6: Adolescence
- Page ID
- 384782
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Chapter Overview
Adolescence is a period of significant physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development marked by increasing independence and identity exploration. In this chapter, you will examine the changes associated with puberty, brain development, sleep, sexuality, and health-related challenges such as eating disorders and risk-taking behaviors. You will explore advances in thinking and reasoning, the role of education and work, and the factors that influence adolescent identity, self-esteem, and relationships with family, peers, and romantic partners. The chapter also considers contemporary issues affecting adolescents, including driving safety and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, education, and daily life.
- 6.1: Growth in Adolescence
- Overview of growth in adolescence, including overall physical growth and the sexual development and other changes associated with puberty.
- 6.2: Adolescent Brain
- Development of the adolescent brain in terms of interconnection and specialization. Changes in the limbic system, and their connection to hormonal changes from puberty.
- 6.3: Adolescent Sleep
- Recommended sleep schedules for adolescents, risks of adolescents not getting adequate sleep, and some reasons for why they may not get enough sleep.
- 6.4: Adolescent Sexual Activity
- Rates of adolescent sexual activity. Rates, risk factors, and consequences of adolescent pregnancy.
- 6.5: Eating Disorders
- Prevalence of eating disorders in adolescents. Classifications, risk factors, health consequences, and treatments for eating disorders.
- 6.6: Cognitive Development in Adolescence
- Overview of cognitive development in adolescence, in terms of Piaget's formal operational stage and information processing theories on cognitive control, inductive and deductive reasoning, and intuitive vs. analytic thinking.
- 6.7: Education
- Issues that may affect adolescents during the transition from elementary to middle school, and from middle to high school. Specific focus on high school dropout rates and causes.
- 6.8: Teenagers and Working
- Trends in and concerns about teenagers working, especially in relation to the school year.
- 6.9: Teenage Drivers
- Concerns regarding teenage drivers, including accident prevalence rates and trends over time.
- 6.10: Psychosocial Development in Adolescence
- Overview of various aspects of psychosocial development in adolescence, including self-concept and self-esteem, Erikson's psychosocial task of identity vs. role confusion, Marcia's theory of identity statuses, and Phinney's theory of the stages of ethnic identity development.
- 6.11: Adolescents' Relationships
- How adolescents' relationships with parents, peers, and romantic partners impact their psychosocial development.
- 6.C: COVID-19 Impact on Adolescence
- Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the adolescent age group, including detrimental mental health effects, increased stress on adolescents who are caregivers, and the reduced importance of standardized exams in college admissions.
Thumbnail: Teenagers laughing at their phone. (Unsplash License; Lesli Whitecotton via Unsplash)


