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The term adolescence is derived from the Latin word “adolescence’ that means to grow to adulthood. Adolescence begins as a separate developmental stage at about the age 11 and ends at about the age of 22, the adolescence developmental stage can be distinguished based on physical and psychological characteristics and social roles. Adolescence is considered the transitional stage from childhood to adulthood that occurs between ages 13 and 19 (Santrock, 2018). But the physical and psychological changes that take place in adolescence can start earlier, during the preteen years between ages 9 and 12. Stanley Hall (1844-1924) is known as the father of adolescent psychology. He constructed a psychological theory of teenage development, and one major aspect of his theory was that this stage of life is characterized by ‘storm and stress” that most teens are by nature moody and untrustworthy.
The many physical, sexual, cognitive, social, and emotional changes that happen during this time can bring anticipation and anxiety for both adolescence and their families. Understanding what to expect at different stages can promote healthy development throughout adolescence and into early adulthood.
2. Cognitive development
Adolescents are found in the formal operational stage of cognitive development. They can understand and deal with hypothetical tasks. This is because they can pay attention and remember. During adolescence, teenagers move beyond concrete thinking and become capable of abstract thought. Recall that Piaget refers to this stage as formal operational thought. Teen thinking is also characterized by the ability to consider multiple points of view, imagine hypothetical situations, debate ideas and opinions (e.g., politics, religion, and justice), and form new ideas, Adolescents can deal with abstract concepts, They are capable of hypothetical deductive reasoning (reasoning from possible to real)
They have a good understanding of moral concepts, that is they can differentiate between what is good and what is bad or undesirable for society, they can reason scientifically: they are able to see the relationship between theory and evidence.
Cognitive empathy begins to increase in adolescence and is an important component of social problem solving and conflict avoidance. According to one longitudinal study, levels of cognitive empathy begin rising in girls around 13 years old, and around 15 years old in boys (Van der Graaff et al., 2013). Teens who reported having supportive fathers with whom they could discuss their worries were found to be better able to take the perspective of others. They can communicate with others and make decisions, they have increased their ability to understand, see relationships and solve problems of increased complexity.
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