There is not doubt that the mind is a complex thing. But just how complex it is and how does our mind evolve throughout the years? Adolescence is an important part of development. Not only is it physical development but it is also cognitive. The brain starts to understand more and starts growing and expanding its ideas and ways of thinking. Through puberty the adolescence is at risk for many problems. Whether it be delinquency, drugs, or anorexia.
Adolescence Brain and The Adult Brain
The adolescence brain and the adult brain are very different. Some might say that when teens reach the adolescence age they are a completely new person. An adolescence brain undergoes significant structural changes (Giedd & others,2012). The transition from childhood
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This disorder is one of the ones more common in adolescent girls than in boys. It is about 10 times more likely to occur in females than in males (Santrock, 2013). There are certain characteristics that someone needs to have in order to be diagnosed as anorexic. One of which is weighing less than 85 percent of what they should weigh, intense fear of gaining weight that doesn’t go down even when you do loss weight, distorted image of own body shape (Steward & others,2012), and having amenorrhea which is the lack of menstruation. This disorder typically beings in the early to middle adolescent years often following an episode of dieting and some type of stress (Fitzpatrick,2012). Mcarthy stated that the physical development that accompanies the adolescent years is more extensive than that experienced at any other time of life (aside from infancy). Many adolescences are at risk for anorexia because of their peers a recent research (e.g., Jones and Crawford 2006) suggests the important role peers may play in shaping adolescents’ feelings about their bodies. Friendship is an important role in the adolescence development. Sullivan (1953) stated that adolescents report disclosing intimate and personal information to their friends more often than they do with their parents. Although having friends can be a development advantage not all friendships are the same. This differs in that people keep different types of company. It is a developmental disadvantage to have coercive, conflict-ridden, and poor quality friendships ( Ali &Dwyer,2011;Poulin & others, 2011). Advantages occur when the adolescents have friends who are socially, skilled supportive, and oriented toward academic achievement (Rodkin & Ryan,2012; Ryan,2011). The positive relationships with peers is associated with lower levels of delinquency substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and bullying victimization
McMahon’s “Inside Your Teenager’s Scary Brain” discusses how adolescent’s brains are delicate and can easily affect their development in a good or bad way, depending on the individual’s experiences. According to Jensen, a Harvard neuroscientist and senior neurologist at two Boston hospitals, “teenage years comprise one of the brain’s most critical periods of development”. She parallels her experiences with her own children with observations of teens in general. With new research continuing to surface, studies illustrate how susceptible juvenile’s brain are and how this could generate different techniques on how society, parents, and teachers handle them.
While being a teenager, physical and mental development occur. During this time of mental development, the introduction of new emotions, habits, problems
Adolescence is a transition which has no fixed time limits. However, the changes that occur at this time are so significant that it is useful to talk about adolescence as a distinct period of human life cycle. This period ranges from biological changes to changes in behavior and social status, thus making it difficult to specify its limits exactly (Damon, 2008). Adolescence begins with puberty, i.e. a series of physiological changes that lead to full development of the sexual organs and the ability to breed and sex. The time interval that elapses begins at 11 to 12 years and extends to 18 to 20. However we cannot associate to a 13 with one 18 years. Let us talk about early adolescence between 11 to 14 years, which coincides with puberty, and after a second period of youth, or late adolescence between 15-20 years. Its extension to adulthood depends on social, cultural, environmental as well as personal adaptation.
Adolescence is transition between childhood and adulthood (10-20 years old). Adolescent experiences numerous changes in brain structure, physical growth, cognition, emotional and social development. Numerous academic disciplines such as medicine, psychology and sociology, etc. researched and proposed theories in attempt to understand these developments and their impact on adolescents. Any theory provides representative assessment of a person’s
Bee, H. and Boyd, D. (2001). Physical and cognitive development in adolescence. Lifespan Development. 3ed., 292-293.
It has been found that juvenile brains are not yet fully developed. The parts of the brain specifically still changing during the teen years include the brain circuitry involved in emotional responses and impulsive responses. Teen emotional reactions are intense and urgent (National Institute
The adolescent brain is in many ways much different than the adult brain. It processes and learns things much different than the adult brain. For many years scientists have been studying the adolescent brain trying to find out what really happens as children grow older. Scientist have found that teenagers (adolescent) process actions without thinking about the possible outcomes. Based on the technology these days our brains have been able to learn and adapt to new challenges.
Adolescence is a time when many teenagers are struggling to determine where they fit in the world. No longer a child, but not yet an adult, issues surrounding the decisions and rights of adolescents prove to be a difficult subject to tackle. Adolescents are gradually awarded various privileges such as the right to drive, smoke, and drink, meaning there is no clear defining moment when an adolescent is fully considered an adult. Because of this, research on adolescent brain development should be heavily considered when resolving issues surrounding the well being of adolescents.
Powell, K. (2006). Neurodevelopment: How does the teenage brain work? Retrieved November 14, 2011. Nature 442, 865-867| doi:10.1038/442865a
In 2007, Scientific American Mind published an article by Robert Epstein. In his article, Epstein raised the question of whether the teenage brain caused turmoil, or if turmoil shaped the brain. The author began by explaining a discredited theory that haunts teenagers today. It began in 1904 with G. Stanley Hall’s observation of adolescents who were left on the streets due to mass migration and immigration during the industrial revolution. Hall attributed the turmoil he observed to recapitulation, a biological theory in which adolescence mirrors the "savage, pigmoid" stage of evolutionary development (Epstein 2007).
Adolescence is a period of physical and psychological development from the onset of puberty to maturity. The adolescent is no longer a child, but they haven’t yet reached adulthood. Adolescence is considered people between the ages of 13 and 21. Puberty is the physical maturing that makes an individual capable of sexual reproduction. Puberty is important to adolescence because when a child hits puberty, that’s when the child is becoming an adolescent. Puberty is a big part of an adolescent’s life.
During adolescence, your brain has the most neural connections it will ever have I your lifetime.
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that is most prevalent in adolescent girls and young women. It is distinguished by the loss of at least 15% of the expected body weight (Long). The disease is characterized by the obsessive fear of gaining weight; through this fear, the person engages in dangerous dieting habits that prevent weight gain. According to statistics in 2011 anorexia is categorized as the third most common chronic disease among adolescents, in addition, eating disorders also have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness (Wilkins). Anorexia is a life-threatening disorder that I have only been slightly aware of. I was aware that anorexia was characterized by a serious amount of weight loss however, I never expected two of my best friends’ lives to be ruled by this disorder.
Casey, B. J., Jones, R. M., & Hare, T. (2008). The adolescent brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124, 111–126. Eaton Reyna, V.F. and Rivers, S.E. (2008).
Adolescence is the bridge between childhood and adulthood. It is the place in development for a transition. In this time period, adolescent’s social life and relationships develop. Social development occurs throughout a person’s whole lifetime. Social development in adolescence marks the beginning of independence, selective interactions, and conformity. This the time where family relationships can be put to the test as well as seeking independence and adult acknowledgment from parents. Due to the development of the brain in regards to plasticity, adolescences are discovering and trying out new things. They are also viewed as risk takers. Social development in adolescence is important because any decision can lead to future consequences. I decided