Psych

 
 

In a 2- to 3-page paper:

• Create a scenario of an adolescent of either gender in which you describe the person, the physical changes he or she experiences, and the effect of those changes on his/her sexuality and relationships.
• Describe the culture of the individual in the scenario.
• Explain the influences of culture on the development of adolescence.

You probably noted from the Learning Resources this week the interrelationship between the processes and constructs of development, in relation to adolescent development. Cognitive changes, including hypothetico-deductive reasoning, metacognitive skills, and more complex forms of thinking impact how an adolescent perceives and reacts to the world. Higher-order thinking contributes to how romantic and peer relationships are established and maintained.Think back to your experiences as an adolescent and the feelings and thoughts you had regarding your developing body. How did your burgeoning cognitive abilities impact your adjustment to the effects of puberty? Did the imaginary audience and personal fable have any impact on your behavior and beliefs? Keep these questions in mind as you examine the effects of physical development on adolescents in this Assignment. Berk, L. E. (2018). Development through the lifespan (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

• Chapter 11, “Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence” (pp. 366-403)
• Chapter 12, “Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence” (pp. 406-432)

https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/science/article/pii/S1054139X14007599https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/science/article/pii/S0140197115002249 

 Use proper APA format, citations, and referencing. 

Physical Development of Adolescents

3

Physical Development of Adolescents

Effects of Physical Development on Adolescents

xxxx

Walden University

Create a scenario of an adolescent of either gender in which you describe the person, the physical changes he or she experiences, and the effect of those changes on his/her sexuality and relationships.

The Person and Key Period: An adolescent female (Alexis)

Alexis is a twelve-year-old female that has a nurturing and supportive family. Since she was born, she has been active in her church and enjoyed learning about Jesus and how Pentecostal Christians are to live. At twelve years of age, she is in the early adolescent stage, where rapid pubertal change occurs (Berk, 2005). Female or male adolescents’ physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and moral changes can occur dramatically (Office of Adolescent Health, 2019). Alexis would see the changes and possibly be embarrassed by the physical changes that are occurring.

Description of Physical Development

Physical changes are comprised of hormonal and developmental growth. Some of these physical changes are internal, while other physical changes can be seen or observed by others or are external (Office of Adolescent Health, 2019). When entering puberty, hormones are released that induce these changes that occur in both girls and boys. However, there is a difference in the levels of hormones released in each gender. An adolescents’ height and weight will increase, and they develop longer and stronger bones and muscles. Alexis will begin to exhibit mature female features on her body. Her breast will begin to grow fuller, and her hips will become wider. She will also begin to develop body odor, acne, and thick body hair, specifically underarm and pubic hair. Alexis may also be horrified or embarrassed when experiencing her first menstruation, which begins around this time. This embarrassment may cause Alexis to withdraw if she is not shown support and guidance from an influential or caring adult in her life (Berk, 2005).

Alexis’ menstruation is a sign that she has reached a stage of life where she can reproduce. She has reached sexual maturity. So, along with the development of her breast and hips that indicate sexual maturity, there is also the development of her internal reproductive organs: the uterus, ovaries, and vagina. In addition to physical growth, there will also be growth and development in the brain.

Description of the cognitive-developmental process

Growth in brain development that shows mature decision making and processing is called cognitive development. Consequently, as an adolescent, the changes that Alexis will experience will be related to her thinking and reasoning abilities. These changes that she is experiencing will help prepare Alexis for more adult-like thinking. Even though Alexis is maturing cognitively during adolescence, her brain is not yet fully developed. Therefore, she will still be prone to making decisions based on emotion rather than logic (Office of Adolescent Health, 2019).

Description of social-emotional developmental processes

Alexis’ brain development will still not be complete until her mid-twenties and cause her to continue to be susceptible to self-gratification, sexual, and other excitable impulses (Berk, 2005). These social/emotional deficits will cause Alexis to “responsive to excitatory neurotransmitters” (Berk, 2005, p. 373, Brain Development, para. 4). This means that Alexis will experience stress or pleasure more intensely. At no other time in her life is her sexuality experiencing such a drastic developmental change than in adolescence (Fortenberry, 2013). Alexis will likely experience strong sexual urges or desire and want to or will act on them.

She will also be more sensitive to social stimuli, such as peer pressure. Alexis will have difficulty managing her emotions and social situations. During this period, she may struggle to find or understand her sense of self or individual identity. Alexis, during this time, may experience moodiness or mood swings and could be triggered easily. Pubertal hormones and adverse reactions to discipline and stressful situations contribute to Alexis’ mood swings, which will strain her relationships with others, including her parents (Berk, 2005). She may also begin to act out negatively and desire to participate in risk-taking behaviors.

Influence of Culture

Alexis’ background is rich in Christian culture and beliefs. She attends church services every Sunday as well as Bible Study during the week. Decamp and Smith (2019) state that studies show that those who regularly attend religious services are less likely to engage in risk-taking or deviant behavior than those with just religious identification or non-churchgoers. She has been taught that risk-taking behaviors are unacceptable and could send her straight to hell. In her culture, they do not smoke, drink, curse, have sex before marriage, or watch shows or movies that promote the same. According to Widmen et al. ( as cited in Berk, 2015), adolescents who have been raised in an environment with supportive and nurturing parents who are open and willing to have productive conversations with their children are more likely to adopt their parents’ views. According to Berk (2015), when there are effective parenting and a nurturing environment where the adolescent is guided and monitored, the adolescent would be less likely to engage in deviant behavior.

Alexis is tempted to try different or risky things, just like any adolescent. However, since she was provided with a strong support system and spiritual background, she would be less likely to yield to temptation. Also, because her parents insist that she only associate with other adolescents with similar belief systems, she is not often put in a situation where risk-taking behavior is encouraged.

Conclusion Paragraph

A child’s entrance into adolescence can cause them to go through dramatic and rapid changes that they may or may not be ready to handle. However, with a nurturing, caring environment where they are given the necessary information to prepare them for it, they can emerge from it only slightly scathed as opposed to being damaged or completely overwhelmed by it due to lack of information and support. As for Alexis, despite being in an environment that is not incredibly diverse due to cultural restrictions, she may be less overwhelmed by her journey into adolescence than others.

References

Berk, L. E. (2018). Development through the lifespan (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

DeCamp, W., & Smith, J. M. (2019). Religion, Nonreligion, and Deviance: Comparing Faith’s and Family’s Relative Strength in Promoting Social Conformity. Journal of Religion & Health, 58(1), 206–220. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0630-2

Fortenberry, J. D. (2013). Puberty and adolescent sexuality. Hormones and Behavior, 64(2), 280–287. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.03.007

Office of Adolescent Health. (2019, October 25). Adolescent Development Explained. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/explained/