Adolescence is the stage in life that lasts from puberty to full adult status. Adolescence largely describes the developmental change from childhood to adulthood, which is commonly perceived as the teenage years lasting between 13 and 19. However, the changes that do signal the beginning of the transition, both psychological and physical, can start during the tween or preteen phase (nine to twelve years). From evidence, adolescence can be a time of both discovery and disorientation; the period of transition can bring up issues of self-identity and independence. In that, many adolescents and their peers are faced with tough choices regarding sexuality, school, alcohol, drugs, and social life. Romantic interests, peer groups, and general appearance tend to certainly increase in significance for some time during a teen’s progression towards adulthood. Simply put, adolescence is a period of life that has specific developmental and health rights and needs. For the adolescents, it is a time to develop skills and knowledge, learn to manage relationships and emotions, and acquire abilities and attributes that will be essential for enjoying adolescent and adult life, as well as assume adult roles. The changes that do take place during the adolescence stage suggest a number of observations with implications for health programmes and policies. In that, adolescents need explicit attention, some adolescents are particularly vulnerable, and development during the adolescence stage has implications throughout life.
Theories of Adolescence
A number of theorists have provided different accounts to explain the changes and processes that mark the adolescence stage. While some researchers tend to focus on adolescence as psychosexual development, others provide a more generalized view of adolescence. Two theories of adolescence comprise the Sigmund Freud theory and the Edward Spranger theory of adolescence. In his theory, Sigmund Freud practically discusses adolescence in the context of psychosexual development. He agrees that individuals do undergo various experiences in the course of psychosexual development. Simply put, the emotional life of an adolescent swing between conflicting tendencies and moves between several personality traits during the period, sometimes showing tenderness and sensitivity while exhibiting insensitivity and cruelty at other times. However, Freud believed that the psychosexual developmental stages are genetically determined and that psychological and physiological changes are associated. In his theory, Freud also alleges that adolescence includes social, behavioural, and emotional changes and that emotional changes are related to physiological changes, largely negative emotions like loathing, moodiness, and anxiety.
On his part, Edward Spranger considered adolescence as a particular developmental phase with unique characteristics, and stage different from adulthood and childhood. Contrary to Freud, Spranger explains that adolescents can follow three different patterns in the course of their development. With regard to the first pattern, the adolescent experiences a kind of rebirth and sees him/herself as another individual on attaining maturity. Spranger believed that this was a period of crisis, storm, stress, and strain that leads to a basic change in personality. In the second pattern, adolescence is viewed as a continuous and slow growth process whereby cultural values and the ideas held in society are acquired gradually without any change in basic personality. The third pattern is characterized by self-control and self-discipline linked to a kind of personality that is struggling for power. The person knowingly improves him/herself, contributing to own development using objective and energetic directed efforts to overcome crises and obstacles. However, regardless of the theory selected, adolescence is presented a period of transformation with both physical and psychological changes. How an adolescent moves through the period determines their appearance and character well into adulthood.
Is Experience or Biology more Important in a Child’s Development?
The age-old debate of experience versus biology as a means to explain differences in child development is still alive today. The underlying question of the debate is whether genetic factors (biology) or environmental factors (experience) are more important in determining the development of a child. However, I personally believe that experience is more important in a child’s development. In line with Freud’s psychosexual development theory, early experiences play an integral part in shaping the development of an individual. Simply put, from the point of birth, sensory experiences play the initial role in the development of a child. Even though sensory information provides the very initial experiences, one’s environment exerts a prevailing influence over his/her behaviour all through life. The first interactions are normally with caregivers, parents, and family members, and the experiences that these relationships provide are long-lasting. In fact, the moral development theory postulates that morality in children is acquired through learning and by the time a child reaches the adolescence stage, he/she has become social and sophisticated. In this light, enriched childhood experiences impact a child differently as compared to less favourable experiences. Later on, experiences expand into the neighbourhood and at school, and with this, teachers and other children do influence the child either in a positive or negative way. Even though I do agree that biology plays a part in child development, I believe that experiences are much stronger in shaping a child’s personality to adulthood, and much stronger experiences can suppress some gene effects on personality. In that, the environment (experiences) that a child is exposed to, both at a young age and throughout the rest of life impacts how genes are expressed. For instance, exposure to harmful drugs at a young age can have significant impact on later development. Height is one trait that is controlled by biology. However, while the genetic code of a child might provide instructions for tallness, the expression of this trait can be suppressed if the child has chronic illness or poor nutrition, which are both experiences.
Major Developmental Changes Children Go Through on their Way to Adulthood
From birth to adulthood, children continue to grow. Developmental psychologists often divide child development into physical, cognitive, and psychological development. Similarly, Erikson’s theory divides lifespan development into different stages based on age and these comprise the prenatal, infant, child, adolescent, and adult development stages. At infancy and childhood, the body’s physical development is rapid, and young children also experience significant development of their cognitive and psychological abilities. The infancy period begins at birth and ends about two years of age. It is regarded as the period with the most rapid growth all through the human lifespan. During this period, human beings go from being reflexive and helpless babies to toddles who can reason and communicate. Specific physical milestones during the infancy stage include sitting up, rolling over, crawling, and finally walking. Cognitive milestones comprise increased sensory perception and awareness and early problem solving. Psychological milestones at the infancy stage typically include the development of a sense of self-awareness. During childhood, physical growth continues and rapid growth in weight and height is evident. Cognitive development enables for refined and advanced communication, allowing children to use advanced problem solving skills and logic more efficiently. At adolescence, several physical changes occur, including the maturing of sex glands and adrenal glands, and primary and secondary sexual features develop and mature. The adolescent brain also continues to develop, and this explains why adolescents do engage in increased emotional outbursts and risk-taking behaviours. The former is also accompanied by enhanced thinking abilities, as teenagers move past concrete thinking, largely becoming capable of abstract thought. In adulthood, physical maturation is complete, though cognitive development proceeds continually. Adult cognitive development is complex, with people moving gradually from active thinking to reduced mental ability.
