Physiological Development

Challenges
 Concern for Body Image
This is a strong inclination for teenagers, particularly those in
middle adolescence, to be conscious of their physical appearance. This
is the time when they are most mindful of their physical image or body
figure.
Body Image is a person's perception of the physical aspects of the
self. It is how one perceives the self in terms of the physical self projected
to other people through the body.
  Excessive Body Fat or Obesity
Obesity is a body condition characterized by having too much body
fat. If not properly addressed, it can cause major problems, including heart
problems, hypertension, sleeping difficulties, breathing problems and
emotional problems.
Teenagers who become the subject of ridicule by their peers are
more likely to suffer from emotional disturbances. As a consequence,
they begin to acquire poor self-esteem.
 Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are psychological conditions characterized by having
extreme disturbances in eating habits.
3 TYPES OF EATING DISORDER
 Anorexia nervosa - characterized by refusal to eat.
 Bulimia nervosa - characterized by eating excessive amounts of food
and consequentially purging the body through
vomiting, exercising, or using faxatives ang diuretics.
 Binge-Eating Disorder - characterized by frequent episodes of out-of-
control eating. It is quite similar to bulimia but
people who have this disorder do not purge their
bodies of excess calories.
 Implications of Puberty-Related Changes
Early or late maturation in relation to puberty has certain effects on
the teenagers' psychosocial conditions during middle and late adolescence
stages.
The consequences of puberty timing are well discussed in the so-
called maturational deviance hypothesis. According to Professor Elizabeth
Susman of Pennsylvania State University and Professor Alan Rogol (2004)
of University of Virginia, this proposition asserts that young individuals
who are “off time(earlier or later) in their pubertal development
experience more stress than do adolescents.”
  Irregularity in Sleep Patterns
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adolescents tend to
sleep late at night and wake up early in the morning. This implies that it
may be natural for teenagers to experience difficulty in sleeping early in
the evening. These young people usually need a considerable number of
hours of sleep --about 8 to 10 hours-- for them to function efficiently.
Insomnia refers to the trouble a person experiences in falling asleep.
Narcolepsy is a type of sleep syndrome characterized by excessive
sleepiness during the day and disruption of sleep at night.
Sleep Anea is a type of sleep disorder characterized by brief
interruptions of breathing during sleep.
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
or
“night owl” Syndrome
Cognitive Development
Challenges
 Thinking, Learning, and Problem Solving
Adolescence brings to fore the “attainment of a more fully
conscious, self-directed, and self-regulating mind.”
Teenagers during the adolescence stage develop the skills to be
cognizant of their environment and utilize their mental faculties such as
reasoning, recollecting, and problem solving.
 Interpersonal Perspective Taking
Middle and late adolescence cognitive development is far different
from childhood and early adolescence development. The cognitive
processes in middle and late adolescence are confined to a single
perspective about the world. Cognitive processes during early
adolescence, on the other hand, are characterized by mutuality, described
as the condition of giving something back in return for what has been
received from a person.
 Idealism and Commitment to Social Causes
The sense of idealism among adolescents develops simultaneously
as the heightened level of self-awareness, uniqueness, and critical
thinking.
One component of identity achievement as identified be Erikson is
the so-called “Fidelity” (Kroger 1989). Adolescents usually experiment
with various roles and value systems until they are able to attain fidelity.
Through this, they develop sociopolotical responsibility and discover an
ideal person to look up to.
 Persistence of Sense of Immortality
and Invulnerability

Holds the adolescents believe themselves to be unique and special.

They think all their experiences are unique and not necessarily understood
by others. They likewise consider their feelings and experiences to be
special, and therefore no one can understand what they go through. They
trust that nothing will happen to them and that accidents happen only to
others.
 Learning Through Success and Failure
According to Jean Piaget, part of the cognitive transition of
childhood into adolescence is the development from “concrete
operations” to “formal operations”. During the middle and late
adolescence, teenagers are able to deal with ideas, concepts, and abstract
theories. However, it takes time for them to acquire the needed
confidence to use this skills. There are times they make mistakes in their
judgement. This is part of the challenge of the learning process for
adolescents.
Psychosocial Development
Challenges
 Searching for Identity
Young people continually seek answers to questions such as who
they are, where they fit in the world. This search can be influenced by
their family, school, gender, peer group, and cultural background.
According to Erikson, young people must resolve two life “crisis”
during adolescence. He utilized the word crisis to refer to a series of
internal contradictions associated with the eight stages of development.
For Erikson, the manner by which teens resolve the contradictions will
shape their individuality and personal success.
Crisis of Identity versus Role Confusion
Crisis of Intimacy versus Isolation
 Increase in Intensity of Emotions
The transition from childhood to adulthood is a period of turbulence
and stress. Constant adjustments to physiological and social changes can
cause adolescents to display inappropriate mood swings and emotional
outbursts. Their tolerance for change is indeed put to a test.
 Peak of Parent-Child Control Disagreements
At this stage, adolescents begin to concieve their idea of “ideal”
parents who are in contrast to their own parents. There is an evident
intermittent seeking and rejection of parental support. This seemingly
stormy relationship between parents and adolescents normally springs
from the need of teens to search for freedom, away from their parents'
conventional rules.
 Peer Group as Focal Point of Interest
Adolescents regard their peer group as their primary means of social
support, buffering the “separation” process from their parents. They
consider their peers as “everybody” who defines “everything”.
Adolescents at this stage continue to experiment with new roles and
identities. They also engage in risk-taking activities bolstered by their
persistent sense of invulnerability and immortality.
 Sexual Interest, Curiousity, Experimentation
and Partnerships
There are teenagers who try to engage in sexual activity out of
curiousity. Others do not and cannot draw the line between wanting to
have sex and just fooling around. As Oswalt further explains, teenagers in
certain instances experiment with sexual behaviors and unprotected
sexual acts, but still claim that they maintain sexual abstinence. These
sexual activities oftentimes lead to unwanted pregnancies, abortion, or
early marriages.
 Substance Abuse
Some of the reasons for substance abuse are curiousity, peer
pressure, rebellion, and relief from unpleasant emotions.
contact cement

cocaine

The use of these substances may be classified as abuse when a

person continues to use them to the point of causing serious personal
problems. The uncontrolled craving for these substances may cause
adverse effects on one's physical, mental and emotional health.
 Spiritual & Moral
Development Challenges
 Moral Reasoning and Decision Making
Kohlberg contends that the ability to provide moral reason becomes
more complicated and distinguished through the years.
Earlier development during childhood where a person's frame of
rational thinking is grounded only on individual points of views, moral
reasoning in adolescence is based on a valued understanding of other's
outlooks and circumstances.