Topic: mental development of a teenager. General characteristics of adolescence. Psychological development during adolescence
The social situation of adolescent development. Communication with peers as a leading type of activity. Features of pubertal development (anatomical and physiological features of development). The crisis of mental development in adolescence. Central psychological neoplasms of adolescence.
1. The social situation of the development of adolescents.
Teenage years- the period of completion of childhood, growing out of it, transitional from childhood to adulthood. It usually correlates with chronological age with 10-11 to 14-15 years old . The ability to reflect, formed in educational activities in the middle grades of the school, is “directed” by the student to himself. Comparing oneself with adults and with younger children leads the teenager to the conclusion that he is no longer a child, but rather an adult. A teenager begins to feel like an adult and wants others to recognize his independence and significance.
Basic psychological needs of a teenager - the desire to communicate with peers ("grouping"), the desire for independence and independence, "emancipation" from adults, for the recognition of their rights by other people. Feeling mature is a psychological symptom of the onset of adolescence. By definition, D.B. Elkonin, “a sense of adulthood is a new formation of consciousness through which a teenager compares himself with others (adults or comrades), finds models for assimilation, builds his relationships with other people, restructures his activities.” The transition of adolescence, of course, includes a biological aspect. This is the period of puberty, the intensity of which is emphasized by the concept of "hormonal storm". Physical, physiological, psychological changes, the appearance of sexual desire make this period extremely difficult, including for the most rapidly growing teenager in every sense. However, in the works of cultural anthropologists (M. Mead, R. Benedict, etc.) it is shown that in the so-called primitive cultures the adolescent crisis and related conflicts, interpersonal and intrapersonal, are absent. In these cultures, there is no polarization of the behavior and responsibilities of an adult and a child, but there is an interconnection; there is a gradual learning and transition to adult status through a special initiation procedure. These data disprove the hypothesis of biological conditioning, the genetic programming of the crisis, about its direct connection with the process of puberty.
At the same time, the so-called social factors. Until the 17th-18th centuries, adolescence was not distinguished as a special age period, this is relatively recent history education. In the 19th century many countries have introduced systematic schooling. This innovation has led to a significant increase in the period of economic dependence in the life of a child and to delaying the moment of accepting the roles characteristic of an adult. The boundaries and content of adolescence are closely linked with the level of socio-economic development of society, with the peculiarities of historical time, with the social position of adolescents in the world of adults and the specific circumstances of the life of this adolescent.
Adolescence, as a "transitional" age, fully unfolds only in industrial society where there is a great contrast between childhood and adulthood, a pronounced gap in the norms and requirements for generations of adults and children. In modern society, social adulthood does not coincide with the moment of puberty. The first identified adolescence as the time of the second, independent birth into life and the growth of human self-awareness. J.J. Rousseau . The main ideas that still form the core of the psychology of adolescence today were outlined in the work S. Hall "Growing up". Hall formulated the idea of transitivity, intermediateness of adolescence, period "storm and stress". He developed the content-negative characteristics of this stage of development (difficulty in education, conflict, emotional instability) and outlined the positive acquisition of age - "sense of individuality". K. Levin spoke about a peculiar marginality teenager, expressed in his position between two cultures - the world of children and the world of adults. A teenager no longer wants to belong to children's culture, but still cannot enter the adult community, meeting resistance from reality, and this causes a state of "cognitive imbalance", uncertainty of guidelines, plans and goals during the period of changing "living spaces". The development of the personality of a teenager was analyzed in a psychoanalytic way by 3. Freud. In adolescence, puberty, a surge of sexual energy shakes the previously established balance between personality structures, and children's conflicts are reborn with renewed vigor. E. Erickson considered adolescence and youth as the central period for solving the problem personal self-determination .
Often the entire adolescence is interpreted as crisis , as a period of "normal pathology", emphasizing its rapid flow, complexity both for the adolescent himself and for the adults communicating with him. D.B. Elkonin, on the contrary, regards adolescence itself as a stable age and singles out crises (pre-adolescent and in the transition to adolescence). Adolescence as a stage of mental development is characterized by the child's entering a qualitatively new social position associated with the search for his own place in society. Exaggerated claims, not always adequate ideas about their capabilities lead to numerous conflicts of a teenager with parents and teachers, to protest behavior. Even in general, a normal adolescent period is characterized by asynchrony, spasmodicity, disharmony of development.
In adolescence, there is often a tendency to behavioral reactions that are usually characteristic of a younger age (A.E. Lichko):
The reaction of refusal (refusal of household duties, study, etc.; the reason is a sharp change in the usual conditions of life, for example, separation from the family, a change in school; soil - mental immaturity, features of neuroticism, inhibition);
The reaction of the opposition, protest (demonstrative bravado, absenteeism, escapes, protest actions);
The reaction of imitation (an adult becomes an object of imitation, impressing the ideals of a teenager with certain qualities; it is typical for personally immature teenagers);
Compensation reaction (the desire to make up for one's failure in one area with success in another; if asocial manifestations are chosen as a compensatory reaction, then behavioral disorders occur);
Hypercompensation reaction (the desire to succeed precisely in the area in which the teenager reveals the greatest failure: with physical weakness - a persistent desire for sports achievements, with shyness - for social activities, etc.).
When interacting with the environment, adolescent psychological reactions actually arise (A.E. Lichko):
The reaction of emancipation (the desire to be released from adult care, which, under adverse environmental conditions, can underlie runaways from home or school, affective outbursts, antisocial acts);
The reaction of "negative imitation" (behavior in contrast to the unfavorable behavior of family members, as a reflection of the struggle for independence);
Grouping reaction (the desire to form spontaneous adolescent groups with a certain style of behavior, a system of intra-group relations, which, under adverse environmental conditions, can largely determine behavior and be the cause of antisocial acts);
Passion reaction (hobby reaction) (passion for sports, striving for leadership, gambling, collecting) are more typical for boys, while activities motivated by the desire to attract attention are more typical for girls; at the same time, intellectual and aesthetic hobbies - interest in literature, music, technology, etc. - can be observed in adolescents of both sexes);
Reactions caused by the emerging sexual desire (increased interest in sexual problems, early sexual activity, etc.).
2. Communication with peers as the leading type of activity.
The activity of communication with peers is extremely important for the formation of a teenager's personality in the full sense of the word. In this activity self-consciousness is formed. The main neoformation of this age is social consciousness transferred inward, i.e. self-awareness.
Communication with peers is the leading activity in adolescence. In communication with peers, they master norms of social behavior, morality, etc. .
Adolescence is characterized by important changes in social ties and the process of socialization. The predominant influence of the family is gradually replaced by the influence of peers. One of the most important needs of adolescence is the need for release from control and guardianship parents, teachers, elders in general, and in particular from the rules and procedures established by them. Adolescents begin to resist the demands of adults and more actively defend their rights to independence, which they identify with adulthood. But one cannot talk about the desire of a teenager to completely separate himself from his family. In addition to the conscious, purposeful upbringing that parents try to give and from which the teenager wants to "get rid of", the whole family atmosphere affects the child, and the effect of this influence accumulates with age, refracting in the structure of the personality. Therefore, the behavior of a teenager largely depends on the style of upbringing, which in turn determines the attitude towards parents and the way of interacting with them.
Despite the external opposition shown in relation to the adult, the teenager feels the need for support . Especially favorable is the situation when an adult acts as a friend. Joint activities, common pastime help the teenager to get to know the adults cooperating with him in a new way. Of great importance during this period are the uniform requirements for a teenager in the family. He himself more often claims certain rights than seeks to assume duties. The communication of a teenager is largely determined by the variability of his mood. Over a short period of time, it can change to the opposite
Communication with peers acquires absolutely exceptional importance . Communication with peers, which parents cannot replace, is an important channel of information for adolescents, which adults often prefer to remain silent about. In relationships with peers, a teenager seeks realize your personality, define your capabilities. Communication turns out to be so attractive that children forget about lessons and household chores. Success among peers is most valued. Evaluation of actions by adolescents is more maximalistic and emotional than that of adults, because. have their own ideas about the code of honor. Loyalty, honesty are highly valued here, and betrayal, treason, violation of the given word, selfishness, greed, etc. are punished.
