The document discusses adolescent development for males and females. It covers physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development during adolescence. Physically, puberty occurs earlier for girls than boys. Cognitively, motor skills and reasoning abilities improve. Psychosocially, adolescents develop independence and identity. Adolescent experiences vary by historical time period and culture. The document also compares the development of a 14-year-old girl who showed accelerated physical maturity but delayed cognitive skills to typical development norms.

1. Running head: ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT PAPER 1
Adolescent Development Paper
Adolescent Development is a time period of life where childhood ends and growing up
really begins. This time of development is different for females and males in many different
areas of their development. This paper will reflect the adolescent experience for both genders
along with an exploration into historical time periods, and cultural experiences for both genders.
Finally briefly discussing one adolescent teen that has compared norms to this stage of
development and shows accelerated progression at her current age.
Adolescent Experience (Males/Females)
Adolescence is a time when males/females leave the childhood era and transition into
young adulthood. During this time for both genders there are three distinct transitions that occur
physical development, cognitive development, and psycho-social development. Physically rapid
growth will take place in both genders. However, the most significant is with the “hormonal
changes beginning in middle childhood initiate puberty, on average, two years earlier for girls
than for boys. The first outward sign is the growth spurt. As the body enlarges, girls’ hips and
boys’ shoulders broaden. Girls add more fat, boys more muscle” (Berk, 2010, pg. 397).
During cognitive development motor performance is clearly enhanced during this time
for both genders where males are more progressive in this area than that of their counterparts.
“The physical transformations of adolescence include major changes in the brain. This sculpting
of the adolescent brain supports diverse cognitive skills, including improved processing speed,
attention, memory, planning, capacity to integrate information, and self-regulation” (Berk, 2010,
pg 399).
The powers of reasoning and deductive thinking also start to take form for both
males/females. Internal reflection is a part of this stage of life where figuring things out on their

2. ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT PAPER 2
own and understanding the process is strengthen. “hypothetico-deductive reasoning. When faced
with a problem, they start with a hypothesis, or prediction about variables that might affect an
outcome, from which they deduce logical, testable inferences. Then they systematically isolate
and combine variables to see which of these inferences are confirmed in the real world” (Berk,
2010, pg. 400).
“During adolescence, children explore their independence and develop a sense of self.
Those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration will
emerge from this stage with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control.
Those who remain unsure of their beliefs and desires will feel insecure and confused about
themselves and the future” (About.com Psychology, 2013, para. 1). As adolescence continue
through this stage of life one goal to reach is that of fidelity where striving into young adulthood
gives adolescents the ability to live by the standards set by society.
Historical Time Periods (Males/Females)
“Individual development is embedded in proximal developmental settings, which in turn
are determined by particular historical conditions that create historical changes on the life course,
but also evidence for substantial stability of a basic structure of adolescent development across
historical time spans” (Grob, Krings, Bangerter, 2001, para. 7). Historically people who were
born in the 50’s went through many different aspects of adolescents then that of current people
who are born in the 20th
century. Reality changes, and so does the way everyone is raised or
goes through their growth in life.
Structured pathways is another development in regards to adolescence and historical time
periods. “Sequences of social positions through which the adolescent moves is a pathway that
reflects institutional arrangements that both provide and restrict opportunities, channeling youth

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from one social position to another” (Adolescence, 2010, para. 7). Adolescence for both genders
are a constant changing of social interactions and forces which can reflect negatives and
positives for both. Depression and suicidal thinking are one form of negative issues that have
been reflective over all historical time periods for both genders. Positive aspects are growth
patterns in thinking and moving forward into young adult hood.
Adolescent Cultural Experiences (Males/Females)
Cultural Experiences are one influence that defines differences across the board for the
adolescent experience that can be directly attributed to the culture to which a persona is raised.
“Individuals in industrialized nations move through Kohlberg’s stages more quickly and advance
to a higher level than individuals in village societies, who rarely move beyond Stage 3” (Berk,
2010.). An example is that of people who are raised in a small rural areas where their morals are
directly affected by the cultural experiences of their people. On the other hand in a westernized
nation most people will be reflected of a nation based development that is reflective of the norm
in the world. Females and males both experience culture and it can affect both differently based
on the cultural environment they are raised in.
Compare Norms of Development (Accelerated or Delayed)
Comparing norms of development based on one adolescent that shows accelerated
development is that of a 14 year old girl who recently attended a summer fun program during
school break. I noticed that physically she looked like a 21 year old, she was very developed and
looked out of place physically with the other children her age in the program. However,
cognitively she was delayed where her ability to keep up with other children during activities
was lacked. In addition moral reasoning was another accelerated development that I noticed
because she was very intuitive when she wanted to figure something out and find ways to bring

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solutions to the table. A normal adolescent her age physically would just be developing and
showing signs of a young lady emerging, cognitively they stay at the same level with some faster
than others more so for the boys then the girls. Finally it is normal for this age group to have
developments with moral reasoning as the brain is developing more and giving light to new
ideas, new ways to look and things and the abilities to think things through with limited
guidance.
Adolescent development is a period of life that males and females take on many changes.
As this paper discussed these changes occur very different for females and males in many
different areas of their development. This paper reflected the adolescent experience for both
genders along with an exploration into historical time periods, and cultural experiences for both
genders. Summating a closer look into one girl’s developmental process as observed and
compared to that of normal development.

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References
Adolescence. (2010). Retrieved from http://what-when-how.com/sociology/adolescence/
Berk, L.E. (2010). Development through the Lifespan, (5th ed.): Boston, MA. Allyn and Bacon
Grob, A., Krings, F., & Bangerter, A. (2001). Life markers in biographical narratives of people
From three cohorts: A life span perspective in its historical context. Human Development
44(4), 171-190. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/224019182?accountid
=35185
About.com Psychology. (2013). Stages of Pychosocial Development. Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/psychosocialtheories/a/psychosocial_2.htm

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