A Comprehensive Analysis of Human Development in Middle Adolescence

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of human development during the middle adolescent stage (ages 15-17). It delves into various aspects of development, including social, moral, physical, mental, sexual, and emotional changes. The essay highlights the increasing importance of peer groups, the development of abstract thinking, the emergence of sexual urges, and the struggle for self-identity during this period. It also addresses common challenges faced by teenagers, such as identity confusion, peer pressure, and heightened sexual urges, and suggests strategies for dealing with these challenges through increased parental support and guidance. The study concludes that while adolescence is a complex transitional phase, its challenges can be mitigated with proper support systems and understanding.

Running head: Human Development In The Middle Adolescent Stage
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE MIDDLE ADOLESCENT
STAGE

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Human Development In The Middle Adolescent Stage
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Middle adolescent stage...................................................................................................................2
Social and moral development.........................................................................................................2
Physical and mental development...................................................................................................3
Sexual development.........................................................................................................................3
Emotional development...................................................................................................................4
Challenges faced in this stage..........................................................................................................4
How to deal with the challenges?....................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................4
Reference list...................................................................................................................................6

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Human Development In The Middle Adolescent Stage
Introduction
Development of Human beings can be understood through a discussion of the
developmental stages they go through in their entire lifetimes. This study has particularly
focused on the human development in the middle adolescent stage. This stage has been chosen
because of the complexity that is seen in the people going through this developmental stage. For
this reason, various types of development such as social, sexual, moral, physical and emotional
development in middle adolescent stage have been discussed here. Moreover, some challenges
and solutions have been identified that are relevant for dealing with the people who are at this
developmental stage in their lives.
Middle adolescent stage
Many theorists like Piaget, Freud, Erikson and more have given their perspectives on the
various developmental stages of human lives and the age spans related to each stage. However,
in general, it can be said that the adolescence stage refers to a transitional developmental phase
that has been divided into three subsequent stages such as early, middle and later adolescent
stage. This stage is termed as one of the most complex developmental stage that is placed
between the stages of adulthood and childhood. Among them, the middle adolescent stage is for
those who are of 15 to 17 years of age (Allen, 2019). This stage is vital for both women and men
because their thinking, feelings and bodies go through various new changes. These changes
impose great effect on their other developmental areas such as social, moral and emotional
developmental areas. People going through this stage have just completed their ages of puberty
and face the consequent changes at this stage.
Social and moral development
At this stage, teenagers tend to become more conscious about their social groups such as
their friend circles. The need for friends of same age is seen at this stage so that they can share
their own interests and beliefs with others. For that reason, their friend circles or peer groups
become more important than their families in the middle adolescent stage (University Physician

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Human Development In The Middle Adolescent Stage
Group, 2019). In addition, attraction towards opposite sex grows vastly at this developmental
stage that allures them to get closer to people of the opposite sex. According to Psychosocial
theory of Erikson, teenagers, at this stage, suffer from the struggle between creating their own
identity and following their role models (Knight, 2017). From this confusion, the struggle for
self independence generates. On the other hand, people at this stage may go through serious
moral dilemmas where they either choose a peaceful life for themselves or choose to indulge in
many anti-social or deviant behaviours as well. For that reason, drug addictions tend to affect the
people going through this stage more than it does to other developmental stages.
Physical and mental development
Physical growth also differs from other stages because at this stage, boys go through
consistent bodily changes while girls face a slowed down physical growth. From a cognitive
point of view, people at this stage a new cognitive ability called the abstract thinking. This
change positively affects the teenagers to think about their life expectations, purpose of their
lives and more from a new angle (Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, 2019).
Some significant physical changes include voice change for boys, acnes for both boys and girls,
hormonal changes and so on apart from the usual weight and height changes. Moreover, various
mental abilities such as development of moral ideas, understanding of critical issues are
developed at this stage.
Sexual development
Sexual urges develop at this stage on a high pace. Consequently, both girls and boys are
generally tended to involve or show interest for involving in sexual relationships. The reason
behind this tendency is their quest of finding their sexual orientations or sexual identities.
Tendency of self simulation also emerges at this stage (Kar, Choudhury & Singh, 2015). The
urge for romantic relationship can be seen in many people belonging from this stage because of
their need for intimate relationships. The hormonal changes in boys and the starting of
menstruation cycles in girls take an important role in controlling the sexual urges of the people
who go through middle adolescent developmental stages.