Despite their orientation towards asserting themselves among their peers, adolescents are distinguished by their extreme conformity (compliance to pressure) in the adolescent group. The group creates a sense of "We" that supports the teenager and strengthens his inner position. It is very important that in their environment, interacting with each other, adolescents learn to reflect on themselves and their peers. And the interest of a teenager in peers of the opposite sex leads to an increase in the ability to single out and evaluate the experiences and actions of another, as well as to the development of reflection and the ability to identify.
Adolescence is characterized the dominance of the children's community over the adult. Here a new social situation of development is taking shape.
What becomes the main thing for a teenager at school? Children communicate, their relationship is built on a code of camaraderie, complete trust and the desire for absolute mutual understanding. During this period, educational activity for a teenager recedes into the background. The center of life is transferred from educational activity, although it remains predominant, to the activity of communication. The main thing happens at the breaks. All the most secret extra-urgent, urgent spills out there. An interesting system of relations with the teacher is developing: the place that the child occupies within the team becomes even more important than the teacher's assessment. In communication, the attitude towards a person is carried out precisely as a person. It is here that the assimilation of moral norms takes place, the system of moral values is mastered. Here is a conceivable and imaginary playing of all the most complex aspects of the future life. This opportunity to work through, to play out one's aspirations, one's joys together - in thought, in a dream - is of great importance for the development of one's inner life.
Mudrik A.V. notes that the need for communication with peers, who cannot be replaced by parents, occurs in children very early and increases with age. The behavior of adolescents, Mudrik A.V. believes, in its specificity, is collective-group.
He explains this specific behavior of adolescents as follows:
First, communication with peers is very important. information channel , from it, adolescents learn many things that, for one reason or another, adults do not tell them.
Secondly, this a specific kind of mechanical relationship . Group play and other types of joint activities develop the necessary skills of social interaction, the ability to obey collective discipline and at the same time defend their rights.
Thirdly, it is a specific kind of emotional contact . Consciousness of group belonging, solidarity, comradely mutual assistance gives the teenager a sense of well-being and stability.
At first glance, boys of all ages more sociable girls . From a very early age, they are more active than girls in contacting other children, starting joint games, and so on.
However, the difference between the sexes in the level of sociability is not so much quantitative as qualitative. Although fuss and power games bring great emotional satisfaction to boys, there is usually a competitive spirit in them, often the game turns into a fight. The content of joint activities and their own success in it mean more to boys than the presence of individual sympathy for other participants in the game.
Girls chatting looks more passive but more friendly and selective. Judging by the data of psychological research, boys first come into contact with each other and only then, in the course of a game or business interaction, do they develop a positive attitude, there is a craving for each other. Girls, on the contrary, come into contact mainly with those they like, the content of joint activities is relatively secondary for them.
From an early age, boys tend to be more extensive , and girls to intensive communication, boys are more likely to play large groups and girls - in twos or threes.
DI. Feldstein identifies three forms of adolescent communication: intimate-personal, spontaneous-group, socially-oriented.
Intimate-personal communication - interaction based on personal sympathies - "I" and "you". The content of such communication is the complicity of the interlocutors in each other's problems. Intimate-personal communication arises under the condition of common values of partners, and complicity is ensured by understanding each other's thoughts, feelings and intentions, empathy. The highest forms of intimate-personal communication are friendship and love .
Spontaneous group communication - interaction based on random contacts - "I" and "they". The spontaneous-group nature of adolescents' communication dominates in the event that socially useful activities of adolescents are not organized. This type of communication leads to the emergence of various kinds of teenage companies, informal groups. In the process of spontaneous group communication, aggressiveness, cruelty, increased anxiety, isolation, etc. acquire a stable character.
Socially oriented communication - interaction based on the joint implementation of socially important matters - "I" and "society". Socially-oriented communication serves the social needs of people and is a factor contributing to the development of forms of social life groups, collectives, organizations etc.
Research conducted by D.I. Feldstein, show that the adolescent's need for intimate personal communication is mostly satisfied (31% and 34%), the need for socially oriented communication remains unsatisfied in 38.5% of cases, which leads to the predominance of spontaneous group communication (56%), although the need for this form is expressed in a minimal amount.
Features of communication with peers from adolescence. Rituals in the communication of adolescents with peers.
Speaking about the secret world of communication of a teenager, it is impossible not to say about the rituals that this world is filled with.
1. The most famous ritual - friendship bonding ritual . Usually this is the so-called rite of "fraternization of blood." It can occur both in a teenage (most often male) group, and between two close friends. The custom of bonding friendship with blood is described by a girl: “... Good, faithful friends, in order to confirm their friendship, cut their fingers with a razor and connected them so that the blood mixed. And they did it to make the friendship stronger. But not everyone took this step. As a child, I was very afraid of blood, but I still decided to cut my finger.”
2. Exchange of letters and gifts between constantly meeting girls
Probably, in one case, girls are attracted by the presence of a secret and a “ritual” exchange of gifts (“At school, my girlfriend and I wrote letters to each other, although we studied in the same class, it was just interesting: we sent each other gift cards, our photos, even money. All this, in general, did not make sense, just such a secret, and it's nice to receive letters ";), in others - the possibility of reincarnation (“At the age of 9, my girlfriend and I decided to correspond, although we lived in neighboring houses. We took letters to each other ourselves, came up with new names for ourselves and told everything that happened to us in letters”).
3. Rituals of acceptance into the group. In some youth groups, the admission of new members is a special challenge. The newly joined is given some task, which should reveal in him the presence of qualities important in this group. So in courtyard groups, strength and masculinity are often tested (usually a fight with one of the members of the group).
3. Features of pubertal development (anatomical and physiological features of development).
puberty - the time of accelerated physical development and puberty, characterized by important changes in the body of a teenager, including the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. The skeletal system develops, changes in blood composition and blood pressure are observed. There are various structural and functional changes in cerebral activity. The features of this period are the intensity and uneven development and growth of the body - the "pubertal leap", which determines the unevenness and significant individual variability in the rate of development (time differences in boys and girls, acceleration and retardation).
Age 13 - the time when the first phase of pubertal development ends in girls (11-13 years old) and the second phase begins (13-15 years old), and in boys the first phase of pubertal development begins rapidly, which lasts from about 13 to 15 years.
Rapid growth, maturation of the body, ongoing psychological changes - all this is reflected in the functional states of a teenager. 11 - 12 years - a period of increased activity, a significant increase in energy. But this is a period of increased fatigue, some decrease in performance. Often, behind the motor restlessness, increased excitability of adolescents, it is precisely the rapid and abrupt onset of fatigue that the student himself, due to insufficient maturity, cannot yet not only control, but also understand. Despite significant individual differences between children, in general it can be said that at this time the number of insults, quarrels between children, as well as between children and adults, increases. Children at this time often show increased irascibility, resentment, primarily in relation to an adult. Their behavior is often characterized demonstrativeness . This situation is exacerbated by the influence of beginning (in boys) or intensely passing (in girls) puberty, which contributes to an even greater increase in impulsivity, often a change of mood, affects the acuteness of the teenager's perception of "insults" from other people, as well as the form of expression of insults and protest.
Touchiness. Crying without any visible (and often conscious) reason, frequent and abrupt mood swings are most typical for girls.
In boys, motor activity increases, they become more noisy, fussy, restless, all the time they turn something in their hands or wave them. Many schoolchildren during this period have partial violations of coordination and accuracy of movements, they become clumsy and awkward.
At 13-14, a peculiar alternation of bursts of activity and its fall is often noted, up to external complete exhaustion. Fatigue comes quickly and as if suddenly, characterizing increased fatigue. Efficiency and productivity decrease, in boys at the age of 13-14 the number of erroneous actions sharply increases (for girls, the peak of errors is noted at 12 years).
Extremely difficult situations for teenagers monotony . If in an adult a pronounced drop in working capacity due to the performance of monotonous, but professionally necessary actions is approximately 40-50 minutes, then in adolescents it is observed after 8-10 minutes.
The phenomenon of specific teenage laziness . You can often hear complaints from adults that a teenager wants to lie down all the time, cannot stand straight: he constantly strives to lean on something, and answers requests: I have no strength. The reason for this is increased growth, which requires a lot of strength and reduces endurance.
A teenager's reactions often do not match the strength and significance of the situation. Generalizing events and phenomena that are completely different and objectively distant from each other, he reacts to them in the same way, which manifests itself in the outwardly inexplicable indifference of a teenager to things that are significant to him and a violent reaction to insignificant reasons.
