Growth and Development: Teenagers 13 19 years - Essay Example

Growth and Development: Teenagers 13 – 19 years Developmental stage theories usually try to divide the development of a childinto different stages which are usually characterized by qualitative differences in behavior number of different views and theories have been propagated about the way in which psychological and physical development of a person proceed throughout the life span. However, in addition to individual in development, developmental psychologists generally come to the agreement that development usually occurs in an orderly way and in different areas simultaneously, a major controversy in developmental psychology argues whether development is continuous or discontinuous.

The psychologists who support the continuous view of development argue that development is a gradual and an ongoing change throughout the life span, with behavior in the earlier stages of development forming the foundation for the skills and abilities required for the next stage.The other group of psychologists view development as a discontinuous process and that development involves distinct and separate stages with different kinds of behavior occurring in each stage. This implies that the development of certain abilities in each stage, such as specific emotions or ways of thinking and reasoning have a definite starting and ending point.

Thus no exact time at which an ability suddenly appears or disappears. Thus even if some types of thinking, feeling or behaving may seem to appear suddenly, it is more likely that this has been an ongoing process for some time.Keywords: developmental psychology, continuous, discontinuousThe development stage of a teenager (Adolescence, 13-19 years)According to Erikson this is an identity versus Role confusion stage and the existential question is: Who Am I and What Can I Be? Thus development depends upon what they do.

This is a neither a child nor an adult stage and life is definitely getting complex as they attempt to find their own identity, struggle with social interactions and grapple with moral issues. Teenagers here are tasked to discover who they are, separate from the wider society and although some withdraw from responsibilities,(Erickson calls it “moratorium”).Another task here is for them to establish a philosophy of life and in the process tend to think in terms of ideals.Generally, teenagers will:a) PhysicallyBe undergoing a lot of rapid, irregular growth which may cause awkward, uncoordinated movements.

They are also very restless and experience fatigue due to hormonal changes. They also are very energetic and vigorous and thus require regular exercises.b) Cognitively Display a wide range of transition from concrete to abstract thinking. They are also developing intellectually, and prefer active over passive learning activities. Adolescents also prefer interaction with peers during learning, are often preoccupied with self and have a strong need for approval and may be easily discouraged. At this stage also, teenagers are inquisitive about adults, challenge their authority, develop an increased understanding of personal abilities and develop a capacity to understand high level or sophisticated humor.c) Socially Seek to become increasingly self-conscious, searching for identity, seeking independence, and responsibility and looking for new experiences.

They will also be thinking more about right or wrong and will mostly be influenced by friends or rather peers. This is also a stage where they may start developing and exploring sexual identity and communicating in different ways.Thus there is so much in common from Erickson’s argument and what other writers have said about teenage development.Unmet/Uncompleted tasks at this stageAt this stage, the teenager is still adventurous and they are out to try new things for example sex, drugs, and other ecstasy giving activities.

They are still not fully independent and have not yet decided what they want to do their lives. They have also not fully understood their bodies and the several changes occurring in them.Plan to assistThey should identify good mentors and mostly try to discuss with their parents the various issues they are facing. If they have already engaged in pre-marital sex or drug abuse, they can see a counselor or a reputable religious leader. They should also be encouraged to read books pertaining growth and reproduction and other motivational books that can be of help to them.

Work citedErikson, E. H. (1994). Identity, Youth and Crisis.Harder, A. F. (2012). Understand Yourself. Erik Erikson's Developmental Stages , 5-10.