PSYCHOSOCIAL

TASK
• Social coupling
• Career decisions
• Emancipation from parents
• Late adolescent developmental task intimacy versus isolation
• Socialization
SOCIAL COUPLING
• In early adolescence, individuals tend to dress and behave similarly to other members of
their peer group. Bullying behavior may be directed at individuals who don’t conform to or
associate with a peer group. Bullying behaviors should be identified, and the appropriate
interventions should be initiated.
• During adolescence, individuals begin to explore their sexual preferences and may question
their gender identity.
Encourage an open dialogue with adolescents to assist them to process their feelings and
establish their own identity.
Counseling maybe helpful to assist with family communication if the family is not
accepting.
CAREER DECISIONS

• The adolescent may be identify an educational and career trajectory during self-
discovery of personal positive attributes. This process may take several years to
achieve, and it varies for each individual.
• It is common for adolescents to seek and experiment with multiple roles before
reaching a decision that is rewarding.
• Some school-age children do poorly in school during preadolescence but, as soon
as they choose a career, show increased interest in learning as they come to see
education as relevant to their future.
EMANCIPATION FROM PARENTS
• Emancipation from parents can be a major issue during the middle & late adolescent
years for two reason:
1. Some parents may not yet be ready for their child to be totally independent.
2. Some adolescents may not yet be sure they want to be on their own.
• In many instances, the closer the tie adolescents feel with their parents, the more severe
can be their struggle.
• As long as parents are reasonable in their restrictions, the amount of noise being made
may be proof the ties are strong and separation or emancipation is not easy.
 Encourage parents to give adolescents more freedom in areas such as choosing their own
clothes or after school activities; at the same time, helps parents continue to place some
restrictions on adolescents behaviors.
LATE ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENTAL TASK
INTIMACY VS ISOLATION
• Developing a sense of intimacy means a late adolescent is able to form
long term, meaningful relationships with persons of the opposite as well
as their same sex. (Erikson, 1950, 1968).
• Those who do not develop a sense of intimacy are left feeling isolated; in
a crisis situation, they have no one to whom they feel they can turn to for
help or support. A sense of intimacy is closely related to the sense of trust
learned in the first year of life because, without the feeling that one can
trust others, building a sense of intimacy is difficult.
SOCIALIZATION
• Early teenagers may feel more self doubt than self confidence when they meet another adolescent with whom
they would like to begin a lasting relationship.
• Both male and female early adolescents tends to be loud and boisterous, particularly when someone whose
attention they would like to attract is nearby.
• 13 years old- Begins to experience “crushes” or infatuation with schoolmates.
• 14 years old- teenagers have become quieter and more introspective. They are becoming used to their changing
bodies, have more confidence in themselves and feel more self-esteem.
• 15 years old- begin to fall in love. However, many of these relationships are based on attraction because of
physical appearance.
• 16 years old- boys are becoming sexually mature. Both sexes are better able to trust their bodies than they were
the year before.
• 17 years old- they tend to have adult values and responses to events.