Changes taking place in the motor sphere: a new ratio of muscle growth and muscle strength, changes in body proportions - lead to temporary violations of the coordination of large and small movements. A temporary violation of coordination is noted, adolescents become awkward, fussy, make a lot of unnecessary movements. As a result, they often break something, destroy it. Since such phenomena often coincide with adolescent outbursts of negativism that reduce or block the possibilities of his self-control, it seems that there is malicious intent in such destruction, although, as a rule, this occurs against the desire of the adolescent and is associated with the restructuring of the motor system.
Serious consequences of teenage fights are also associated with violations of motor control, when a schoolboy who is not yet accustomed to the new, increased size of his body, assessing the possibilities of controlling it based on his previous experience and therefore incorrectly calculating the force of impact, inflicts injury on another teenager.
The restructuring of fine motor skills, the imbalance of the old eye-hand scheme and its construction on a new level in many ways often leads to a deterioration in handwriting, slovenliness, and violations in drawing.
The maturation process also influences the development speeches especially in boys. Their speech becomes more laconic and stereotypical, which is manifested in the specific "verbal speech" of many adolescent boys. Certain difficulties in writing are also associated with this. It is known that in adolescence, girls, as a rule, express their thoughts better in writing than boys. However, in the future, after 14 - 15 years, the boys not only catch up, but often outstrip them in this skill. Due to the peculiarities of the speech sphere, adolescents often react slowly to what they are told. Obvious consequences of this are frequent complaints about teenagers not understanding the teacher's explanations, about the fact that "they have to repeat everything two hundred times."
It should be remembered that adolescents are very worried about their own clumsiness and tongue-tiedness, they are hypersensitive both to ridicule about this and to the assistance provided. Therefore, special classes are needed to develop motor skills, oral and written speech of a teenager. Adolescence is a period when many functions are actively formed and developed, for example, this is the most favorable time for mastering many of the most complex movements, important sports, and work activities. If during the period of specific awkwardness and impaired coordination of movements one does not engage in the development of gross and fine motor skills, then in the future this is not compensated or is compensated with great difficulty. That is why the psychologist's recommendations should be aimed at the development and active formation of psychological structures and functions.
4. The crisis of mental development in adolescence.
CRISIS 13 YEARS
This is a crisis of social development, reminiscent of a crisis of 3 years ("I myself"), only now it is "I myself" in the social sense.
It is described in the literature as “the age of the second umbilical cord cutting, “the negative phase of puberty.” It is characterized by a drop in academic performance, a decrease in efficiency, disharmony in the internal structure of the personality. The human self and the world are more separated than in other periods.
The crisis is among the acute ones.
Crisis Symptoms
Observed decrease in productivity and ability to study even in the area in which the child is gifted. Regression appears when a creative task is given (for example, an essay). Children are able to perform the same as before, only mechanical tasks.
This is due to the transition from visibility and knowledge to understanding and deduction (drawing a consequence from premises, inference). That is, there is a transition to a new, higher stage of intellectual development. According to Piaget, this is the 4th period of mental development. This is not a quantitative characteristic of intelligence, but a qualitative one, which entails a new way of behavior, a new mechanism of thinking. For changing specific comes logical thinking . This manifests itself in criticism and the demand for evidence. The teenager is now burdened by the specific, he is beginning to be interested in philosophical questions (problems of the origin of the world, man). Cools down to drawing and begins to love music, the most abstract of the arts.
There is an opening of the mental world, the attention of a teenager for the first time is drawn to other persons . With the development of thinking comes intense self-perception, self-observation, knowledge of the world of one's own experiences. The world of inner experiences and objective reality are divided. At this age, many teenagers keep diaries.
New thinking has an impact on language, speech . This stage can only be compared with early childhood, when the development of thinking follows the development of speech.
Thinking in adolescence, not one of the functions in a number of others, but the key to all other functions and processes. Under the influence of thinking, the foundations of the personality and worldview of a teenager are laid.
Thinking in concepts also restructures the lower, early functions: perception, memory, attention, practical thinking (or effective intellect). In addition, abstract thinking is a prerequisite (but not a guarantee) that a person will reach the highest stage of moral development.
The second symptom of the crisis is negativism . Sometimes this phase is called the phase of the second negativism by analogy with the crisis of 3 years. The child, as it were, is repelled by the environment, hostile, prone to quarrels, violations of discipline. At the same time, he experiences internal anxiety, discontent, a desire for loneliness, for self-isolation.
In boys, negativism manifests itself brighter and more often than in girls, and begins later - at the age of 14-16.
The behavior of a teenager during a crisis is not necessarily negative. L.S. Vygotsky writes about three types of behavior:
Negativism is clearly expressed in all areas of a teenager's life. Moreover, this lasts either for several weeks, or the teenager falls out of the family for a long time, is inaccessible to the persuasion of the elders, is excitable, or, conversely, is stupid. This difficult and acute course is observed in 20% of adolescents.
The child is a potential negativist. This manifests itself only in some life situations, mainly as a reaction to the negative influence of the environment (family conflicts, the oppressive effect of the school environment). Most of these children, about 60%.
There are no negative phenomena at all in 20% of children.
5. Psychological neoplasms of adolescence
- A sense of adulthood - a new level of self-awareness;
The desire for self-affirmation;
The emergence of an inner life, a great interest in the feelings and experiences of other people;
I am a concept;
Formal-logical (reasoning) thinking;
Reflection.
Central psychological neoplasm of adolescence is the occurrence feelings of adulthood. It is formed as a result of a change in the social position of the child, under the influence of puberty and sudden changes in physical development. The essence of this neoplasm is that the teenager begins to feel his approach to the adult state, and in connection with this, he has a pronounced desire for equality with adults. The development of a sense of adulthood leads to the formation of a pronounced need for self-affirmation, which manifests itself in the desire of a teenager to achieve recognition of his personality from others in any way possible, to take a worthy position in a class, family, and group of comrades. The need for self-affirmation is one of the most important motives for the behavior and activities of a teenager - it encourages the student to look for any opportunity to gain popularity and respect among peers. The desire for self-affirmation is a natural age-related feature of a teenager, so it is important to be able to tactfully control the forms of self-affirmation they choose and, if necessary, correct their choice.
Mental processes in adolescent schoolchildren develop in the process of learning activity, which becomes much more complex. With the transition to adolescence, a conscious attitude to learning becomes noticeably stronger. Adolescents master independent ways of working on educational material,
2012 -> Guidelines for conducting classes using interactive forms of learning
2012 -> Experience Theme
2012 -> Questions for the exam Planning and organizing the work of the personnel department Modern concepts of personnel management
INTRODUCTION 3
1. Physiological changes in the body of a teenager 4
2. Relationship between biological and social factors of development in adolescence 5
3. Leading type of activity, psychological neoplasms, social situation in the development of adolescence 6
4. Features of the development of mental processes 10
5. Communication with peers, teachers, parents 11
CONCLUSION 15
REFERENCES 16
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INTRODUCTION
Adolescence has been studied by many psychologists. Within the framework of Western psychology, this problem is presented in the works of A. Adler, K. Horney, E. Bern, V. Satir, A. Maslow, K. Rogers and others. Vygotsky, P.P. Blonsky, A.N. Leontiev, N.N. Tolstykh, A.G. Shmelev, A.G. Kovalev, A.S. Belkin, I.S. Kon, A.I. Kochetov, M.I. Monakhov, M.I. Shilov and others.
Speaking about the upbringing of minors and youth, about the younger generation, the term "teenagers" is often used. What is the relationship between these terms, what should be understood by each of them? What is common in all these terms is that they denote a person in the period of transition to adulthood and the social and age groups of members of society who are in this period. But within the transition period to adulthood, in turn, it is necessary to single out a number of stages that differ sharply in the degree of physical, intellectual, volitional, moral development of the individual and therefore require different strategies and tactics of education.
Adolescence is a crucial period in education, because. is the age of the initial formation of the child's personality. At this time, in the communication of the child with peers, rather complex relationships arise that significantly affect the development of his personality. Knowing the peculiarities of the relationship between children and the difficulties that they encounter in this process can be of great help to adults in organizing educational work with schoolchildren.
The purpose of the test: The study of the mental development of adolescents.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF ADOLESCENTS
1. Physiological changes in the body of a teenager
The most important fact of physical development in adolescence is puberty, the beginning of the functioning of the gonads. And although it is not the only source of psychological characteristics of this age, having only an indirect influence on the development of the personality through the child's relationship to the world around him, nevertheless, we cannot deny that it brings a lot of new things to the life of a teenager.
