Human Development 

SLP3-1 
 
Adolescence  
(12-20 years old) 
by Coates and Reyes 
 
A. Physical Development 
Pubertal Changes 
1. What is puberty? 
Puberty is a flood of biological events leading to an adult-sized body and sexual 
maturity 
 
The Stanley Hall Perspective 
• cascade of instinctual passions 
• turbulent period compared to humans evolving into civilized beings 
• grounded in Darwin’s theory of evolution 
 
Sigmund Freud Perspective 
• the genital stage 
• dramatic and momentous 
 
Girls and boys 
• girls are advanced in development even from prenatal stages 
• girls enter puberty 2 years earlier than boys, explaining the stage when girls seem so much 
more mature than male counterparts 
 
Hormonal Changes 
• begins at ages 8 or 9 
• growth hormone and thyroxine increases body size and sexual maturity 
 
Estrogens and Androgens 
• MALES: release of androgen (testosterone) and a little estrogen (temporary breast 
enlargement for 50% of young boys) 
• FEMALES: menstrual cycle / adrenal androgens cause growth spurt / estrogens released by 
ovaries influence primary female characteristics and female proportions 
 
The Growth Spurt 
• at 14, girl is taller and heavier and is then surpassed 
• ending: 16 for girls and 17 1/2 for boys (boys grow for an extra two years, lengthening their 
legs) 
• long bones close with limbs closing first, which is why young people seem so out of 
proportion (opposite to cephalocaudal growth tendency of infants) 
 
In the Blood 
boys have more red blood cells (better ability to carry oxygen from lungs to muscles) 
 
Decline of Sleep 
 sleep goes from 7.5/8 to 10 hours, though adolescents need 9.2 
 
Primary Sexual Characteristics 
representative organs: ovaries, uterus, penis vagina, scrotum, testes 
 
Secondary Sexual Characteristics  
outside and serve as additional signs: breasts, underarm and pubic hair 
 
Menarche 
can be delayed in those with  
• low nutrition 
• low weight 
• extremely athletic 
• poverty stricken people and countries 
 
The Childhood Environment  
conflict in homes psychologically encourages a child to go into early reproduction, 
menarche adapts to environment and arrives early 
 
Brain Growth 

Although the adolescent brain is 95% the size of the adult brain and myelination and 
synaptic pruning is almost complete, there is a reason for the warped adolescent mind: brain 
systems sensitive to reward are mature, but brain systems that control behaviour are not yet 
mature. This makes us vulnerable to seek high risk activities. 
 
 
B. Cognitive Development 
 
 I. Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage 
 
Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning 
- When faced with a problem, adolescents start with a general theory that might affect the 
outcome, and deduce specific hypotheses about what might happen. Afterwards, they test 
these hypotheses for the best possible outcome.  
 
Propositional Thought 
- Adolescents can evaluate logic of propositions without referring to real world 
circumstances 
 
II. Information Processing 
 
Attention 
focused, relevant, can change based on demand 
Strategies 
effective, improving of storage, retrieval 
Knowledge 
increases 
 
 
Metacognition 
• expands for insights, gives us awareness of thought 
• necessary and central for abstract thought 
• central for problem solving 
 
Cognitive Self-Regulation 
moment by moment monitoring, evaluation and thought redirection 
Processing Capacity 
more information can be held 
 
-adolescent inability to distinguish abstract thoughts from reality- 
• imaginary audience: “I can’t go out like this, everyone will stare at me!” 
• personal fables: “No one understands me and I’m all alone in the world.”  
• illusion of invulnerability: “That will never happen to me. YOLO.” 
• geocentricism: “I can’t believe she got kicked out of school. Now I’ll have no one to talk to.” 
 
Adolescents will eventually develop realistic perspectives from these abstract thoughts 
 
C. Emotional And Social Development 
 
I. Erikson’s Theory: Identity Vs Identity Confusion 
 
Identity 
major personality achievement of adolescence defining who you are, what you 
value,  and what directions you choose to pursue 
 
Asking the question: what is true and real about the self? Remember: the self is the driving force 
of all commitments. Without a firm sense of self, adolescents are hesitant to commit to many 
areas of life for fear of realising later on that that is not “them” after all. For example, teenagers are 
afraid of experiencing intimacy unless they are certain of a true sense of self they can always 
return to.  
 
Some commitments driven by a sense of self include: 
• sexual orientation 
• vocation 
• interpersonal relationships 
• community involvement ethnic group membership 
• moral, political, religious, cultural ideals 
 
According to Erikson, young people who reach adolescence with a weak sense of trust will have 
no faith. Those with little initiative will be hesitant to explore, and those with no industry will 
struggle to find a fitting vocation. 
 
