Abstract
This paper explores development of adolescents and young adults by involving adjustments and changes, which can vary in people of the same age. While studying their developments, I have considered emotional, social, cognitive, sensory and physical processes and even their combination. For instance, when individuals enter the puberty period, they may feel some implications for personal development and personality in whole. Although during adulthood and adolescence there are a lot of developmental aspects, wide personal variations occur because of core issues, achievements and circumstances. For example, not all people can attain stages of psychological development in early adulthood. There are evidences of wide patterns’ diversity in development of adults and adolescents, yet there exist life choices, influencing their development. With age diminish some abilities, while others can be increased, so for successful aging young people should skilfully re-balance their opportunities and resources that will help them simultaneously to make their strengths and copy with their limitations.
The transition to early adulthood from adolescence is distinguished by intra-psychic and real separation from adolescent’s family and his involvement in phase-specific and new tasks such as development of young adult, establishment of working adult identity, becoming of psychological and biological parent and others. In this period of life there are a lot of important events: living independently, entering college or starting job, high school graduation. Childhood dependency issue in these years is resolved by an individual more sufficiently for establishing self-reliance and beginning the formulation of diverse young-adult goals. Eventually, all this results in formation of structures of new life that promotes continuity and stability. In this paper adolescence and early adulthood will be followed in terms of social, cognitive and physical perspectives.
Adolescence
The beginning and end of adolescence are not easy to exactly determine, because individual variation plays a big role while considering these both boundaries. At this age some individuals have relative sexual maturity, while other people can be still pre-pubertal. By late adolescence some people are responsible for their family and job, whereas other adolescents may be seen skateboarding near the campuses of universities without any responsibilities and being still unsure about their purposes in mid twenties. In adolescence a big number of people undergo growth spurt, which is a radical change. This change typically occurs in girls at the age of ten to thirteen; among boys- between twelve and fifteen. Also, to reproductive process contribute puberty’s transformations, as the changes occur because of adolescent’s developing body. During puberty the appearance of secondary characteristics of sexual character is one the important physical changes. In girls, rounding of body and subcutaneous fat begin to increase, the menarche starts and the breasts become bigger. In boys, scrotum, testes and penis start to enlarge, muscles strengthen and grow, the voice deepens and appears the pubic hair. Hormonal developments are important in consideration of such external changes, but across individuals markedly varies pace of development, mature form and size can be different. That adolescent, who matures early, looks like adult, while some insecurities may be experienced by late maturers.
Social world of adolescent changes fast; other individuals’ expectations and new opportunities as well as cognitive and biological developments are reflected in these changes. For most people during adolescence, much importance gains the gender, which is made more salient by biological changes. One of the consequences is that expectations of society concerning behavior, which is appropriate for each gender, become more powerful than before. In adolescence unacceptable and acceptable behavior is strongly considered by peers and parents - they become to be narrowing as the adolescent moves closer to his adult role. Girls and boys’ interest in sexual relationship is associated with high hormonal levels. In society, in which boys and girls freely interact with each other, sexual development is influenced by some factors such as sexual behavior of friends and parental attitudes. It is not doubtful that in life of adolescents the peers play a big role, as individuals spend a lot of time in their company and sense of identity mainly focuses on relationship with them. In some cases adolescents can receive negative effect from peers, leading them into dangerous experiment with sex and drugs, hostility to adult society and adults, and responsibilities’ dereliction as work in school. However, in regard to career decisions, antisocial behavior and moral values the peers have less influence on adolescents. In matters of using drugs among older adolescents the parental influence is less perceived than influence of peers. Evidences suggest that parents take part in adolescents’ selection of peers by discouraging or encouraging particular friendships. (Durkin Kevin et al., 2005)
Adolescence is a critical and sensitive period for development’s maladaptive and normal patterns. Thinking of adolescents is a function of cognitive, emotional and social processes. Maturation of brain occurs till young adulthood throughout adolescence. For understanding of psychological development of adolescents 2 issues are relevant. First, the development of brain occurs in those regions, which are important for regulation of emotions and behavior and for evaluation and perception of reward and risks. Significant changes are synaptic pruning and myelination, which enhance brain messages’ transmission and increase information processing efficiency. Second, change in motivation and arousal due to pubertal
maturation precedes regulatory competence’s development. In adolescence a ventral striatum, the reward center of brain, has much activeness than during adulthood. In late adolescence, for decision-making and self-centered concepts are used complicated thinking processes. Such concepts as patriotism, politics, history and justice occupy the thoughts of adolescents. At this stage, before decision - making people weigh consequences and think more independently. (Al Buhairan Fadia et al, 2012)
