Adolescent Development

This report summarizes different issues faced by young people at the time of adolescence development in the field of psychology.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
Adolescent Development
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Physical changes in Adolescence...............................................................................................2
Cognitive changes in Adolescence.............................................................................................3
Emotional Changes in Adolescence...........................................................................................3
Social Changes in Adolescence.................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................4
Reference....................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
The first characteristic change occurs in children at the time of adolescence. As they
move through teenage and adulthood, various transitions occur in their physiological,
cognitive and psychological behavior (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Adolescent Health research, 2019). Due to this rapid change, this phase in life often
appears as an unstable period. However, in this period of time children come closer to the out
of the box thinking and sincerely engage with different activity occurs around them. Along
with this, development of critical thinking among children is one of the most important
significance of adolescence (Beauchaine & Hinshaw, 2017). Numerous alterations occurs
during adolescence development, which have a serious effect on the child. This report
summarizes different issues faced by young people at the time of adolescence development.
Physical changes in Adolescence
As humans moves through teenage and adulthood, various physical alteration became
visible. However, not all the physical changes are visible; some occur internally (Simmons,
2017). Hormones (chemical messenger) are the major biological component behind the
physical changes. The common visible changes include growth of bones muscles, height,
weight, etc. Moreover, the significant changes in fertility such as first menstruation among
females and maturity of sexual organs in males are the most important function of hormones
in this period (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health
research, 2019). Parents should educate their children about the changes and encourage them
to accept the changes positively. Moreover, they should help adolescents by providing proper
nutrition and encourage them to participate in physical activity for adequate growth. There
are different factors, which can affect the physical changes, for example, genetic makeup,

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diet and nutrition, chronic illness, etc. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Adolescent Health research, 2019).
Cognitive changes in Adolescence
It refers to the changes in the human brain, which leads to critical thinking and
decision-making. Changes include the proliferation of new brain cells, which helps in
analysis of various information (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of
Adolescent Health research, 2019). Development of thinking skills is the important part of
cognitive changes. Advanced reasoning, abstract thinking, enhanced learning, and
metacognition are the four different cognitive skills developed during adolescence (Kilford,
Garrett & Blakemore, 2016). Parents need to take a step to support their children at this time
by asking open ending questions on complicated issues. Moreover, parents should encourage
the children to engage as learners and support them in the case of learning disabilities (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health research, 2019).
Emotional Changes in Adolescence
Hormones play an important role in controlling human emotions. In some adolescent
hormonal misbalance leads to a sudden emotional change. These changes are related to stress,
excitement, self-confidence, etc. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of
Adolescent Health research, 2019). Parents need to support these adolescents by providing
emotional support. It can help to resolve internal and external conflicts. Apart from that, skill
and anger management is necessary to control emotion (U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Office of Adolescent Health research, 2019).

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Social Changes in Adolescence
Society plays an important role in the development of adolescence. Expansion of
social circle occurs during this time, which leads to interaction with different people and
sharing each other’s thoughts (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of
Adolescent Health research, 2019). As a result, adolescents become aware of their social
responsibilities by evaluating each other thought process. The involvement of negative
thoughts may affect the social changes in adolescence. Due to a lack of understanding of
different situations, children may not able to judge each situation carefully. Parents can
support them by setting an example of a healthy relationship; they can monitor their social
circle and educate them to evaluate people and situations (U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Office of Adolescent Health research, 2019).
Conclusion
The growth and development of the human body require various changes. It is
important to understand the relationship between the factors and adolescents. Parents play an
important role to support the children in this phase of life. The changes may vary in person to
person; hence, it is important to understand the change-related issues at a personal level.
Adequate support and understanding of the issues related to adolescence can lead to the
proper development of a child.

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Reference
Adolescent Development Explained. (2019). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Adolescent Health research. Retrieved date: 20 July 2019. Retrieved from
from: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/explained/index.html
Beauchaine, T. P., & Hinshaw, S. P. (Eds.). (2017). Child and adolescent psychopathology.
John Wiley & Sons.
Kilford, E. J., Garrett, E., & Blakemore, S. J. (2016). The development of social cognition in
adolescence: An integrated perspective. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 70,
106-120.
Simmons, R. G. (2017). Moving into adolescence: The impact of pubertal change and school
context. Routledge.