Identity Crisis 
Confusion and distress that adolescents experience as they experiment with 
alternatives before settling on values and goals 
 
what defined me as a child? + what new commitments have I made as an adult? = 
inner core of stability = refinement and mature identity 
 
Refinement and mature identity 
• identity confusion prevents intimacy 
• crisis to exploration 
 
Marcia’s Four Identity Statuses 
Not necessarily sequential, and progression in some areas may be faster than others. 
• Diffusion: “My parents want me to be a doctor and it’s overwhelming. So I play DOTA 24/7.” 
• Foreclosure: “My parents want me to be a doctor so I went to HSI. That’s just how it is. 
• Moratorium: “My parents want me to be a doctor. I think that’s what I want. But maybe I could 
also write books. And sometimes I want to be a K-pop star. I haven’t decided but I’d like to try it 
all.” 
• Achievement: “When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut. Then, I wanted to be a politician. 
So I learned about space, joined debates, and in college I tried out being a doctor. I liked 
debating, so I’ve decided I’m going to be a politician.” 
 
Moral Development  
Piaget’s theory of Moral Development  
● Heteronomous Morality 
● Autonomous Morality  
● Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Understanding
○ The Preconventional Level
■ Stage 1: The punishment and obedience orientation
■ Stage 2: The instrumental purpose orientation
○ The Conventional Level
 ■ Stage 3: The “good boy–good girl” orientation or the morality of interpersonal
cooperation
■ Stage 4: The social-order-maintaining orientation
○ The Postconventional or Principled Level
■ Stage 5: The social contract orientation
■ Stage 6: The universal ethical principle orientation

Environmental Influences on Moral Reasoning

● Child-Rearing practices
● Schooling
● Peer interaction
● Culture
 
III. Family and Peer Relationships 
 
Company affects mood 
mood is unstable because high and low points are determined by company 
High Points 
when with friends and significant others 
Peer Influences 
teenagers choose friends who share their values 
Peer Relations 
• we seek psychological closeness, or intimacy 
• self-disclosure increases over the years 
• loyalty extremely valued  
Close Friendships 
• give us deeper understanding 
• foundation for future intimate relationships 
• dealing with stress 
• improvement of school environment activity attitudes 
Low Points 
adult structured settings 
 
Adolescent Parent Conflict/The Gap and the Primates 
There is an apparent gap between the adult seeing their child as a child, and an 
adolescent with an adult body seeking adult things. This stage is actually the time wherein 
non-human primates leave home. Economic dependency, of course, prevents teenagers from 
leaving home at this age, and so physical departure is not possible. Instead, adolescents have 
adapted and depart from their parents psychologically. 
 
Rate of Maturation according to Berk 
 
Early bloomer boys (approx age 11) 
 
Confident, popular, relaxed, physically attractive 
More emotionally stressed 
In adulthood: rigid, conforming, discontented 
 
Late bloomer boys (approx age 15 or 16) 
 
Unliked, anxious, attention seeking, talkative 
In adulthood: independent, flexible, cognitively competent, satisfied 
 
Early bloomer girls (approx age 9) 
 
Unpopular, withdrawn, anxious, not leaders, deviant behavior 
In adulthood: Independent, flexible, cognitively competent, satisfied 
Late bloomer girls (approx age 15 or 16) 
 
Physically attractive, lively, sociable, leaders 
In adulthood: rigid, conforming, discontented 
Two factors affecting these results are 1) how well the adolescents boy fits in with cultural 
physical ideals, and 2) how well the adolescents body fits in with the bodies of their peers 
 
 
 
IV. References  
 
Berk, Laura. Development Through the Lifespan, 5th Ed. Needhman, MA: Allyn & Bacon; 2004
De La Salle Angelo King Medical Research Center. De La Salle Health Sciences Institute. City of
Dasmariñas, Cavite, Philippines.
Romeo P. Ariniego, MD Library Services. De La Salle Health Sciences Institute. City of
Dasmariñas, Cavite, Philippines

Kail, Robert V.; Cavanaugh, John C.. Human Development: ALife- Span View, 7th Edition; 2016
De La Salle Angelo King Medical Research Center. De La Salle Health Sciences Institute. City of
Dasmariñas, Cavite, Philippines.
Romeo P. Ariniego, MD Library Services. De La Salle Health Sciences Institute. City of
Dasmariñas, Cavite, Philippines..