Early adulthood
Early adulthood involves struggles for development at the ages 26 - 35, it is a period of maintaining and becoming. During this period all of body systems and the organs are in peak of functioning. At maturation begins the aging, but age-related and measurable changes in aging can be seen at the age of thirty. At this time occur transformations in fertility, sensory capacities, body proportions and strength, losses and gains in motor skill and endurance. Among young adults in aging and physical functioning display a number of personal differences because of behavior such as diet, exercise and smoking, socioeconomic status, experience and genetics. In early adulthood the changes occur so gradually that not all people can notice them; most of them become apparent during middle adulthood. For example, because of hereditary baldness in their thirties men start balding or at the age of twenty in skin occur changes, which are virtually unavoidable and predictable. In thirties in most adults can be seen at eyes’ corners the crow’s feet and because of facial expressions on their foreheads develop lines. However, such elements as pollution, cold, heat and sun have an influence on skin aging rate. Throughout the twenties increases the muscle development and it peaks nearly at age of thirty. At thirty muscle strength begins to gradually decline, but till middle ages most of the individuals do not notice this. Bursts of strength and body coordination are required for their activities’ performance. (Kuther Tara L. 2007)
At the ages of eighteen to forty for people the primary conflict is not isolation but intimacy. Beginning in late adolescence this struggle takes place also in this period of time. Adult can be considered as healthy when he works and loves, therefore satisfying work environment and personal relationships during this period of time are essential. In transition to early adulthood young people work for being independent from parents and formulate the dream of their purpose in life. Dream formulation has some significance as it guides choices and efforts of individuals both in personal and occupational spheres. In the following substage (ages of 22-28) young people forge the pathway at their working environment and attain particular personal relationship, thus they enter adult world. Then follows transition by ages 28-33, in this period of time individuals have some degree of questioning self - they can review issues in their life, choices made by them and their dreams. At this point, people should more control their emotional and social development. However, a number of formidable tasks for development are faced by early adults. In this period most of the people have concerns about their careers launching, they study for gaining certain qualification or training at level to enter organization or job. They receive stress because of both unemployment and employment. In young adulthood in people together with necessity for closeness with other individuals develops personal identity’s sense. Now they can be considered as adult sexual beings as these people progressed through adolescence’s biological developments. Therefore, at this stage for most of young people becomes the priority developing and finding a number of partners or one intimate partner. (Wong Daniel W 2015)
During early adulthood, cognitive organization, strategies and capacities shift; from years fifteen to twenty five occur wisdom-related judgment and knowledge attainment. After age of twenty five starts to decline the fluid intelligence, but stabilizes the crystallized intelligence. With regard to social and emotional information processing young adults differ from older ones, because neural stability function increases till late adulthood. They have more sensitive reactions to emotional stimuli; negative stimuli reactivity and selectivity are increased. In this period they become more sensitive not only to negative stimuli but also to fears because of matured brain function, young people have the great ability for control of their emotional reactions. During early adulthood mental heath is diverse and complex, in prevalence peak the psychiatric disorders, however, young adults are overall optimistic and hopeful about their future life. At the ages 18-25 depressive symptoms decrease and well-being of individuals increases. (Tanner Jennifer Lynn et al, 2009)
In this paper I have considered developmental processes of adolescents and early adults with physical, social/emotional and cognitive perspectives. Even reaching the adulthood people continue to develop; challenges, guidance and opportunities have an impact on it. The changes, which undergo young people, occur not only because of capacities of information-processing and biological developments, but also they depend on education, knowledge bases and experience that we had in the past. Some researchers think that change is stage-like, others - gradual. However, a big number of factors should be taken into consideration, which influence development of adolescents and young adults, such as opportunities, accidents, random events or occupational and social world characteristics. Developmental issues should be studied for understanding of adolescents and adults’ behavior.
Al Buhairan Fadia, Rosawan Areemit, Abigail Harrison & Miriam Kaufman. (2012). Adolescent psychosocial development and evaluation: global perspectives. Complementary Pediatrics, 182-183.
Durkin Kevin&Schaffer H. Rudolph . (2005). Adolescence and adulthood. Wiley Blackwell, 204-208.
Kuther Tara L. (2007). Lifespan development: lives in context. Sage Publications, part VI (13).
Tanner Jennifer Lynn & Arnett Jeffrey Jensen. (2009). The new life stage between adolescence and young adulthood. Taylor&Francis Group, 41-42.
Wong Daniel W., Kimberly R. Hall, Cheryl A. Justice, Lucy Wong Hernandez . (2015). Counseling individuals through the lifespan. Sage Publications, 218-219.