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Human Development In The Middle Adolescent Stage
Emotional development
Two of the most significant emotional changes, occurred at this stage, are the emergence
of self-involvement needs and self independence needs. For this reason, it has often been noticed
that teenagers get detached from their parents or other elder members of their lives and get more
involved with their peer groups (Eiland & Romeo, 2013). Mental illness like depression, drug
addiction and more affect people of this stage more easily because of the emotional
vulnerabilities they go through at this stage.
Challenges faced in this stage
The people at this stage face a lot of challenges that either helps them to prosper in the
later stages or hinder their development from various areas. As mentioned earlier, the confusion
in creating self identity often affects the individuals in a negative way especially when they lack
proper guidance from their elders (Centers for disease control and prevention, 2019). On the
other hand, heightened sexual urge can be a reason behind unsafe sexual experiences, early
pregnancies and so on. Moreover, peer pressure can be seriously harmful for the teenagers and
they can lose their self esteem if they happen to be around wrong peer groups.
How to deal with the challenges?
However, this transitional phase of human life is highly complicated but still the issues of
this stage can be dealt with increased support from parents, peers and friends. Parents need to
give more responsibilities to their children who are going through this stage because it may give
meaning to their lives that they are searching for at this stage of development (Farley & Kim-
Spoon, 2014). Most importantly, elders need to help them finding their identities in order to
solve their dilemmas of their social role building.
Conclusion
This study has revolved around various aspects related to the developmental period of
middle adolescent stage. For this reason, significant development areas like social, mental,
emotional, sexual and moral developmental changes of this stage have been discussed here.

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Human Development In The Middle Adolescent Stage
Moreover, it has been found that the challenges faced by adolescents can be reduced by in
increased support from the parents and the friends.

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Human Development In The Middle Adolescent Stage
Reference list
Allen, B., (2019), Stages of Adolescence, Retrieved on: 23rd May, 2019, From:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/Stages-of-
Adolescence.aspx
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (2019), Adolescent Development, Retrieved
on: 23rd May, 2019, From:
http://www.amchp.org/programsandtopics/AdolescentHealth/projects/Pages/
AdolescentDevelopment.aspx
Centers for disease control and prevention (2019), Teenagers (15-17 years of age), Retrieved on:
23rd May, 2019, From:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolescence2.html
Eiland, L., & Romeo, R. D. (2013). Stress and the developing adolescent
brain. Neuroscience, 249, 162-171. Retrieved on: 23rd May, 2019, From:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3601560/
Farley, J. P., & Kim-Spoon, J. (2014). The development of adolescent self-regulation: Reviewing
the role of parent, peer, friend, and romantic relationships. Journal of adolescence, 37(4),
433-440. Retrieved on: 23rd May, 2019, From:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4021015/
Kar, S. K., Choudhury, A., & Singh, A. P. (2015). Understanding normal development of
adolescent sexuality: A bumpy ride. Journal of human reproductive sciences, 8(2), 70.
Retrieved on: 23rd May, 2019, From:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4477452/
Knight, Z. G. (2017). A proposed model of psychodynamic psychotherapy linked to Erik
Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development. Clinical psychology &
psychotherapy, 24(5), 1047-1058. Retrieved on: 23rd May, 2019, From:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zelda_Knight/publication/312932996_A_proposed_

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model_of_psychodynamic_psychotherapy_linked_to_Erik_Erikson
%27s_eight_stages_of_psychosocial_development/links/59ca76f20f7e9bbfdc36a80b/A-
proposed-model-of-psychodynamic-psychotherapy-linked-to-Erik-Eriksons-eight-stages-
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University Physician Group (2019), Normal Development: Middle Adolescence, Retrieved on:
23rd May, 2019, From:
http://www.wsupgdocs.org/family-medicine/WayneStateContentPage.aspx?nd=1603