Puberty depends on endocrine changes in the body. The pituitary gland and thyroid gland play a particularly important role in this process, which begin to secrete hormones that stimulate the work of most other endocrine glands. The activation and complex interaction of growth hormones and sex hormones cause intense physical and physiological development. The height and weight of the child increase, and in boys, on average, the peak of the “growth spurt” falls on 13 years, and ends after 15 years, sometimes lasting up to 17 years. For girls, the “growth spurt” usually starts and ends two years earlier. In addition to gender differences, there are also large and individual differences: in some children, rapid growth begins when in others it already ends.
A change in height and weight is accompanied by a change in body proportions. First, the head, hands and feet grow to “adult” sizes, then the limbs - the arms and legs lengthen, and, last but not least, the torso. Intensive growth of the skeleton, reaching 4-7 cm per year, outstrips the development of muscles. All this leads to some disproportion of the body, teenage angularity. Children often feel at this time clumsy, awkward.
Secondary sexual characteristics appear - external signs of puberty - and also at different times in different children. Boys' voices change, and some of them have a sharp decrease in the timbre of the voice, sometimes breaking on high notes, which can be experienced quite painfully. For others, the voice changes slowly, and these gradual shifts are almost not felt by them.
In connection with the rapid development, there are difficulties in the functioning of the heart, lungs, blood supply to the brain. Therefore, adolescents are characterized by differences in vascular and muscle tone. And such differences cause a rapid change in physical condition and, accordingly, mood. In general, in adolescence, the emotional background becomes uneven, unstable.
To this it should be added that the child is forced to constantly adapt to the physical and physiological changes taking place in his body, to survive the “hormonal storm” itself. Emotional instability is enhanced by sexual arousal that accompanies the process of sexual maturation. Most boys are increasingly aware of the origins of this arousal. Girls have more individual differences: some of them experience the same strong sexual arousal, but most of them are more vague, related to the satisfaction of other needs (for affection, love, support, self-respect).
2. Relationship between biological and social factors of development in adolescence
A. Gezel, an American psychologist, described the features of biological maturation, interests and behavior of children in adolescence. The transition from childhood to adulthood lasts from 11 to 21 years, the first 5 years are especially important (from 11 to 16).
10 years old is a child. Balanced, trusting, equal with parents, cares little about appearance, easily perceives life.
11 years old is a child. Impulsive, frequent mood swings, rebellion against parents, quarrels with peers.
12 years old is a child. The temper partly passes, the attitude towards the world is more positive, autonomy from the family grows, the influence of peers grows, cares about appearance, interest in the opposite sex grows.
13 years old is a teenager. Introversion (introversion), self-criticism, sensitive to criticism, critical of parents, selective in friendship.
14 years old is a teenager. Extraversion, energetic, sociable, self-confident, interested in other people, discusses himself and compares with heroes.
15 years old is a teenager. Individual differences are acquired: the spirit of independence, freedom from external control, the beginning of conscious self-education. Vulnerability, susceptibility to harmful influences.
16 years old is a teenager. Equilibrium. Rebellion gives way to cheerfulness, increases inner independence, emotional balance, sociability.
3. Leading type of activity, psychological neoplasms, social situation in the development of adolescence
The main psychological neoplasms of adolescence (11-14 years old) include:
Intensive puberty and development, rapid physiological restructuring of the body.
Unstable emotional sphere, outbursts and uncontrollability
emotions and moods.
Self-affirmation of one's independence and individuality, the possibility of conflict relations with adults; there are difficulties in relationships with adults negativism, stubbornness, obstinacy, rebellion against adults, indifference to the assessment of success, to the school (lack of authority of age; aversion to unreasonable prohibitions, susceptibility to the mistakes of parents and teachers).
The leading activity is communication with peers, mastering new norms of behavior and relationships with people based on the need to “win” the recognition, disposition and respect of peers for oneself, finding a friend, searching for “one’s own” company.
Formation of self-esteem, character.
Emergence of character accentuations and maladaptive forms of behavior is possible.
Formation of one's own views, protest against the dictates of adults, independent choice of a reference group.
Lack of true independence, the presence of increased suggestibility and conformism in relation to peers
The development of logical thinking, the ability to theoretical reasoning and introspection, to operate with abstract concepts.
Self-control and activity planning is still difficult.
Increased fatigue and emotionality, impulsiveness, inconsistency.
Propensity to risk, aggressiveness as methods of self-affirmation.
The emergence of sexual desires and interests.
Formation of self-consciousness of one's "I", ego-identity.
Selectivity in learning, sensitivity for the development of general and special abilities.
The central personality neoplasm - a “sense of adulthood” arises, the second psychological birth of a child is “fear of losing the Self” (to be yourself with your own unique spiritual world or to be with people, friends, to be like them).
Neoplasms - the emergence of social consciousness and self-consciousness; self-determination (awareness of oneself as a member of society, preparation for the choice of a future profession, one's place in life).
But calendar age in itself cannot be the basis of meaningful age periodization, since it blurs individual differences and social conditions of perception.
Adolescence is a stage of spiritual development, although it is associated with a complex of psychophysiological processes. During this period, there is an awareness of one's own individuality, the discovery of the "I", the emergence of a life plan, an orientation towards the conscious construction of one's life, constant growing into various spheres of public life.
Buhler distinguishes 2 phases of adolescence:
1) negative,
2) positive
Table 1
Negative
Positive
Prepubertal onset (restlessness, anxiety, irritability) Daydreaming, conflicting feelings, melancholy
Constant intimacy with nature, perceives art in a new way, a new world of values appears, the need for intimate human proximity
According to Levin's theory, the most important processes of adolescence are the expansion of the life world of the individual, the circle of his communication, group affiliation and the type of people on whom he focuses.
The adolescent's behavior is determined by the intermediateness (marginality) of his position. This is manifested in the psyche, which is characterized by internal shyness, uncertainty about the level of claims, internal contradictions, aggressiveness, a tendency to extreme points of view and positions. The greater the conflict, the sharper the differences between the world of childhood and the world of adulthood.
Adolescence is the stage of formation of self-consciousness and one's own worldview, the stage of making responsible decisions, the stage of human closeness, when the values of friendship and love can be paramount.
Answering the questions “Who am I? What am I? What am I striving for?”, the young man forms:
1) self-consciousness - a holistic view of oneself, an emotional attitude towards oneself, self-esteem of one's appearance, mental, moral, volitional qualities, awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses, on the basis of which opportunities for purposeful self-improvement, self-education arise;
2) one's own worldview as an integral system of views, knowledge, beliefs of one's life philosophy, which is based on a significant amount of knowledge acquired earlier and a developed ability for abstract theoretical thinking, without which disparate knowledge does not add up into a single system;
3) the desire to anew and critically comprehend everything around, to assert their independence and originality, to create their own theories of the meaning of life, love, happiness, politics, etc. , as if the world had to obey his theories, and not theory - reality. The desire to prove one's independence and originality is accompanied by typical behavioral reactions; "disdainful attitude" to the advice of elders, distrust and criticism of older generations, sometimes even open opposition.
Adolescence is, as it were, a “third world” that exists between childhood and adulthood, since socially it is not yet an independent adult person.
The most important psychological process of this age is the formation of self-consciousness and a stable image of one's personality, one's "I".
4. Features of the development of mental processes
In adolescence, mental processes reach a high level of development. In particular, there is a development of cognitive processes. For example, direct, mechanical memory reaches the highest level of development, forming, together with sufficiently developed thinking, the prerequisites for the further development of logical, semantic memory. Speech becomes highly developed and diverse, thinking is presented in all its forms: visual-effective, visual-figurative and verbal-logical. All these processes in adolescents function on the basis of the formed inner speech.
It becomes possible for teenagers to learn various types of practical and intellectual activities, moreover, using a variety of teaching methods and techniques. A variety of abilities are formed and developed: general and special.
Adolescence is characterized by some contradictions and conflicts. On the one hand, the intellectual development of adolescents encourages adults to discuss serious problems with them, and adolescents themselves are actively striving for this. On the other hand, when discussing such problems, the infantilism of adolescents, their lack of practical life experience, is revealed.
