Between the ages of 11 and 18, young people cross the great divide between
childhood and adulthood.
This crossing encompasses all three domains of development—physical,
cognitive, and psychosocial.
Physical development
The beginning of Module 4 focuses on the dramatic changes that occur in
the bio-social domain, beginning with puberty and the growth spurt.
The biosocial metamorphosis of the adolescent is discussed in detail,
with emphasis on factors that affect the age of puberty, sexual
maturation, and changes in body rhythms. Although adolescence is, in many
ways, a healthy time of life, the text also addresses two health hazards
that affect many adolescents: sex too early and sexually transmitted
illnesses.
Cognitive Development
Module 4 (Chapter 9) also describes the cognitive advances and
limitations of adolescence. With the attainment of formal operational
thought, the developing person becomes able to think in an adult way—that
is, to be logical, to think in terms of possibilities, and to reason
scientifically and abstractly. Neurological development is the basis of
these new developments.
Although brain areas dedicated to emotional arousal mature before those
dedicated to emotional regulation, ongoing myelination enables faster
and deeper thinking.
Even those who reach the stage of formal operational thought spend much
of their time thinking at fewer advanced levels. The discussion of
adolescent egocentrism supports this generalization in showing that
adolescents have difficulty thinking rationally about themselves and
their immediate experiences. Adolescent egocentrism makes them see
themselves as psychologically unique and more socially significant than
they really are.
The second section of the module (chapter 9) also explores teaching and
learning in middle school and high school. As adolescents enter secondary
school, their grades often suffer and their level of participation
decreases. The rigid behavioral demands and intensified competition of
most secondary schools do not, unfortunately, provide a supportive
learning environment for adolescents. Motivation theories are also
discussed in the module as extra materials.
