Adolescent Developmental Activity

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Adolescent Developmental Activity For this developmental activity, my mother and I went to the ''Philadelphia Mills'' mall with several teenager's. This included my fifteen sister Melinda and her two female friends. At the mall I observed the behavior of these three individuals. I also observed their behavior toward other adolescents in the mall. After my observation was complete, I recorded the behavior I had seen and compared it to several developmental theories and stages. According to the German-American developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, Melinda is in the ''adolescence'' stage. This stage consists of individuals between the ages of 12 and 18. Erik Erikson's theory is comprised…show more content…
For example, I noticed that Melinda was concerned about her physical appearance. Melinda had decided to purchase a push up bra so that she could display more cleavage. She also purchased similar clothing that her friends had purchased. For example, Melinda and her two friends bought short skirts. I also witnessed a social radius during my observation. For example, Melinda and her friends wanted to separate themselves from my mother. This event most likely occurred because teens usually connect more with friends. This event was also very important because the friendship Melinda has with her friends is a social relationship. According to Erikson's theory, Social relationships can help teens develop a sense of identity. For example, most people become friends with people who share similar interest. According to Jean Piaget's theory, there are four stages of cognitive development. Based on Piaget's theory, Melinda is in the formal operational stage. This sage is the fourth stage in Piaget's theory. This stage arises when an individual is roughly 12 years old and continues throughout adulthood. According to Piaget, this stage involves the capacity for abstract thinking. People within this stage are also capable of hypothetical and deductive…show more content…
During this period puberty begins and teens reach sexual maturity. Most females begin to form breast at this stage. Females also receive their first menstrual period during adolescence. This first menstrual period is known as menarche. Male adolescence at this stage often start to grow facial hair. It is also common for a boy's voice to become deeper. There are also things that both genders will experience during puberty. For example, both genders will begin to grow pubic hair and other body hair such as hair under the arms. Teens may also experience some form of

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