Application: Effects of Physical Development on Adolescents


You probably noted from the Learning Resources this week the interrelationship between the processes and constructs of development, in relation to adolescent development. Cognitive changes, including hypothetico-deductive reasoning, metacognitive skills, and more complex forms of thinking impact how an adolescent perceives and reacts to the world. Higher-order thinking contributes to how romantic and peer relationships are established and maintained.

Think back to your experiences as an adolescent and the feelings and thoughts you had regarding your developing body. How did your burgeoning cognitive abilities impact your adjustment to the effects of puberty? Did the imaginary audience and personal fable have any impact on your behavior and beliefs? Keep these questions in mind as you examine the effects of physical development on adolescents.

The assignment: (3–4 pages)

Create a case study/scenario of an adolescent of either gender in which you describe the person, the physical changes he or she experiences, and the effect of those changes on his or her sexuality, relationships, and self-concept.Describe the culture of the individual in the scenario and explain the influences of culture on the development of adolescence.Be specific and justify your response with citations from the Learning Resources to support the information embedded in your case study/scenario.

Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.