Adolescence is a critical developmental stage that occurs between childhood and maturity. Individuals come across tremendous physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional alterations during this period (Divecha et al. 2017). In this reflective essay, I will analyse the developmental era of adolescence through the viewpoints of two key developmental psychology theorists: Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget. Additionally, I will evaluate my personal experiences and highlight how these ideas correlate with my adolescent journey.
The chosen developmental phase is adolescence, which regularly endures from 12 to 18 years. It is a time of significant physical, mental, and socio-profound change. Pubescence, quick actual development, and the advancement of optional sexual elements describe youthfulness. Hormonal changes are the root cause of mood swings and increased emotional sensitivity (Reisch, 2016). Adolescence is likewise a period of developing independence and the steady change from parenteral to confidence. Teenagers make progress toward additional opportunities and obligations, stretching boundaries and laying out their uniqueness (Megan and Gunnar, 2016). They might act in rebellion or take risks as a way to show that they are in charge. The development of long-term goals, aspirations for a career, and personal values and beliefs are all part of this stage.
Teenagers reach the formal operational stage, according to Piaget's theory, when they can think abstractly, participate in hypothetical reasoning, and evaluate various perspectives. This empowers children to secure refined critical abilities to think, decisive reasoning abilities, and the arrangement of their viewpoints and values (Reisch, 2016). Adolescence is socially defined by the establishment of identity and the pursuit of independence. It is a time of greater peer influence, romantic and sexual connections, and the yearning for autonomy (Cerny, 2016). Adolescents frequently want to define their own identities and experiment with various roles and hobbies.
Adolescence is characterised socio-emotionally by a heightened search for identity and independence. According to Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory, during this phase, people struggle with the psychosocial crisis of identity versus role uncertainty (Sanghvi, 2020). Adolescents strive to develop a cohesive sense of self while navigating the exploration of many roles and identities (Divecha, 2017). As adolescents seek to understand who they are and their role in society, they may experiment with various social groupings, hobbies, and values. Adolescents attempt to build personal friendships and love connections as peer interactions become more significant.
Several major events and milestones shape an individual's development during adolescence. Puberty, the discovery of romantic and sexual relationships, the pursuit of own interests and abilities, the formation of peer groups, and the progressive transition from dependency on parents to more self-reliance are examples of these.
Erikson asserts that identity and role confusion is the most significant adolescent crisis. This emergency features the most common way of fostering a firm self-awareness and building a particular personality that integrates different social and social parts (Maree, 2021).
As they try to figure out who they are and what they want to be, adolescents actively explore multiple roles and try out new behaviours (Abubakar, 2023). They practise self-reflection and self-disclosure, now and again testing their perspectives, values, and targets. The successful resolution of the identity crisis leads to the formation of a strong sense of identity, in which adolescents can identify themselves and their role in society with confidence (Valutyte and Gailiute, 2021). Failure to manage these crises, on the other hand, may result in role confusion, in which individuals struggle to develop a solid and consistent self-concept.
According to Jean Piaget's cognitive development hypothesis, adolescence corresponds to the formal operational stage (Oogarah-Pratap, Bholoa and Ramma, 2020). Individuals gain the ability to think abstractly, engage in hypothetical thinking, and evaluate numerous perspectives during this stage, according to Piaget. Adolescents can develop sophisticated problem-solving abilities, engage in critical thinking, and build their ideas and values as a result of these cognitive improvements (Chopra, 2022). Individuals in adolescents have more advanced cognitive capacities than those in previous stages. They can analyse complicated concepts, participate in moral reasoning, and think critically about a variety of situations (National Academies of Sciences, 2019). This cognitive development enables individuals to make more informed decisions, plan for the future, and have a more nuanced awareness of themselves and their surroundings.
When we examine adolescence through the lens of these developmental theories, we can observe the interplay between identity construction and cognitive growth. Adolescents actively explore various roles and identities while developing their cognitive capacity to think critically and abstractly (Orben, Tomova and Blakemore, 2020). Erikson's effective resolution of his identity crisis corresponds to Piaget's concept of teenagers using their cognitive skills to establish personal values, make decisions, and plan for the future (Phillips and Kauffman, 2023). This echoes my own adolescent experiences of actively investigating diverse hobbies, joining different organisations, and trying different roles (Jackson and Goossens, 2020). I questioned my principles and views, tried to figure out who I was, and eventually developed a deeper sense of self. Successfully managing this identity crisis enabled me to have a better knowledge of my identity and lay the groundwork for my future endeavours.