5. Communication with peers, teachers, parents
Speaking about the characteristics of the personality of a teenager, especially significant features of behavior, we recall once again that self-consciousness and awareness of the requirements of the environment develop very early, starting from the age of one to two years, and that already during this period, intensive assimilation of norms of behavior, a system of values, cultural baggage of the family and the surrounding microenvironment as a whole, and through them - the corresponding requirements and ideas of society.
This happens through imitation, its game forms, but the foundations of the model of future orientation and behavior stereotypes, preferences for certain options are laid early enough. The transition from early childhood to preschool and school childhood, and then to adolescence, is characterized by an increasingly significant change (expansion) of social functions, the range of relationships and contacts. At the same time, in terms of opportunities and intensity of influence, the family still has priority (although, in relation to adolescents, the influence of friends on them is no less strong).
In connection with the incompleteness of the development of a system of values and assessments of behavior, children and adolescents, as before, for the most part, as at a younger age, are guided by examples or stereotypes of behavior that have developed in the environment.
At the same time, examples and stereotypes of the family, other immediate environment are often “generalized”, perceived due to lack of life experience as allegedly typical for society as a whole.
Only gradually, as they grow older, examples and stereotypes of the behavior of others, and above all family members - good or bad - will form the internal position of the individual. So in the future we are talking not only about imitation, but also about the implementation of one's own position.
Hence the increased risk of situations arising - in particular, with insufficient attention to the purposeful formation of such personality traits as collectivism, kindness - when minors seek to satisfy their desires by any means, not correlating them with the permissions or prohibitions of society.
One of the main tendencies of the transitional age is the reorientation of communication with parents, teachers and elders in general to peers who are more or less equal in position. Such a reorientation can occur slowly and gradually or abruptly and violently; it is expressed in different ways in different spheres of activity, in which, as we have seen, the prestige of elders and peers is not the same, but it necessarily happens.
The need to communicate with peers, who cannot be replaced by parents, occurs in children very early and increases with age. Already among preschoolers, the absence of peer society has a negative effect on the development of communication skills and self-awareness.
The behavior of adolescents, by its very essence, is collective-group.
Firstly, communication with peers is a very important specific channel of information; from it, teenagers and young men learn many necessary things that, for one reason or another, adults do not tell them. For example, a teenager receives most of the information on gender issues from peers, so their absence can delay his psychosexual development or make him unhealthy.
Secondly, it is a specific type of interpersonal relationship. Group play and other types of joint activities develop the necessary skills of social interaction, the ability to obey collective discipline and at the same time defend their rights, correlate personal interests with public ones.
Outside the society of peers, where relationships are built fundamentally on an equal footing and status must be earned and able to be maintained, a child cannot develop the communicative qualities necessary for an adult. Competitiveness of group relationships, which is not present in relations with parents, also serves as a valuable life school.
Thirdly, it is a specific kind of emotional contact. The consciousness of group belonging, solidarity, comradely mutual assistance not only facilitates the adolescent's autonomy from adults, but also gives him an extremely important sense of emotional well-being and stability. Whether he managed to earn the respect and love of equals, comrades, is of decisive importance for the self-esteem of a teenager.
The psychology of communication in adolescence is built on the basis of the contradictory interweaving of two needs: isolation (privatization) and affiliation, that is, the need for belonging, inclusion in some group or community.
Isolation is most often manifested in emancipation from the control of elders. In adolescence, ideas about the content of such concepts as “loneliness” and “solitude” change. The more independent and purposeful a teenager is, the stronger his need and ability to be alone.
As the data of foreign mass surveys (T. Brennan, 1980; E. Ostrov and D. Offer, 1980) and clinical studies show, adolescents feel lonely and misunderstood much more often than older people. The feeling of loneliness and restlessness associated with age-related difficulties in the formation of a personality gives rise to an insatiable thirst in adolescents for communication and grouping with peers, in whose society they find or hope to find what adults deny them: spontaneity, emotional warmth, salvation from boredom and recognition of their own significance.
The intense need for communication and affiliation (M. S. Kagan (1977) even considers communication to be the leading activity of adolescence) turns for many children into an invincible herd feeling: they cannot not only spend a day, but an hour outside of their own, and if they don’t have their own - any company. This need is especially strong in boys.
With the similarity of the external contours of social behavior, the deep motives behind the youthful need for affiliation are individual and diverse. One seeks reinforcement of self-respect, recognition of his human value in the society of his peers. A typical feature of adolescent groups is an extremely high level of conformity. Fiercely defending their independence from their elders, adolescents are often completely uncritical about the opinions of their own group and its leaders.
CONCLUSION
The appearance and behavior of a teenager, a young person always reflects the conditions of life and education in society as a whole. Based on the conditions of our society, which help education immeasurably more than hinder it, the family, in alliance with the school, the public, and the media, is able to prevent or correct the appearance of a wrong social orientation in adolescents. And for this it is necessary to know those personal characteristics of adolescents that arise and become widespread in the process of age development, and be able to use them in the interests of proper education.
In adolescence, the intensive formation of self-awareness continues, the assimilation of norms of behavior, the value system, the cultural baggage of the family and the surrounding microenvironment as a whole, and through them, the corresponding requirements and ideas of society. In connection with the incompleteness of the development of a system of values and assessments of behavior, adolescents, as before, for the most part, as at a younger age, are guided by examples or stereotypes of behavior that have developed in the environment.
Adolescents are characterized by an emphasis on the importance of their inner world, their desires and needs, an insufficient ability to correlate them with the interests of others, to take into account the consequences of their actions.
A typical feature of adolescent groups is an extremely high level of conformity. While defending their independence from their elders, teenagers are often completely uncritical about the opinions of their own group and its leaders.
With the help of the correct educational program and methodology, it is possible and necessary to prevent or eliminate the formation of negative personality traits and orientations associated with the manifestation of age-related characteristics.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Bodalev A.A. Personality and communication. M., 1983.
2. Bozhovich L. I. Personality and its formation in childhood. M. 1968.
3. Vygotsky L. S. The problem of age. M., 1984.
4. Dobrovich A. B. Educator about the psychology and psychohygiene of communication.-M., 1987.
5. Kon I.S. Psychology of early youth. M., 1989
6. Krutetsky V.A., Lukin N.S. Psychology of a teenager. M., 1985
7. Nemov R.S. Psychology in 3 volumes. T. 2. M., 1998.
8. Orlov Yu. M. Self-knowledge and self-education of character.-M., 1987.
9. Petrovsky A.V. Personality. Activity. Collective. M., 1982.
10. Feldstein D.I. Psychological formation of personality. M., 1994
One of the main characteristics of adolescence is the continuation of the child's education in various educational institutions. At the same time, the child is increasingly included in the general life of society. He has new responsibilities. At the same time, the child's orientation towards "male" and "female" activities is completed, depending on his gender.
Moreover, striving for self-realization, the child begins to show success in a particular type of activity, to express thoughts about the future profession.
At the same time, in adolescence, the child’s mental cognitive processes develop further and his personality is formed, as a result of which the child’s interests change. They become more differentiated and persistent. Educational interests are no longer of paramount importance. The child begins to focus on "adult" life.
Anatomical and physiological features.
The formation of personality in adolescence is significantly influenced by the process of puberty. First of all, in young people there is a rapid physical growth of the body, which is expressed in a change in height and weight, accompanied by a change in body proportions. First, the head, hands and feet grow to "adult" sizes, then the limbs - the arms and legs lengthen - and last of all the torso. The intensive growth of the skeleton, reaching 4-7 cm per year, outstrips the development of muscles. All this leads to some disproportion of the body, teenage angularity. Children often feel at this time clumsy, awkward.
The final sexual orientation of a teenager is completed. Secondary sexual characteristics appear. So, in boys, the voice changes, there is an increase in facial hair. Similar changes occur in girls.
In adolescence, due to the rapid development of the body, difficulties arise in the functioning of the heart, lungs, and blood supply to the brain. Therefore, for children of this age, differences in vascular and muscle tone are characteristic. And such differences cause a rapid change in physical condition and, accordingly, mood. At the same time, the child can endure physical activity associated with his hobbies (for example, playing football) for a long time, and at the same time, in a relatively calm period of time, “fall from fatigue”. This is especially true for intellectual workloads.
cognitive features.
