maturation between ages 11-13 which includes growth of sexual organs and secondary sex characteristics. Brain development allows for advanced reasoning and abstract thought. Socially, adolescents develop a stronger sense of identity and morality as they establish independence from parents and bond with peers. They transition into emerging adulthood between 18-25 where they live independently while attending college or working.

1. Adolescence
Module 10
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2. Developing Through the Life Span
Adolescence
 Physical Development
 Cognitive Development
 Social Development
 Emerging Adulthood
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3. Adolescence
Many psychologists once
believed that childhood
sets our traits. Today
psychologists believe
that development is a
lifelong process.
Adolescence is defined
as life between
AP Photo/ Jeff Chiu
childhood and
adulthood.
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4. Physical Development
Adolescence begins with
puberty (sexual
maturation). Puberty
occurs earlier in females
(11 years) than males
(13 years). Thus height in
females increases before
males.
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5. Primary Sexual Characteristics
During puberty primary sexual characteristics —
the reproductive organs and external genitalia —
develop rapidly.
Ellen Senisi/ The Image Works
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6. Secondary Sexual Characteristics
Also secondary sexual characteristics—the
nonreproductive traits such as breast and hips in
girls and facial hair and deepening of voice in boys
develop. Pubic hair and hair in armpit grow in both
sexes.
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7. Brain Development
Until puberty neurons increase their connections,
however, at adolescence selective pruning of the
neurons begin. Unused neuronal connections are
lost to make other pathways more efficient.
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8. Frontal Cortex
During adolescence neurons in the frontal cortex
grow myelin which speeds up nerve conduction.
Frontal cortex lags behind limbic system
development. Hormonal surges and limbic system
may explain teens’ occasional impulsiveness.
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9. Cognitive Development
Adolescents’ ability to reason gives them a new
level of social awareness. In particular they can
think about:
1. Their own thinking.
2. What others are thinking.
3. And think about what others are thinking
about them.
4. How ideals can be reached. Criticize
society, parents and even themselves.
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10. Developing Reasoning Power
According to Piaget, adolescents can handle
abstract problems, i.e., they can perform formal
operations. Adolescents can judge good from evil,
truth and justice, and think about God in deeper
terms.
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AP/Wide World Photos
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11. Developing Morality
Kohlberg (1981, 1984) sought to describe the
development of moral reasoning. Kohlberg posed
moral dilemmas, like “Whether a person should
steal medicine to save a loved one’s life,” to
children and adolescents and found stages of
moral development.
AP Photo/ Dave Martin
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12. Moral Thinking
1. Preconventional Morality:
Before age 9, children show
morality to avoid
punishment or gain reward.
2. Conventional Morality: By
early adolescence social rules
and laws are upheld for their
own sake.
3. Postconventional Morality:
Affirms people’s agreed-
upon rights or follows
personally perceived ethical
principles. 12

13. Moral Feeling
Moral feeling is more than than moral thinking.
When posed with simulated moral dilemmas the
brain’s emotional areas only lighted up when the
nature of the dilemmas were emotion driven.
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14. Moral Action
Moral action involves doing the right thing.
People who engage in doing the right thing,
develop empathy for others, self-discipline for
themselves to restrain their own impulses.
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15. Social Development
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16. Psychosocial Stages of
Development
• Each stage is characterized by a different conflict (task)
that must be resolved by the individual.
• Conflicts arise when the environment makes new
demands on people.
• The person is faced with a
choice between two ways of coping
with each crisis, an adaptive, or
maladaptive way.
• Only when each crisis is
resolved will the person have the
strength to deal with the next
stage.

17. Trust Vs. Mistrust (0-1yr)
• Infant dependent on adults to meet all
needs.
• When needs are met in consistent manner
the infant begins to trust.
• She/he has resolved the “conflict” of
discomfort by trusting that an adult will
help.

18. Autonomy Vs. Shame and Doubt
(1-3 years)
• Testing independence by
assuming more “self-
responsibilities”.
• “ME DO IT!”
• Child wants to do everything
for him/herself. (Feed, dress,
toilet)
• Adult needs to provide
guidance and support for the
increasingly independent child

19. Initiative Vs. Guilt (3-5)
• Child is ready to take initiative in
planning some actions.
• Wants to develop an idea and see it take
place.
• Adults encourage creativity and
support child in trying out
his/her ideas.

20. Industry Vs. Inferiority (6-12)
• Child must deal with demands to learn
new skills or risk a sense of inferiority,
failure, and incompetence.
• Important to help children set realistic
goals and maintain
motivation to reach
goals.

21. Identity Vs. Role Confusion
(teens-early 20s)
• Identity achievement reached through
“selective repudiation and mutual
assimilation of childhood
identifications.” (Erikson, 1968)
• Adolescent must achieve an identity in
occupation, sex roles, politics, religion.

22. Forming an Identity
In Western cultures many adolescents try out
different selves before settling into a consistent
and comfortable identity. Having such an identity
leads to forming close relationships.
Matthias Clamer/ Getty Images
Leland Bobble/ Getty Images
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23. Parent and Peer Influence
Although teens become
independent of their
parents as they grow
older, they nevertheless
relate to their parents on
a number of things
including religiosity and
career choices. Peer
approval and
relationships are also
very important.
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24. Emerging Adulthood
Emerging adulthood spans from 18-25 years.
During this time young adults live with their
parents and attend college or work. They marry
on average in their mid-twenties.
Ariel Skelley/ Corbis
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25. Adult Stages
• Intimacy vs. Isolation: Young adulthood, must
develop close relationships.
• Generativity vs. Stagnation: Middle adulthood,
must find some way to satisfy and support the
next generation
• Ego Identity vs. Despair: Late adulthood, sense
of acceptance of oneself as one is and of being
fulfilled.