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Course Overview

Session 5

Session 6: Middle-Adolescence, 15-17

Jeffery Smith, MD

Characteristics of Middle Adolescence

Theme: Competence & Confidence as Adolescents

Physical Maturation:

Full stature almost attained
Testosterone >> physical drive
Sleep requirements reaching adult
Puberty: Girls become able to bear children
Boys take on muscle mass

Sexuality:

Sexuality is a MAJOR preoccupation
Concern with personal appearance.
Experience further sexual maturation and explore issues of sexual identity
Develop feelings of sexual attraction and think about an appropriate person to love

Emotional/Social Changes:

Often challenge limits.
Increased interest in the opposite sex
Decreased conflict with parents
Increased independence from parents
Deeper capacity for caring and sharing and the development of more intimate relationships
Decreased time spent with parents and more time spent with peers
Intimacy with buddy gives way to girls
Moodiness for clearer reasons
Eats more meals away from home.
Tend to rely increasingly on similarity of values and shared interests to form friendships
Close friendships help youth with process of developing an individual identity separate from that of a child in a family.
Needs balance between time spent with adults and with peers.
Spend majority of time with friends, less time with parents
Cross-gender friendships become more common.
Common conflicts over money, curfews, chores, appearance, and activities with peers.
Sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, thoughts of suicide, and other problems (Note: Problems at school, alcohol and drug use, and other disorders can also lead to feelings of sadness or hopelessness.)

Mental/Cognitive Changes:

Thinking is more mature and complex.
May disagree more about everyday issues.
More defined work habits
More concern about future educational and vocational plans
Increase their hypothetical reasoning abilities
Can consider facts and make good decisions.
Refine interests and aptitudes, gain proficiency in one or more activities
Spurt of creativity

Moral Development & Engagement with Future:

Greater ability to sense right and wrong
Exhibit greater complexity of moral reasoning, including abstract principles such as unselfishness and altruismConduct increasing future planning
Describe themselves in more varied ways and struggle with the concept of a "real self"
For some, increased ability to empathize with others; greater vulnerability to worrying, depression, and concern for others, especially among girls.
Many show an increase in responsible behaviors.
Improved ability to see parents as individuals and take their perspectives into account.
Most maintain good relationship with parents.
Conflicts with parents often decreases with age.
Rely on friendships and peers to affirm "who they are"
Feel pressure to answer questions about their future
Greater interest in taking on "adult-type" responsibilities (own checking account, doing own laundry, buying own clothes, cooking meals, making repairs, etc.).
Commonly makes most of own decisions, preparing for eventual family.
Peers help youth explore and develop own identity.

Limitations:

Experimentation
Little concept of cause and effect
Omnipotence & invulnerability
Rebelliousness
Sensitive to criticism.
Continue to benefit from some parental limits and monitoring, while often objecting to them.
Need parental respect and acceptance of maturity