The development of mental cognitive processes has two sides - quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative changes are manifested in the fact that a teenager solves intellectual problems much easier, faster and more efficiently than a child of primary school age. Qualitative changes primarily characterize shifts in the structure of thought processes: what matters is not what tasks a person solves, but how he does it. Therefore, the most significant changes in the structure of mental cognitive processes are observed precisely in the intellectual sphere.
Development of thinking. Theoretical thinking continues to develop. Operations acquired at primary school age become formal-logical operations (according to Piaget, this is the stage of formal operations), the priority development of logical thinking. During the development of thinking in adolescence, the child manifests the following abilities:
- the ability to operate with hypotheses in solving intellectual problems;
- the ability to analyze abstract ideas, to look for errors and logical contradictions in abstract judgments.
Development of perception and memory.
In addition to the development of arbitrary and mediated memory, the child begins the active development of logical memory, which gradually takes a dominant place in the process of memorizing educational material. The development of mechanical memory slows down. In adolescence, there is a significant shift in the relationship between memory and other mental functions, the relationship between memory and thinking changes. Studies have shown that at this age, the thinking of adolescents determines the features of the functioning of memory.
The development of the imagination. It is manifested in the fact that the child is increasingly beginning to turn to creativity. Some teenagers begin to write poetry, seriously engage in drawing and other forms of creativity. The dissatisfaction of the needs and desires of a teenager in real life is easily embodied in the world of his fantasies. Therefore, imagination and fantasies in some cases bring calm, relieving tension and eliminating internal conflict.
The development of speech.
The main feature of the development of reading in adolescents is expressed in the transition from the ability to read fluently, expressively and correctly to the ability to recite by heart. Significant changes are also taking place in the development of monologue speech. These changes consist in the transition from the ability to retell a small work or a passage of text to the ability to independently prepare an oral presentation, conduct reasoning, express thoughts and argue them. Written speech improves in the direction from the ability to write in writing to an independent composition on a given or arbitrary topic.
The creative abilities of a teenager are actively developing and an individual style of activity is being formed, which finds its expression in the style of thinking.
affective sphere.
Younger adolescence is one of the key stages in the process of formation of the child's emotional and volitional regulation.
The adolescent experiences become deeper, more persistent feelings appear, the emotional attitude to a number of life phenomena becomes longer and more stable, a much wider range of social reality phenomena becomes indifferent to the adolescent and gives rise to various emotions in him.
For so many people, adolescence is the period when the influence of emotions on spiritual life becomes most evident.
Children in adolescence are characterized by mild excitability, a sharp change in moods and experiences. A teenager is better than a younger student, can control the expression of their feelings. In certain situations of school life (bad mark, reprimand for bad behavior), he can hide anxiety, excitement, grief under the mask of indifference. But under certain circumstances (a conflict with parents, teachers, comrades), a teenager can show great impulsiveness in behavior. From a grievous resentment, he is capable of such actions as running away from home, even attempting suicide (Yakobson P. M., 1976).
Of great importance at this age is communication with peers, which becomes an acute need for a teenager and is associated with his many experiences. Communication with comrades is a source of not only the emergence of new interests, but also the formation of norms of behavior. This is due to the fact that among teenagers there are certain requirements for friendly relations - for sensitivity, responsiveness, the ability to keep a secret, understand and empathize.
In the period from 11 to 19 years, there is a rapid development of human emotions.
Adolescence (from 11 to 14 years old) is characterized by a sharp change in moods and experiences, increased excitability, impulsiveness, and an extremely wide range of polar feelings. At this age, children have a "teenage complex", which demonstrates mood swings in adolescents - sometimes from unbridled fun to despondency and vice versa, as well as a number of other polar qualities that appear alternately. Moreover, it should be noted that there may not be visible, significant reasons for a sharp change in mood in adolescence.
The general growth of the personality of a teenager, the expansion of his circle of interests, the development of self-awareness, a new experience of communicating with peers - all this leads to an intensive growth of socially valuable motives and experiences of a teenager, such as sympathy for someone else's grief, the ability to selfless self-sacrifice, etc.
Adolescents experience difficulties communicating with their parents, often conflicting with them. The desire to remove emotional dependence on parents is more pronounced in boys than in girls.
Under unfavorable conditions for the formation of the student's personality (difficult family situation, conflicts with parents, unsatisfactory relationships with comrades, increased self-esteem, shortcomings in the educational process at school, etc.), an increase in asocial feelings can be observed at this age. An important moment that causes resentment and anger in a teenager, which can be expressed in his aggressive emotional reaction, is the neglect of adults, their unfriendly attitude to his requests, aspirations, to the whole personality of a teenager.
Motivational sphere.
Fundamental changes are taking place in the structure of the motivational-personal sphere of the adolescent. It acquires a hierarchical character, motives become not directly acting, but arise on the basis of a consciously made decision, many interests take on the character of a persistent passion.
Significant changes are taking place in the motivational structure of the communication process: relationships with parents and teachers are losing relevance, relationships with peers are becoming of paramount importance, and the affiliative need to belong to a group is clearly manifested. Belonging to a group can meet many of the needs of a young person. For young adolescents, the opportunity to share common interests and hobbies with their friends is of great importance; Loyalty, honesty and responsiveness are also very important to them. Compliance with the group requires adolescents and a certain amount of conformity. In order for a person to join a company, he must be like other members of it: this may be the use of a special jargon or the wearing of clothes that differ in some specific details. Those who do not meet these parameters, the group deprives them of their attention.
A tendency to seek close friendships based on deep emotional attachment and common interests. Two motives prevail in the definitions of friendship:
- the demand for mutual assistance and fidelity;
- expectation of sympathetic understanding from a friend.
The need for informal, unregulated communication with parents in adolescents is revealed no less than in communication with peers. The unpreparedness, unwillingness, inability of parents to understand and accept the ever-increasing desire of children for adulthood, independence is the reason for the dissatisfaction of adolescents with communication with their parents. First of all, this is the reason for the desire of adolescents to communicate with peers who are more in line with the needs and needs of young people.
Dissatisfaction in communication can cause the formation of a number of negative tendencies in the behavior of adolescents, up to the development of delinquent (deviant, illegal) behavior in them.
Significant transformations are taking place in the nature of the motivation for educational and cognitive activity of adolescents. In the middle classes, the leading motives are the desire to win a certain position in the class, to achieve peer recognition. In high school, studies begin to be determined by motives aimed at realizing the future, understanding one's life prospects and professional intentions. In addition to interest in a certain profession, the need for self-actualization and self-expression, the choice of a particular profession by a young person is often determined by the social prestige of this profession, the educational level and profession of parents, and the material well-being of the family. The expected level of salary is also of great importance, although this dependence tends to decrease with age.
The need for autonomy - the need to gain independence, independence, freedom; desire to assume the rights and responsibilities of an adult.
Behavioral autonomy - the acquisition of independence and freedom, sufficient to make independent decisions without external guidance.
Emotional autonomy - getting rid of children's emotional dependence on parents.
One of the most important features of this period is an increased interest in issues of sexual development and in the sexual sphere. In the early stages of development, this interest is more focused on the study by adolescents of their own body, observing its changes and the degree of compliance with generally accepted standards of masculinity and femininity. Gradually, adolescents become interested in the development of others, especially members of the opposite sex. They become aware of their developing sexual feelings and drives, they have an increasing interest in sex as an erotic experience.
Clearly expressed gender characteristics of the motives of sexual activity of adolescents are found. For guys, the leading motive is curiosity, for girls, tender feelings.
Another feature of the motivational sphere of adolescents is the emergence of needs and motives that cause various behavioral deviations: drug addiction, alcoholism, smoking, criminal behavior.
Development of self-concept.
Adolescence is very important in the development of the self-concept of the child, in the formation of his self-esteem as the main regulator of behavior and activity, which has a direct impact on the process of further self-knowledge, self-education and, in general, personality development. Adolescents with adequate self-esteem have a large field of interests, their activity is aimed at various activities, as well as interpersonal contacts, which are moderate and expedient, aimed at understanding others and themselves in the process of communication.
Adolescents with low self-esteem are prone to depressive tendencies.
Adolescents with a tendency to a strong overestimation of self-esteem show a sufficient limitation in the types of activities and a greater focus on communication, and with little content.
In the self-esteem of a teenager, the following transformations take place.
- Starting from younger adolescence to older, the content aspect of adolescent self-esteem deepens and reorients from educational activities to relationships with comrades and to their physical qualities.
- In connection with the increase in the teenager's self-criticism, his self-esteem becomes more adequate: the teenager is able to state both his positive and negative qualities.