This phase corresponds to the formal operational stage, which is characterised by abstract thinking, hypothetical reasoning, and the ability to examine numerous viewpoints, according to Piaget. Adolescents acquire sophisticated problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and the ability to participate in reflective cognitive processes (Rogers et al. 2020). This corresponds to my own adolescent experiences, when I grew more capable of abstract thinking, questioning cultural conventions, and challenging established views (Negriff et al. 2020). I began to form my thoughts and viewpoints on a variety of subjects, participating in critical analysis and introspective thought.
Analysing adolescence with my own life allows me to observe how Erik Erikson's and Jean Piaget's theories correlate with my personal experiences and give insights into my development throughout this transforming moment.
Throughout my youth, I actively pursued many hobbies and roles, which aligns with Erikson's emphasis on identity building. I recall trying out several extracurricular activities, joining various groups, and dabbling in various interests. This time was defined by a great desire to discover who I was and what I wanted to become. Erikson's idea of identity vs role confusion reflects the core of my experience as I went through many social groups and behaviours in search of a clear sense of self.
I actively pursued numerous hobbies and roles when I was younger, which is consistent with Erikson's emphasis on identity formation. I evaluated a few extracurricular exercises, joining different gatherings, and fiddling with different interests. A strong desire to figure out who I was and what I wanted to be defined in this period. What Erikson would consider personality versus job disarray mirrors the centre of my experience as I went through numerous gatherings and ways of behaving looking for an unmistakable identity.
Moreover, in my journey, Erikson's hypothesis of identity development and Piaget's hypothesis of cognitive development overlap. I focused on making my identity while investigating different leisure activities and taking part in theoretical ideas. I scrutinised my standards, convictions, and objectives, searching for clearness and consistency in characterising myself. My cognitive development, which aligned with Piaget's thesis, as I critically evaluated my views and values helped me successfully resolve Erikson's identity crisis. During youthfulness, this combination of character development and mental development helped my overall turn of events and self-understanding.
In light of my own experiences as an adolescent, I can empathise with the significance of developmental theories in comprehending and explaining the complexities of this period. Erikson and Piaget's thoughts give a system for figuring out the issues, achievements, and changing person of pre-adulthood. They emphasise the connection between the drive for self-discovery, cognitive development, and identity formation.
The psychosocial theory of Erik Erikson and the cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget has been used to study adolescent development, providing important insights into the challenges, milestones, and changes that occur during this crucial stage of human development.
Erikson's hypothesis makes sense of the meaning of character advancement and the investigation of numerous jobs and personalities during youth. Successfully resolving the issue of identity versus role confusion results in the development of a strong sense of self and a distinct identity. Piaget's proposition stresses the mental upgrades that happen during youthfulness, taking into consideration conceptual reasoning, basic thinking, and the capacity to analyse many perspectives.
Considering my adolescent encounters, I perceive the legitimacy and use of these hypotheses. I actively pursued a variety of hobbies, tried out a variety of jobs, and questioned my beliefs and principles. Erikson's accentuation on character building is reliable with this. What's more, I encountered mental advancement, participated in dynamic reasoning, basic examination, and the arrangement of my perspectives, which is reliable with Piaget's proposal.
Overall, the methodology has expanded my insight into adolescence's transformational identity. It has offered a system for understanding the challenges experienced during this time, like the quest for personality, the investigation of various jobs, and the mental changes that happen. These thoughts have revealed insight into the intricacies of human turn of events, as well as the number of parts of advancement, like personality and cognizance, interlaced during adolescence.
I acquired insights and knowledge into the association of character development and mental development by grasping the speculations and pondering individual encounters. This approach has assisted me with perceiving the comprehensiveness of a few formative examples and adolescent achievements. It has also emphasised how important these ideas are for expanding our understanding of the processes of development that shape people at this crucial time.
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