Class/section: FHS 1500-004

Your Name:
Lindsey Beyeler
Assignment: Observation #4
Background Information
Childs age:
14
Fictitious name: Liz
Location:
Hunter Jr. High School
Brief
Liz and I sat outside on a bench during the interviewing process. There were
Description:
several other students hanging around the school grounds, mostly chatting
with one another, playing on their phones, and snacking on food.
Physical Development:
Liz seemed well developed for her age as far as reaching puberty. When asked how she
felt about her self-image, she explained that she wished she was thinner like many of her other
girl friends. She referred to her body type as chunky and becomes frustrated with her failed
attempts at losing weight. However, she stated that she wanted to lose weight the healthy way,
rather than count calories and barf all the time. I asked Liz if she knew girls who suffered from
eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia (Berger, pg. 329) and was surprised by
her reply, So many. Its lame and sad. Girls join online groups for advice on the fastest way to
lose the most weight in the shortest amount of time. I may not be at my ideal weight and some
boys find it unattractive, but its so lame. Id rather be healthy. I felt it was really mature of her
to not follow unhealthy patterns just because some of her peers did it and that she had more self
worth. She seemed fairly confident with her body image (Berger, pg. 328) even though she
wishes she could have clearer skin and lose some weight. Liz had her bag by her side as we were
talking and I noticed tampons inside an open zipper which confirmed she had already started her
first menarche, or menstrual cycle (Berger, pg. 319). Liz had long brown hair that was styled in
big waves and had light streaks throughout. I complimented her on her hair and asked how she
styled it that way. She explained her technique and said she often gets compliments on her
hairstyles. She explained that she thought about starting a hair tutorial YouTube channel but was
too self-conscious. Theres so much competition to get enough subscribers for it to be worth it.
Ive uploaded a couple, but I want to lose weight first. YouTube comments can be so mean.
Cognitive Development:
Lizs comment about her self-consciousness and the pressure to lose weight before
starting her own YouTube channel showed me that her adolescent egocentrism (Berger, pg. 333)
was getting in the way of what she really wanted to do. She felt like she needed the approval
from her peers that her weight was appropriate to be able to give good advice on how to style
hair. When asked if she enjoyed school and learning, Liz made a scornful face and shrugged. I
guess. I mean, I get decent grades. But some teachers here suck. I hate math and my math
teachers an ass. His class is hard. I sensed that because Liz struggled with math that she
believed in the entity approach to intelligence; that ability is innate, a fixed quantity present at
birth (Berger, pg. 341). She rolled her eyes and explained that she doesnt bother studying in that
class and prefers to try and get answers to tests online or from peers. Liz explained that she

doesnt need to learn math because she wont need it later in life anyway. You dont need math
to go to cosmetology school. Liz received a text on her cell phone and smiled coyly as she read
and replied back. She apologized for the interruption, but that she just had to get that. Id been
waiting forever for [love interest] to text me back. Isnt he so cute? Liz then showed me a photo
on her phone of a young Hispanic boy wearing a ball cap. The reward area of Lizs brain (Berger,
pg. 350) when she received a text from her crush definitely activated observed by her smile,
blushing cheeks, and excitement to show me the boys photo.
Psychosocial Development:
Socially Liz explained that she doesnt really belong to a clique, which is a group of
adolescents made up of close friends who are loyal to one another while excluding others
(Berger, pg. 365). But I still have plenty of friends, she said. I think some people are just so
close-minded and shut others who are different out. Cliques are stupid. I make friends with all
kinds of people. Gay, straight, bi, black, white, purple, yellow, popular or not, it dont matter to
me. Liz also explained that her parents are very religious and dont like her hanging out with
peers who identify as gay. She said she and her parents bicker about it a lot and shes questioning
a lot of what her religion growing up has taught her. She was trying to find her religious identity
(Berger, pg. 357). She stated that one of her best friends committed suicide because he was
ostracized for his sexual orientation and her parents, just dont get it and dont listen. She
explained that the loss of her friend caused her a lot of depression and anxiety. She opened up to
me that sometimes she self-harms by cutting and occasionally drinks and smokes marijuana to
cope. I asked if she had spoken to a counselor to get help. She rolled her eyes and said it didnt
help. She explained that her parents wanted her to see someone who was of the same religion,
which only caused more depression. I expressed similar experiences of my own with sexual
identity, depression, and conflict with religious affiliations and my parents when I was her age. I
tried offering advice and healthier coping techniques to deal with the pain. She seemed to
appreciate this.
References:
Berger, K. S. (2014). Invitation to the life span (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.