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Adolescence

Many past societies, even those in ancient times, had language that referred to a period between childhood and adulthood—what we call adolescence. In modern society, adolescence has been shaped by broad social and economic changes associated with the rise of industrialization, as well as prolonged time spent in formal education. This specific life stage called adolescence can be observed around the world. However, how it is understood and how it impacts self and others vary considerably depending on the community and society in which it occurs.

The Ages of Adolescence

While adolescence can be observed around the globe, there is no specific, universally accepted age range that defines the beginning or end of this period for every community or society. In modern society, the typical ages associated with adolescence range from ten to eighteen. However, as educational demands have increased in the face of a rapidly changing integrated world economy, the period associated with adolescence has lengthened and can include ages up through the midtwenties. In the absence of clearly defined age boundaries of adolescence, social factors, such as marriage, help define this period for communities and societies.

Thus, the ages of adolescence can vary for different communities and societies.

Three Markers of Adolescence

Despite the fluctuation in the age range of adolescence, the developmental task of the period essentially remains the same: a successful transition to becoming a fully functioning productive member of adult society. The relative success of this transitional period hinges on the interaction of three markers of adolescent development.

Biological Changes

Throughout childhood, physical growth is steady and relatively predictable, but with the onset of puberty dramatic changes begin to occur to the body. Rapid acceleration of growth, development of primary and secondary sex characteristics (the former being changes to the reproductive organs themselves and the latter being outward signs of maturity, such as growth of pubic hair), increases in muscle and fat, and increased circulatory and respiratory capacities all occur during puberty. Remarkably, when the adolescent is growing most rapidly, he or she gains in height at a rate equal to that of a toddler. These changes are arguably the one universal aspect of adolescence around the world. However, the impact of these changes is not universal and depends on the context—the environment—in which they occur. For example, some cultures have formal initiation rituals associated with puberty, signifying to the community that the individual is now an adult and receives adult status and responsibilities. In the United States, the responses to pubertal changes are often less pronounced and more private, with few, if any, initiation rituals (responses are often limited to joking or teasing).

These varied responses to puberty in different communities help contribute to the adolescent's self-concept.

Cognitive Changes

Paralleling the biological changes of adolescence, there are significant cognitive changes, that is, changes in ways of thinking, that occur at the same time. Some of the key cognitive changes occurring during adolescence include the ability to think more abstractly and engage in more complex thought processes, and an increased awareness of one's own thinking processes. For example, adolescents are able to solve the following problem because of increased abstract thinking: If A is less than B and B is less than C, is A less than or greater than C? Most adolescents can solve this problem, but the prepubescent child finds it difficult or impossible to solve. An important by-product of these newly developed abilities is the capacity to understand complex language devices, such as metaphors, satire, and sarcasm.

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