"Buy it, use it, break it, fix it, Trash it, change it, mail - upgrade it," Daft Punk

These are awful, well I think so, you may nice and just say 'yeah rob thats really good', the problem is that its too late to be properly revised for my exam. Again my error, we live and learn tho. That phrase is quite relevent to this topic, aah how I amuse myself, anywho... to the batcave!

Research of adolescence

First things first, what I think happens is that all the 'studies' etc don't take place in labs, but in the children's natural habitat (ha I actually said this aloud like David Attenborough!) and as such just observe what happens as the kids grow up applying their theories and models etc etc. So if I or you can't find the specifics of their study i.e. how many kids took part, what culture, age group etc they were from, it's probably best in the exam you mention what they suggest not as a citation, but in text. I don't know whether that makes sense, but I don't have time to test myself, so do what you thinks best.

Adolescent changes can be broken up into several sections.

Physical development

• Hormone changes
• Reproductive development
• Height and weight changes
• Secondary sexual characteristics (distinguishes between sexes not based on reproductive organs)

      Effects of puberty include some cognitive changes like egocentrism (i.e. the world revolves around you), and personal fable (a type of egocentrism, where they don't think other people's experiences are similar, that theirs are unique).

There can be some psychological effects of body changes, such as being consciously overweight for boys and girls can affect their image and lower ones self-esteem, and girls underweight being most satisfied with their appearance.


Postpuberty males tend to experience high self-esteem, while postpubertal girls often go through dissatisfaction. As people get older they become more satisfied with their body image.

The image that children aim to be is being manipulated (altered) by the media and consumerism from dols with tiny waists, and sluty clothing.

Self-concept

Has several sections, which motivates and directs behaviours. The self-concept is a bit wild through their moratorium period., but calms down with age.

• Locus of control (Rotter, 1954) is the extent that someone believes they are in control of their situation. If someone has high external locus of control then they believe that others, fate, powerful people and luck have more of an effect of their lives than they do themeselves. Whereas people with high internal locus of control believe that events are a result of their own behaviour.
• High internal locus of controls were believed by Rotter (1966) to exhibit two essential characteristics: high achievement motivation and low outer-directedness.
• Whereas low internal locus of controls were believed to show anxiety, impulsivity, irritability, resentment, alienation, depressive states and low self-esteem (sound like nice people).

How do you see yourself?

• Self-esteem is also multi-dimentional and includes as mentioned above one's physical appearence and image beliefs. This is a major factor of self-esteem in adolescence, BUT the opinions of others that are highly rates (e.g. ur best friend) also count a lot (Harter, 1990).

• Our identity is used to structure our comprehension of who we are (yes it's very vague). However it does give a direction and point as we constuct our identity, and helps us make choices about who we are compared to any alternatives. Our identity includes our morals (values, beliefs and commitments etc) and so makes us realise our actual potential.

Erikson's 1968 fidelity stage of development can be again separated into 4 stages of identity diffusion:

1. Challenging intimacy
2. The diffusion of time perspectives
3. The diffusion of industry
4. And negative identities.

Diffusion: to figure out how to avoid the anxieties of an undefined identity.

• Immediate sensation seeking
• Commitments to any

To escape inferiority, alienation, and ambivalence they may become avoident (of pretty much anything related to subjects surrounding the 'issues'. I imagine that point where your parents ask you how your day was and you say... "yeah it was alright". Although lets me honest your saving them torment, I mean who really wants to listen to some little brat's boring stories. jeez just grow up and be awesome [I've been watching too much How I met your mother]). The children might cope by withdrawing themselves socially, conforming to others, or manipulating (don't know why they'd manipulate..). Adolescents have the highest levels of psychological and interpersonal problems (ha I'm guessing the girls have more, 5!)


Marcia (1966) studied the formation of identity and identified four different stages that an adolescent can be at any given time, through the attainments of commitments, and the adolescent's state of exploration of themselves.

The two 'identity diffusion' stages are described just above.... Whereas...
 Foreclosure - quiet, orderly, industrious, authoritarian values, they appear to conform to other's expectations, and need support as well as, value and structure systems from others, and require a very high need for social approval, and lowest levels of autonomy (right to self govern a country or group), and less likely to establish solidarity in group contexts or show signs of emotional tension. (I think we've just described the stereotypical geek).
Moratorium - remember that gap where society let the little nippers run riot (to a degree) to get used to themselves, and don't have any commitments. High anxiety and conflict with authority, but a stable sense of self-esteem. High levels of moral reasoning and cognitive complexity (probably so they can figure out who they are without being biased by any commitments). explorative and introspective thoughts and behaviours (a self inspection i.e. monitoring their own thoughts, perceptions, and goals) Baumeister thought that the adolescents 'intensly ground and scrutinised' (really badly worded sorry) values and veliefs, and took the time to translate their abstract beliefs into goals.
Identity Achievers - psychologically healthier, highest level of cognitive complexity, future orientated (that frontal lobe is going crental), have a good balance between individuation and social friendships for relatedness (support and shizzle).

So roughly the identity is the entire concept of one's self including physical, sexual, social, vocational, moral, idealogical and psychological changes. The adolescents often have temporary identities, and use escape to avoid unpleasantries while their identity isn't completely formed. The physical and sexual identities are formed first (probably starts because of the most obvious physical changes).

I apologise for how awful that was, but don't blame me, blame science.

Next Post

If I have time i'll do some more, probably be in more of a note form and only the important bits. I'll edit it some other time when I free.

Some fun for now

For the guys a picture

Something to keep the girls busy ;-)

And in keeping with the daft punk title, here's a video