- Moral qualities, abilities and will become more pronounced in self-esteem.
- There is a further emancipation of self-esteem from external evaluations, but the evaluation of significant others has a huge impact on the nature of a teenager's self-esteem.
- The influence of parents on self-esteem decreases and the influence of peers as a reference group increases.
- Self-esteem has an impact on the success of the activity and the socio-psychological status of a teenager in a team, regulates the process of communication.
- Inadequate self-esteem determines the delinquent behavior of a teenager.
- Personal self-assessment of a teenager significantly correlates with his self-assessment of a neurotic state.
Thus, in adolescence, self-consciousness is actively formed in young people, their own independent system of standards of self-assessment and self-attitude is developed, and the ability to penetrate into their inner world is increasingly developing.
At this age, a teenager begins to realize his peculiarity and uniqueness, in his mind there is a gradual reorientation from external assessments (mainly parental) to internal ones. Thus, the teenager gradually develops his own self-concept, which contributes to the further, conscious or unconscious, construction of the behavior of a young person.
Behavioral features.
The behavior of a young person during adolescence is determined by several factors: the puberty period - the puberty of a teenager and the corresponding rapid changes occurring in his body, the marginal period - the social position of a teenager on the border between two social worlds - the world of children and the world of adults, as well as those formed in him by this time individual characteristics. There is increased emotional reactivity, immediacy of reactions, insufficient rational control over the external manifestation of emotions and emerging impulses, as well as higher physical activity than in adults.
The desire to communicate with peers is so characteristic of adolescence and youth that it has been called the adolescent grouping reaction. Along with the obvious gender-role division, the formation of mixed adolescent and youth groups is observed.
In connection with the peculiarities of the transitional age, the relations of adolescents with their parents, peers, teachers, and the opposite sex are changing. This change in the meaning of people in the life world of a teenager, like any process of gaining a new vision of the world, is quite painful.
Actualizes the desire of a teenager to be freed from guardianship by adults - a reaction of emancipation. The reaction of emancipation is "the desire of adolescents to free themselves from the guardianship, control, patronage of their elders - relatives, teachers, educators, mentors, the older generation in general", which in some cases leads to an increase and deepening of conflicts with them. However, teenagers do not really want complete freedom, because they are not yet ready for it, they just want to have the right to make their own choice, to be responsible for their words and actions.
The most common causes of family conflicts are: choice of friends and partners, frequency of attendance at school parties and dates, activities of a teenager, bedtime, ingrained beliefs, choice of clothes and hairstyles, the need for housework. Parents are still the most important reference group for young people and the people to whom adolescents would prefer to turn in difficult moments of life. Most of all, high school students would like to see friends and advisers in their parents.
Communication among peers performs a number of specific functions:
- First, it is a channel of information that adults do not provide (for example, on gender).
- Secondly, communication with peers contributes to the development of social interaction skills.
- Thirdly, communication gives the teenager the opportunity to experience emotional contact with the group, a sense of solidarity, group belonging, and mutual support. And this leads to the adolescent experiencing not only a sense of autonomy from adults, but also a sense of stability and emotional comfort.
Conflicts with peers are mainly a manifestation of the struggle: for boys - for leadership, for success in the physical or intellectual fields, or for someone's friendship, for girls - for a member of the opposite sex.
In connection with puberty, young people develop an attraction to the opposite sex, which manifests itself qualitatively differently in boys and girls. Girls strive more for love, tenderness, respect and security. They are prone to longer relationships, and sexuality for them is part of a general trusting relationship with a partner.
Boys are more likely to have direct sexual experience and tend to have more frequent sexual intercourse.
The desire of young people to learn about the world, their capabilities, their desire to fulfill themselves in adolescence are also manifested in the so-called hobby reaction, or hobby reaction.
There are the following types of teenagers' hobbies:
- intellectual and aesthetic, the main characteristic of which is the deep interest of a teenager in his favorite business - music, drawing, ancient history, electronics, flower breeding, etc., this also includes invention and design;
- bodily-manual - associated with the intention of a young person to develop strength, endurance, dexterity and, in general, motor skill in various fields;
- leadership hobbies - the search for situations where you can lead, organize, guide others;
- hoarding hobbies are collecting in all forms;
- egocentric - any activities, the external side of which allows the teenager to be in the center of attention. For example, amateur art, a passion for fashionable clothes, as well as any fashionable activities;
- gambling hobbies - card games, bets and bets on money, lotteries and various lottos;
- informative and communicative hobbies are associated with an increased thirst for communication, "hanging out", where you can get easy information that does not require critical processing.
The type of hobby is directly related to the personality type of a teenager and is one of its diagnostic features.
The leading factors of development at this age are communication with peers and the manifestation of individual personality traits.
The social situation of development is the transition from dependent childhood to independent responsible adulthood. An intermediate position between childhood and adulthood.
Leading activity- communication with peers.
Central neoplasm- a sense of maturity.
Adolescence is a period of ontogenesis corresponding to the transition from childhood to adolescence. In historical terms, the separation of adolescence as a special stage of development occurred in the 19th-20th century. Adolescence is one of the critical periods of development associated with cardinal transformations in the sphere of consciousness, activity and the system of relationships of the individual. This stage is characterized by the rapid growth of a person, the formation of the body in the process of puberty, which has a noticeable effect on the psychophysiological characteristics of a teenager.
The basis for the formation of new psychological and personal qualities of adolescents is communication in the process of various activities (educational, industrial, creative).
German researcher E. Spranger described 3 types adolescence:
Type 1 is characterized by a sharp, stormy, critical course, when adolescence is experienced as a second birth, as a result of which a new "I" arises.
Type 2 development - smooth, slow, gradual growth, when a teenager joins adulthood without deep and serious changes in his own personality.
Type 3 is a process of development when a teenager actively and consciously forms and educates himself, overcoming internal anxieties and crises by an effort of will. It is typical for people with a high level of self-control and self-discipline.
Teenage years - pubertal period of development. This is the period of maturation in which a person becomes sexually mature. Puberty is sexual and mental.
The emergence of adolescent sexuality. The first experience of sexuality is associated with a feeling of horror, fear of something mysterious and unfamiliar. This is also mixed with a sense of shame associated with the experience of forbidden things. The discomfort and inferiority caused by these experiences can manifest not only in fear of the world, but also in a deep rooted fear of people, up to genuine hostility towards people.
mental puberty associated with a biological need - the need for a supplement. The external and internal excitement that accompanies maturation should take the teenager out of the state of self-satisfaction and calm, encourage him to search for and get closer to a being of the opposite sex.
Adolescence may be negative and positive flow.
The negative course of adolescence is manifested in increased sensitivity and irritability, anxiety and excitability. There may be physical and mental malaise, which finds its expression in deviant behavior. Teenagers transfer their negativism to the world around them. They are characterized by self-hatred and hostility to the world around them at the same time. Disobedience, engaging in forbidden deeds has an attractive power.
Positive flow: there is a gradual development. New sources of joy open up before the adolescent, a conscious experience arises as something beautiful. Under favorable conditions, art and science become sources of joy.
The central neoplasm of adolescence is the emergence of an idea of oneself as "not a child"; a teenager begins to feel like an adult, strives to be and be considered an adult, he rejects his belonging to children, but he still does not have a feeling of genuine, full-fledged adulthood, but there is a great need for recognition of his adulthood by others. D.B. Elkonin distinguishes between objective and subjective adulthood in the development of adolescents. Objective adulthood is manifested in the readiness of the child to live in a society of adults as an equal participant.
Elements of objective adulthood in adolescence can be seen in the attitude of adolescents to learning and work, to parents and peers, to children and the elderly. They reveal themselves:
in the intellectual sphere - independence in the assimilation of knowledge, the desire for self-education; in the social and moral sphere - help and support for adults, upholding one's own views, the correspondence of moral and ethical ideas to the real behavior of a teenager; in romantic relationships with peers of the opposite sex - forms of spending free time (dates, parties, dancing); in appearance - following the fashion in clothes, in behavior, in speech ("buzzwords").
