Stages of adolescence and its characteristics

The adolescence is defined as the period between 10 and 20 years, characterized by changes a whole series of physicists, psychological, emotional and social whose achievement and resolution will end with the adolescent's entry into adult life.

In this Psychology-online article you will find The stages of adolescence and characteristics of every one of them. We will also talk about adolescence theories, the definition established by the World Health Organization.

1. Stages of adolescence according to authors
2. Stages of adolescence according to WHO
3. Early adolescence
4. Average adolescence
5. Late adolescence

Stages of adolescence according to authors

G. Stanley Hall He is considered the precursor of the study of adolescence for his two volumes written on the subject: adolescence. According to the author, personal development was conditioned by genetically determined physiological factors. However, he acknowledged that in adolescence the influence of the environment was important. Recognized this period as a turbulent era that the teenager experiences as a new birth as being biological and social.

From this approach, theories that study adolescence are grouped into three groups based on what aspects they consider that they are more determinants in the development of this period: internal factors, cognitive factors or external or environmental factors.

Psychoanalytic theories

Psychoanalytic or dynamic theories consider that internal aspects are those that mainly mold the development of adolescence. According to these approaches, this stage begins with the resurgence of sexual drive, asleep during the second childhood, and that gives rise to puberty. This energy awakening causes an imbalance that will cause changes at many levels In the adolescent (physical, psychological and emotional). The transition through these processes of change and the progressive recovery of equilibrium throughout the three stages of this period will lead to the birth of a new being, with values, attitudes and life projects that will guide their entry into adult life.

Cognitive theories

Piaget He is the reference author in these theories. In them, adolescence is raised as an interaction between individual and social factors. Important changes are produced at the cognitive level, associated with insertion processes in adult society. Progressively develop the formal thinking that trains them to Reason autonomously and critically that will apply in your adult life.

Here you will find Piaget's cognitive development theory in greater depth.

Sociological theories

According to these approaches, adolescence is mainly attributed to social factors, external to the individual. Teenagers must consummate the socialization process through Incorporation of social values and the adoption of certain roles. If you are interested in the subject, you can read this article about moral values.

Stages of adolescence according to WHO

According to WHO, the adolescence It is the period that covers From 10 to 19 years and that starts with puberty.

The most important changes that occur during adolescence are given:

• Physical level: puberty and sexual maturity
• Psychological: Development of formal thinking and personal identity search. Here you can find more information about psychological changes in adolescence.
• Emotional: emotional conflicts and their resolution consequence of the changes lived
• Social: Consolidation of the process of socialization and development of new relationships

The adolescence of divide into 3 stages:

1. Early adolescence: This first stage begins at 10 or 11 years and extends until approximately 13.
2. Average adolescence: This stage of adolescence includes from 14 to 17 years.
3. Late adolescence: The last stage of adolescence covers from 17 to 19 years, since it can be extended until the age of 21.

Early adolescence

Early adolescence includes the first period of adolescence and begins with puberty around 10 or 11 years. This stage is characterized by being a beginning of the changes that will occur on several levels:

• At the physical level a wide variety of hormonal and physical and sexual growth changes (Size, bone mass, size of different organs and systems, widening of the pelvis in women and shoulders in men, development of sexual differentiation, etc.)
• At the psychological level, the Development of formal thought. For this new way of processing his information, the teenager stops identifying himself with childhood but is not yet accepted as a teenager.
• At a social level, it suffers a great social mismatch as a result of all the changes initiated.
• Emotional, adolescents can suffer many emotional conflicts for the situation they are going through at this stage. The family becomes a fundamental pillar to accompany the uncertainty that this period entails.

Average adolescence

This period begins around the age Relationship with your reference group. In this period the greatest Conflicts with the family, result of this des-identification along with the appearance of risk behaviors caused by the influence of the peers group. In the following article you will find solutions with examples for family conflicts.

Physical, psychological and emotional changes are not so steep at this stage.

Late adolescence

Late adolescence occurs from 17 years to approximately 21. At this stage, the adolescent progressively recovers the balance through the acceptance, assimilation and resolution of the changes and conflicts lived. Thus:

• At the physical level, the changes are significantly reduced and reach biological maturity.
• At the psychological level: new information processing capabilities are acquired through the development of autonomous and critical thinking that will allow functioning in your adult life. On the other hand, the adolescent manages to integrate a new image of himself, of others and the world.
• Emotional, manage to handle your emotions in a much more effective way.
• At the social level, the socialization process is consolidated through which the adolescent acquires New values, attitudes and roles that will guide their steps in their adult life.

This article is merely informative, in psychology-online we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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