Psy102 Child Psychology Adolescence

Yuli R. Castillo

PY 102.ONL01.Child Psychology

Professor K. Felice

1/15/18

                                        Case Study: Adolescence

        In chapters 13 through 15 mainly focuses on “the period of life that serves as a transition between childhood and adulthood.” (Littlefield, pg 416). This stage is the last step before becoming an adult. The adolescence describes the years between ages 12 and 17, it can be considered the transitional stage from childhood to adulthood. However, during the adolescence stage the physical changes may occur either earlier or later between the ages 12 and 17. By this stage most teenagers physiological growth is complete, they are at or close to their adult height and weight.

In this case study, I will be talking about my friend Yasmin D.’s adolescence years. She is currently 21 years old. She is from Vineland, NJ and was raised only by her father Bryan. Yasmin D. is the only child, her mother had passed away when she turned 3 years old of age. For Yasmin D. it was hard for her to live without her mother especially, once she hit the adolescence stage. However, she was able to manage to understand the process going through it with her father, family, and friends. Yasmin D. experienced an early maturation “ physical changes of puberty occur in a child before these changes occur in the majority of other children of the same age.” (Littlefield, pg 419). She had hit puberty at the age of 12. Her grandmother had told her, that she hit puberty earlier than her mother did when she was younger. “During puberty, there are rapid increases in height, weight, and strength as well as changes in the amount and distribution of body muscle and fat.” (Littlefield, pg 416). Once Yasmin D. hit puberty she noticed many changes in her body along the way. She noticed she was getting taller, places in her body were growing, and realized she was becoming a young lady. Yasmin D. is about 5’3 ft tall and realized she was done growing after the age of 16. After she turned 16 she did not grow a inch taller.

The beginning of Yasmin D.’s adolescence years, she admits she had a different minatilty at the age of 12 then when she hit the age of 18. At the ages 12 through 15 she admits did not put much thought into or took her responsibilities and education seriously. Her father was able to notice how Yasmin D.’s personality changed and matured along the way. He believes what made her become more mature, was keeping a close connection with her and asking family and friends to guide and advice her with their own experiences. The formal operational stage is the final stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development. “The formal operational stage begins at approximately age eleven and lasts into adulthood. During this time, people develop the ability to think about abstract concepts, and logically test hypotheses.” (Littlefield, pg 415). Yasmin D. realized she was getting older and it was time to take situations more serious and realized that not everything was game. She took her education more serious, getting better grades and put thought into her future. She tried her best to do well, to be able to further her education after high school. Yasmin D. also was able to get herself a job and try take responsibilities on her own.