The most evident changes in adolescent development are the physical changes. James M. Tanner. In one of his famous works, Growth at Adolescence, Tanner explored and “divided the key physical changes of adolescence” in both males and females (Steffof, 1990, p. 25). He was famous for creating the Tanner stages of adolescent development, which it goes through “a series of five stages that can be clearly marked and defined. These stages range from prepubescent (stage one) to adult (stage five)” (Steffof, 1990, p. 25). Even though there are different changes within males and females, “the end results are the same for all adolescents: they achieve sexual, or reproductive, maturity and they arrive at their full adult size and strength” (Steffof, 1990,
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Even though their physical changes in the development are different, they still gradually end up where they both are adults. However, unlike physical changes within the adolescent development, males and females go through changes cognitively and emotionally that are both very different within males and females. Steffof explains how “but just as each individual develops physically at a different rate and in a slightly different way, the psychological development of adolescent is a highly individual process” (p. 37). The most famous and the founder of the intellectual development of adolescents was Jean Piaget. Piaget was a “Swiss psychologist” who was “considered the growth of intellect, or thinking mind, during adolescent years to represent the flowering of the final, mature stage of human understanding” (Steffof, 1990, p. 38). Similarly to Tanner, Piaget believed how children go through different stages of learning, which he then “created a model of cognitive, or mental, growth in which individual passes through four stages of intellectual development on the way from infancy to maturity” (Steffof, 1990, p. …show more content…
Piaget defined schema as “an organized system of actions or a mental representation that people use to understand the world and interact with it” (Nevid, 2007). Schema further develops and supports Piaget’s idea of how acquiring knowledge is a process. This is because he believed children are born with the most basic schemas, and those schemas later change over time as children learn to adapt and grow to meet the challenges in one’s environment effectively. With these two major ideas, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development includes “four major levels or periods, each divided into sub periods designated as stages” (Thomas, 2000, p. 256). The four stages are: the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operational stage. One thing Piaget did when defining or differentiating these four levels was grouping them with ages. However, it is important to not be as fixated on the ages as Piaget
Even though their physical changes in the development are different, they still gradually end up where they both are adults. However, unlike physical changes within the adolescent development, males and females go through changes cognitively and emotionally that are both very different within males and females. Steffof explains how “but just as each individual develops physically at a different rate and in a slightly different way, the psychological development of adolescent is a highly individual process” (p. 37). The most famous and the founder of the intellectual development of adolescents was Jean Piaget. Piaget was a “Swiss psychologist” who was “considered the growth of intellect, or thinking mind, during adolescent years to represent the flowering of the final, mature stage of human understanding” (Steffof, 1990, p. 38). Similarly to Tanner, Piaget believed how children go through different stages of learning, which he then “created a model of cognitive, or mental, growth in which individual passes through four stages of intellectual development on the way from infancy to maturity” (Steffof, 1990, p. …show more content…
Piaget defined schema as “an organized system of actions or a mental representation that people use to understand the world and interact with it” (Nevid, 2007). Schema further develops and supports Piaget’s idea of how acquiring knowledge is a process. This is because he believed children are born with the most basic schemas, and those schemas later change over time as children learn to adapt and grow to meet the challenges in one’s environment effectively. With these two major ideas, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development includes “four major levels or periods, each divided into sub periods designated as stages” (Thomas, 2000, p. 256). The four stages are: the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operational stage. One thing Piaget did when defining or differentiating these four levels was grouping them with ages. However, it is important to not be as fixated on the ages as Piaget