Adolescent Psychology
The physical signs of adolescence are obvious. Boys and girls start growing pubic hair during this time. They also get taller, with girls generally reaching full height by age 16 and boys generally reaching full height by age 18. Plus girls start having periods, and their breasts develop; boys have nocturnal emissions, and their voices deepen. From the perspective of adolescent psychology,
brain development during this period is particularly important. The areas of the
brain that allow teens to control behaviors and emotions experience significant development during this phase, as do the areas where risk and reward are calculated. Teenagers also gain the ability to think more efficiently due to changes in the myelin and synapses of the brain. All of these physical changes affect the way
adolescents think and behave. They develop sexual awareness and may become sexually active. As long as they are healthy, their bodies are stronger and more coordinated than ever before, allowing them to excel in sports. Teens have many opportunities as well as challenges related to their physical development. Adolescent
psychology can help them make sense of the physical changes they're going through, so they can deal with them positively. In addition to physical development, adolescence brings new ways of thinking. As teenagers develop cognitively, they gain the ability to think abstractly. Imagination and complex reasoning develop exponentially during this phase. Because of this, teenagers gain the ability to understand abstract concepts found in advanced math and begin to think more about ideas like spirituality and love. Abstract thinking also makes teens greater risk-takers because they feel invincible to harm. As they mature, they luckily develop stronger reasoning skills and can think things through logically. They develop the ability to judge things for themselves, so they can think through the possible consequences of an action in advance.
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