The 7 psychosocial changes in adolescents (explained)

These are the characteristic psychosocial changes in adolescents; let's see how they affect them.

Adolescence is a convulsive and turbulent period, something that popular culture has internalized. It is inevitable to think of an adolescent as a person who is emotionally unstable and in a deep but uncertain search for his or her identity.

That is a fairly close, but incomplete description of adolescence, since the changes that occur at puberty are varied and involve not only the emotional aspect, but also the cognitive and social.

In the following we will explore what the psychosocial changes in adolescents are and what consequences they may have on their lives.. Read on if you want to discover them.

What are the psychosocial changes in adolescence?

Psychosocial changes in adolescents are all those variations in the way they think, feel and relate to society that are experienced when they enter puberty.

Adolescence is a period of many transformations that are evident in the physical and psychological development of the individual.. Because these changes are so sudden and disconcerting, adolescents often feel confused and even frightened by the new experiences they are living.

One of the leading scholars on the changes that occur throughout development, not only in adolescence but throughout a person's life, is the psychoanalyst Erik Erikson.

Thanks to his work we know in greater depth what happens during adolescence from a psychosocial perspective, although it is worth mentioning that his findings are quite old and that since then new discoveries have been made about this stage.

We will now discuss in depth what psychosocial changes adolescents go through during this turbulent period of their lives. Generally speaking, these changes can be divided into three broad categories: cognitive, emotional and social..

Cognitive changes

Adolescence is the period of development in which, according to the cognitive development theory of the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, the last stage of his model is reached: the stage of formal operations. At this point the adolescent acquires some advanced mental capacities, separating him definitively from childhood..

One of the most remarkable is the ability to reason abstractly. By the age of twelve, adolescents are able to reflect effectively on elements that are not in the here and now. This ability so natural in adulthood is something that, while it does exist at earlier ages, is more modest in childhood. Abstract reasoning is one of the most important abilities not only in adolescence but also in adult life.

Another of the most significant cognitive advances is the ability to use logic more accurately and independently of their desires and feelings. Before the age of twelve, children are more driven by their emotions and find it difficult to keep a cool head and act rationally. Once puberty arrives, cognitive abilities increase noticeably, although it may not seem so, since it also overlaps with the emotional instability typical of these ages.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that adolescents also begin to be able to make good use of skills such as deduction, deduction. Because of this and the other two skills we have discussed, it is common that in adolescence new interests related to aspects such as morality, ethics or what role they have in the world begin to emerge.

2. Emotional changes

One of the most well known facts about adolescence is that hormones take control of the body, inducing a very varied state of mind..

Added to this is the fact that the adolescent changes educational stage, going on to study at high school, a place where interacting with other adolescents can be the scene of multiple conflicts and tensions. All this is the perfect cocktail for the emotions of adolescents to be at their peak, feeling them in a much more pronounced way than when they were children.

Among these emotional changes we can highlight:

2.1. Emotional instability

It is well known that one of the most outstanding features of adolescence is its multiple mood swings. The adolescent mood is very, very variable. Young people of these ages can go from one extreme to the other in a very short period of time..

It is not uncommon for a child to wake up in high spirits, then become a little low at lunchtime and, in the evening, become pensive and taciturn. In other cases, the humor varies throughout days, happening for sad periods and others of happiness without apparent significant cause.

2.2. Acquisition of empathy

Without trying to generalize too much, children often tend to be self-centered. The reason for this is that it is difficult for them to understand and interpret the emotions of others, and to put themselves in their place.

However, by adolescence, boys and girls develop some empathy, boys and girls develop some empathy, even if they do not necessarily show it.. Most adolescents are able to understand what effects their actions have on others much more effectively than when they were children.

2.3. Insecurities and feelings of uncertainty

Adolescents experience puberty as a very uncertain period both hormonally and socially and emotionally.. This means that, not knowing what will happen next and not being very clear about their role in life, they have a constant feeling of insecurity.

In turn, insecurity causes changes to be perceived as more threatening and confusing than they are, which can lead the child to fall into a loop of negative emotions experienced in a very intense way. Fortunately, it is a matter of time before the child gains a sense of greater control over the situation, with the insecurity fading as he or she matures.

3. Social changes

Finally, we can comment that adolescents go through a series of changes related to the role they have in the world and the way they interact with others. Among the most notable social changes we have:

3.1. Search for self-identity.

Before the age of twelve, identity is an aspect that is little considered by children. They may identify with labels concerning their gender, cultural or familial identity, but they don't give it much thought. However, once puberty begins, identity becomes once puberty begins, identity becomes a subject of much reflection on the part of the adolescent, so much so that they become obsessed with it.so much so that they become obsessed with it.

The adolescent tries to find himself, to define who he is, to build an identity that differentiates him from others, something that makes him unique. That is why at this age, new experiences are tried out, assuming identity signs such as those shared by some urban tribe.. Generally, these behaviors are temporary and are not a problem, and with the passage of time they will shape both their personality and their own identity.

3.2. Desire for independence

During childhood, children are completely dependent on their parents to do everything. At the onset of adolescence this changes, due to the fact that the adolescent is already capable of doing more things on his own and, moreover, wants to completely detach himself from his dependence on his parents, and, in addition, they wish to completely free themselves from dependence on their parents..

It is at this age when the desire to become a more autonomous person begins, something that is evidenced both by doing more things on his own and by his aggressive attitude, even arguing with his parents so that they are not so much on his back.

This is not something to worry about at first. It is normal for adolescents to exhibit defiant behavior and to have the occasional scuffle. and have some scuffles with their parents, although if this is a serious disruption in family life, a psychologist specializing in adolescence should be consulted to evaluate the possibility of a mental health problem or disorder.

3.3. Identity and sexual orientation

One of the most relevant changes in puberty is everything that has to do with sex and intimate relationships. Hormones, as we have mentioned, take control of the body and it is almost inevitable that certain physiological reactions linked to a series of very powerful emotions take place, leading adolescents to change their interests and ways of acting, thinking a lot about sex.

For this reason, it is it is normal that it is in adolescence that one becomes aware of one's sexuality, since it is in this period that one's sexuality becomes clearer.It is in this period that the sexual awakening takes place. Boys and girls who are interested exclusively in people of the opposite gender will discover that they are heterosexual, while if they are interested in the same gender then they will see that they are homosexual. If they like both boys and girls, then they are bisexual.

Although much progress has been made in terms of acceptance of sexual orientation, today, many gay teenagers fear social and family rejection when they come out of the closet.. Even in the most apparently open-minded high schools it is common to see homophobic behavior among peers, attacking homosexual or bisexual kids who have not even revealed their sexuality because they still have doubts about what it is that they are attracted to.

Nor should we ignore the reality of asexual people. Unlike heteros, gays and bisexuals, asexual people do not feel sexual attraction, and can be considered both the absence of sexual attraction and a variation of the other orientations but in which there is no sexual desire.

Since they are still a very little visible group, asexual adolescents, far from understanding that they are, may think they have an arousal problem or that there is something wrong with them. That is why sex education and explaining all sexual realities is so important.