Adolescence and Adulthood

Adolescence and Adulthood

Mariah Fauteux

April 27, 2014

PSY/202

Professor Victoria White

The psychosocial development stage during adolescence is called the identity-versus-role-confusion stage. In this stage, a person tries to determine what is unique about themselves; this is called their identity. A person in this stage who is confused about the most appropriate role to play may lack a stable identity, adopt an unacceptable role, or have difficulty maintaining close relationships. When I was younger, I went through this process. All of my friends were avid partyers and expected me to follow suit. I knew deep down that this wasn’t what I wanted to do at all but I also didn’t know what it was that I wanted to do. So, I went along. From the moment I arrived at the party until I got home, I felt out of place. I wouldn’t call myself one of the “goody-two-shoes” but I knew that this path wasn’t the right one, so I stopped going to parties. I faced so much peer pressure and ridicule because of this decision. In response to this peer pressure, I decided to find a new group of friends that were like minded. This was especially hard for me because we had been friends since our pre-K years, but it was an action that had to be made.

Adults go through physical, social, and cognitive changes. Some physical changes are aging, becoming less mobile, developing arthritis, etc. Some cognitive changes include memory loss and some possible forgetfulness. Some social aspects include isolation because of a possible death of their spouse and/or less mobility. They also have children and possibly grandchildren at this age so they may enjoy spending time with them.

The transition into adolescence is a time of biological changes as they attain sexual and physical maturity. Their weight and height increase rapidly and they hit puberty. The transition into late adulthood is the opposite of the adolescent stage of life. Although it is the peak of physical health, it...