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ADOLESCENCE
Adolescence, stage of maturation between
childhood and adulthood. The term denotes the
period from the beginning of puberty to
maturity; it usually starts at about age 14 in
males and age 12 in females. The transition to
adulthood varies among cultures, but it is
generally defined as the time when individuals
begin to function independently of their
parents.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Dramatic changes in physical stature and
features are associated with the onset of
pubescence. The activity of the pituitary gland
at this time results in the increased secretion
of hormones, with widespread physiological
effects. Growth hormone produces a rapid growth
spurt, which brings the body close to its adult
height and weight in about two years. The growth
spurt occurs earlier among females than males,
also indicating that females mature sexually
earlier than males. Attainment of sexual
maturity in girls is marked by the onset of
menstruation and in boys by the production of
semen. The main hormones governing these changes
are androgen in males and estrogen in females,
substances also associated with the appearance
of secondary sex characteristics: facial, body,
and pubic hair and a deepening voice in males;
pubic and body hair, enlarged breasts, and
broader hips in females. Physical changes may be
related to psychological adjustment; some
studies suggest that earlier-maturing
individuals are better adjusted than their
later-maturing contemporaries.
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
No dramatic changes take place in
intellectual functions during adolescence. The
ability to understand complex problems develops
gradually. The French psychologist Jean Piaget
determined that adolescence is the beginning of
the stage of formal operational thought, which
may be characterized as thinking that involves
deductive logic. Piaget assumed that this stage
occurs among all people regardless of
educational or related experiences. Research
evidence, however, does not support this
hypothesis; it shows that the ability of
adolescents to solve complex problems is a
function of accumulated learning and education.
SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT
The physical changes that occur at
pubescence are responsible for the appearance of
the sex drive. The gratification of sex drives
is still complicated by many social taboos, as
well as by a lack of accurate knowledge about
sexuality. Since the 1960s, however, sexual
activity has increased among adolescents; recent
studies show that almost 50 per cent of
adolescents under the age of 15 and 75 per cent
under the age of 19 report having had sexual
intercourse. Despite their involvement in sexual
activity, some adolescents are not interested
in, or knowledgeable about, birth-control
methods or the symptoms of sexually transmitted
diseases. Consequently, the rate of illegitimate
births and the incidence of venereal disease are
increasing.
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The American psychologist G. Stanley Hall
asserted that adolescence is a period of
emotional stress, resulting from the rapid and
extensive physiological changes occurring at
pubescence. The German-born American
psychologist Erik Erikson sees development as a
psychosocial process going on through life.
The psychosocial task of adolescence is to
develop from a dependent to an independent
person, whose identity allows the person to
relate to others in an adult fashion (intimacy).
The occurrence of emotional problems varies
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