Adolescent Development Essay

Adolescent DevelopmentHave you ever wondered why people act the way they do, or have the interests that they do? Have you ever wondered how or why someone, maybe even yourself, has picked the career choice or life path? Have you ever been in a situation where you have said to yourself, “Wow what I just said sounds exactly like my mom or dad.”? There are many theories as to why you might have these questions or experiences, and most have to do with the process of growing up, or adolescent development. Some of the theories that will be explored throughout this piece will be nature/nurture, continuous/discontinuous development, and early/late experience and the interplay between them that occurs during this process. Nature vs. NurtureThe question

An example of continuous growth of an individual would be a baby learning how to walk. First the baby learns how to crawl, then stand up, then walk. As children grow into young adults, they first are able to learn concepts that are literal, however as they develop they are able to grasp more abstract thought. This would be an example of discontinuous development because they are based on stages of life, as opposed to the baby learning to walk which is a gradual process. (Boyd, 2003) According to Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson growth and development both mentally and physically are attained through separate stages. They did not share opinions on the finite processes of each stage; however they both held a discontinuous approach to development.(Dolgin, 2010) Consequently, regardless of whether you believe one process of development is superior over the other, foundations can be made for both and therefore they are equally relevant when it comes to adolescent growth.Early, Middle, and Late Adolescent ExperienceThe various stages of adolescence are a time where physical, emotional, social, and psychological developments are at their peak. This is a time where they go through puberty and make the physical change to adulthood, a time where they rebel against their parents in order to try and find a sense of “self” in life, a time where they rely on their peer relationships, and a time where their cognitive abilities

When it comes to the stages of adolescence, whether you align with the theorists that believe nature over nurture, continuous over discontinuous or vice versa it can be agreed that there is constant interplay between them that is undeniable. ReferencesAmerican Academy of Child and Adolescent’s Facts for Families. (2008). Stages of