Subjective adulthood, or a sense of adulthood, is characterized by the appearance in a teenager of an attitude towards himself not as a small child, but as an adult. The main indicators of a sense of adulthood are:
manifestations of the need for respect, trust, recognition of independence; the desire to protect some areas of their lives from the intervention of adults; the presence of one's own line of behavior, despite the disagreement of adults or peers
In communication with peers, the main neoplasm of adolescence is formed - self-consciousness or, in other words, social consciousness transferred inward. According to L.S. Vygotsky, this is self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is social knowledge transferred to the inner plane of thinking. Controlling one's behavior, designing it on the basis of moral norms - this is the personality. L.I. Bozhovich also noted that by the beginning of adolescence, new, broader interests, personal hobbies and the desire to take a more independent, more "adult" position in life appear in the general mental development. However, in the transitional age there are still no opportunities (neither internal nor external) to occupy it. Describing adolescence, L.I. Bozhovich wrote that during this period, all the child's previous relationships to the world and to himself are broken and rebuilt, and the processes of self-consciousness and self-determination develop, leading, ultimately, to the position in life from which the student begins his independent life.
Introduction.
Adolescence is called transitional. The psychological state of adolescence is associated with two "turning points" of this age: psychophysiological - puberty, and everything connected with it, and social - the end of childhood. Entry into the world of adults.
The first of these moments is associated with internal hormonal and physiological changes, entailing bodily changes, unconscious sexual desire, as well as emotionally sensitive changes.
The second moment - the end of childhood and the transition to the world of adults is associated with the development of critical reflective thinking in the mind of a teenager in a rational form. This is the defining state of a teenager in the psyche. It creates the main leading contradiction in the life of a teenager. Reasonable ie formal rigid logic takes over the mind of a teenager. That's right: he does not master this logic, but it arises in his mind as a kind of coercive force. It requires an unambiguous answer and evaluation for any question: true or false, yes or no. And this creates in the mind of a teenager a certain tendency towards maximalism, makes him sacrifice friendship, becomes antagonistic with close people, since the diversity and inconsistency of reality and human relations do not fit into the framework of rational logic, and he is ready to reject everything that does not correspond to this logic, since it is she who is the dominant force in his mind, the criterion of his judgments and assessments.
But, being equal to an adult in terms of the type of logic of thinking, in terms of life experience and the content of consciousness, a teenager remains still a child. Protesting against lies, hypocrisy and the dominance of the world of adults over him, at the same time he needs warmth, affection, understanding, approval of the forgiveness of adults. Rejecting authority, the teenager needs authority. In an adult he could completely trust. There is a tendency to isolate both from the world of childhood and from the world of adults to create their own world of peers, internally identical to each other.
The main contradiction of adolescence can be considered the contradiction between the rational form of the appearance in the consciousness of a teenager of reflection, which has become for him the leading form of a conscious attitude to the world, and the impersonal world of adults, which does not fit into the framework of rationality, and at the same time proclaims the rationality (consciousness) of his being. .
The relevance of this topic is that almost every teenager, during the transitional age, faces special difficulties, tries to find himself. Transitional age is the shortest period of life, but very important. And it is important to survive it without any special injuries.
In my essay, I want to consider not only the development of the psyche in adolescence, but also problems that may affect a teenager in this rather difficult period: “Socio-psychological characteristics of adolescents as a cause of behavioral disorders”, “Cognitive processes”, “Personality formation”.
Chapter I point 1
Socio-psychological characteristics of adolescence as a cause of behavioral disorders
The psychological features of adolescence, when they are pronounced, got their name "teenage complex", and the behavioral disorders caused by them - "pubertal crisis"
The teenage complex includes mood swings from unbridled joy to despondency and back again without sufficient reasons, as well as a number of other polar qualities that appear alternately. Sensitivity to outsiders' assessment of their appearance, abilities, skills is combined with excessive self-sufficiency and categorical judgments in relation to others. Sentimentality sometimes coexists with amazing callousness, painful shyness with swagger, a desire to be recognized and appreciated by others with ostentatious independence, a struggle with authorities, generally accepted rules and widespread ideals with the deification of random idols, and sensual fantasy with dry sophistication.
In modern Western psychiatric and psychological literature, the concept of E. Erikson (1968) about the "identity crisis" as the main feature of adolescence has become widespread. By "identity" is meant the definition of oneself as a person, as an individual. Identity formation is considered from psychoanalytic positions as a result of the “disintegration of the childish I” and the need to synthesize a new “adult I”, the formation of a “super-I”, etc. Identity itself, the process of knowing oneself, is given a self-sufficient meaning. It is this process, and not environmental factors, that is regarded as the primary source of all difficulties and all behavioral disorders in adolescents. According to G. Nissen (1971), the pubertal crisis is composed not only of an identity crisis, but also of a “crisis of authority” and a “sexual crisis”. The crisis of authority displays as a consequence of the "oedipal complex", as a "protest against the father." The weak role of the father in the modern family or his absence in incomplete families leads to the spread of this protest to all the authorities of the adult world. The extreme manifestation of this crisis is running away from home and vagrancy. An identity crisis is associated with a tendency to psychogenic depression and suicidal behavior, as well as episodes of derealization and depersonalization. From our point of view, the essence of the adolescent complex consists of certain psychological characteristics characteristic of this age, behavioral reactions to the influence of the surrounding social environment. According to Z. Freud, the crisis of sexuality is explained by the change of erogenous zones from anal to genital.
Emancipation reaction
This reaction is manifested by the desire to get rid of the guardianship, control, patronage of older relatives, teachers, educators, mentors, the older generation in general. The reaction can extend to the orders, rules, laws, standards of their behavior and spiritual values established by the elders. The need to free oneself is connected with the struggle for independence, for self-affirmation as a person. The term "reaction of emancipation", it seems to us, reflects the essence of the phenomenon more accurately than "crisis of authorities".
Perhaps the reaction of emancipation has some biological, phylogenetic roots. In higher mammals, it is from the period of puberty that the struggle for their place among their relatives begins, for a certain position in the hierarchical ladder of complex relationships in a herd or in a pack. Of course, this reaction in adolescents unfolds under the influence of socio-psychological factors (excessive guardianship on the part of elders, petty control, deprivation of minimal independence and any freedom, continuing attitude towards a teenager as a small child).
The manifestation of the reaction of emancipation can be very diverse. It can be felt in the everyday behavior of a teenager, in the desire to always and everywhere act “in his own way” and “independently”.
The reaction of emancipation may be dictated by admission to study or work necessarily in another city in order to live separately from their parents. One of the extreme forms of manifestation of the reaction of emancipation is running away from home and vagrancy, when they are conditioned by the desire to "live a free life."
Grouping reactions with peers
Children are willingly drawn to the elders, often even prefer to play not with their peers, but with them. Teenagers tend to group with peers. Teenage groups go through the entire history of mankind from primitive society and ancient Sparta to modern times.
C. Haffter believes that the spread of teenage "gangs" in developed capitalist countries, starting from the 50s, from a sociological point of view, is by no means a new phenomenon, but rather an archaic one.
The desire of adolescents to group with peers may also have some phylogenetic roots. In higher mammals that lead a herd lifestyle (some species of monkeys, ungulates and pinnipeds), individuals of "adolescence" form separate temporary herds. Adolescent monkeys react with depression to isolation from their peer group; neither in cubs nor in adult monkeys can depression be achieved in this way. However, such behavior of young higher mammals can also serve as a model for studying adolescent groups that have arisen and function according to socio-psychological patterns. These patterns are not yet well understood.
There are two types of youth groups. Some are distinguished by a same-sex composition, the presence of a permanent leader, a rather rigidly fixed role of each member, his firm place on the hierarchical ladder of intragroup relationships (subordination to one, pushing others around). In these groups, there are such roles as “leader’s adjutant” - a physically strong teenager with low intelligence, whose fists the leader keeps the group in obedience, there is an “anti-leader” who seeks to take the place of the leader, there is a “six” who is pushed around by everyone. Often such a group has "its own territory", carefully protected from the intrusion of peers from other groups from other groups, in the fight against which. The composition of the group is quite stable, the admission of new members is often associated with special "trials" or rituals. Joining a group without the consent of the leader is unthinkable. A penchant for intra-group symbolism is revealed - conventional signs, their nicknames, their rites - for example, the rite of "brotherhood with blood." Such groups usually form only from male adolescents.
Another type of teenage groups is distinguished by a fuzzy distribution of roles and the absence of a permanent leader. The composition of the group is unstable. The life of such a group is minimally regulated, there are no clear requirements necessary to enter it.
Apparently, there are both intermediate and other types of adolescent groups.