Assignment: Effects of Physical Development on Adolescents

You probably noted from the Learning Resources this week the interrelationship between the processes and constructs of development, in relation to adolescent development. Cognitive changes, including hypothetico-deductive reasoning, metacognitive skills, and more complex forms of thinking impact how an adolescent perceives and reacts to the world. Higher-order thinking contributes to how romantic and peer relationships are established and maintained.

Think back to your experiences as an adolescent and the feelings and thoughts you had regarding your developing body. How did your burgeoning cognitive abilities impact your adjustment to the effects of puberty? Did the imaginary audience and personal fable have any impact on your behavior and beliefs? Keep these questions in mind as you examine the effects of physical development on adolescents in this Assignment.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review this week's Learning Resources related to adolescent physical changes and cultural influences.

For this Assignment: In a 2- to 3-page paper:

• Create a scenario of an adolescent of either gender in which you describe the person, the physical changes he or she experiences, and the effect of those changes on his/her sexuality and relationships.

• Describe the culture of the individual in the scenario.

• Explain the influences of culture on the development of adolescence.signment: Effects of Physical Development on Adolescents.