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Erik Erikson
- Life consists of eight stages
- Each stage has a task that must be mastered for healthy development
- Children must deal with: issues of trust, autonomy, and initiative
- Main task of the adolescent stage is the search of identity
- Achieved by choosing and developing a commitment to a particular role or occupation in life
- Key aspect of adolescent identity development is identity crisis
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James Marcia
- Adolescent identity crisis arises as teenagers face decisions about their future work moral standards religious commitment political orientation sexual orientation
- four categories of adolescent identity status... move in and out of the various categories, from one to another
- four categories: identity moratorium, identity foreclosure, identity diffusion, identity achievement
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G. Stanley Hall
- Founder of the American Psychology Association
- Describes adolescence as a time of "storm and stress"
- Attributed the conflicts and distress some adolescents experience to biological changes
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Physical Development
Adolescence: ages 11 through 14
Middle adolescence: ages 15 through 18
Late adolescence: ages 18 through 21
Adolescent growth spurt usually lasts 2 to 3 years... which they will grow 8 to 12 inches in height
Girls: begin the spurt at age 10 or 11 and will we heavier and taller than boys
Boys: begin the spurt at age 12 or 13
- middle adolescence is when most boys will grow taller than girls
Calcium in the diet is important for proper bone growth
Adolescence begins with the onset of puberty -
Sexual Development
Primary sex characteristics: characteristics that are directly involved in reproduction
Secondary sex characteristics: characteristics that are not directly involved in reproduction
- hair growth
- deepening of the voice / rounding of the hips in females
Boys: hormones from the pituitary gland cause testes to increase output of the hormone testosterone
- voice deepens
- more muscle tissue
Girls: hormones from the pituitary gland stimulate the ovaries to secrete more estrogen -
Social Development
Cliques: peer groups of 5-10 people who spend a great deal of time with one another
Crowds: large groups of people who share attitudes and a group identity
Peer pressure increases in middle adolescence, peaking at age 15 then decreasing after 17 -
Identity Formation
Identity moratorium: a "time out" period
- teens delay making commitments about important questions
Identity foreclosure: teens make a commitment to foreclose other possibilities
- they adopt a belief system without closely examining whether it is right for them
Identity diffusion: constantly searching for meaning in life and for identity
Identity achievement: Adolescents have coped with crises and have explored options