Characteristics of Early Adolescents

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Characteristics of Early Adolescents

• Charlotte Faulkner

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Four Types of Development

• Emotional
• Physical
• Social
• Intellectual

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Emotional Characteristics of Early Adolescents

• Often make exaggerated responses to anything with
  sexual implications
• Many conflicts within
• Desires attention, sometimes without regard to
  how it is secured
• Rapid shifts and variations of moods
• Believe adults do not understand, can become
  rebellious

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Emotional Characteristics of Early Adolescents
(cont.)

• May be inconsiderate of others
• Basically optimistic, hopeful
• Emerging sense of humor
• Believe personal problems, experiences and
  feelings are unique to self
• Searching for the answer to Who am I?

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Physical Characteristics of Early
Adolescents

• Girls are usually taller and more physically
  advanced than boys
• Uneven bone-muscle growth and /or
  disproportionate changes in weight and muscle
  development result in awkwardness
• Sexual maturation is occurring
• Alternating periods of extreme restlessness and
  fatigue
• Extremely sensitive about physical appearance and
  personal body development

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Physical Characteristics of Early
Adolescents (cont.)

• Self-esteem and self-concept relate to degree of
  physical development
• Chemical and hormonal imbalances often occur in
  each gender
• Experience rapid growth resulting in increased
  nutritional demands
• Frequent opportunities for physical movement, for
  rest, and change of activity are needed

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Social Characteristics of Early Adolescents

• Family allegiances diminish and peer groups
  become stronger, but still dependent on parental
  values
• Desire to make personal choices
• Strong desire for social acceptance
• Conformity to group norms
• Heterosexual relations grow, but same sex friends
  dominate with both genders
• Time has almost no steady meaning

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Social Characteristics of Early Adolescents
(cont.)

• Fluctuate between desire for regulation and
  direction and their will desire for independence
• Willing to work and sacrifice for social rewards
• Test limits of acceptable behavior
• Need frequent reinforcement that significant
  adults including parents care
• Often confused and frightened by new settings
  including school

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Intellectual Characteristics of Early
Adolescents

• Enjoy both intellectual and manipulative
  activities
• Prefer active involvement in learning
• Learning most interesting when related to their
  immediate goals and interests
• Argue to clarify their own thinking and to
  convince others
• Vivid imaginations
• Minds so preoccupied with other issues, they
  forget personal-social concerns have priority
  over academic matters

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Intellectual Characteristics of Early
Adolescents (cont.)

• Seek to find causal and correlative relationships
• Begin to understand abstract ideas, but research
  indicates many remain in concrete operations
  stage
• Like to discuss their experiences with adults
• See relationships among similar concepts, ideas,
  and experiences and make inferences
• Exhibit independent, critical thinking

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References

• This We Believe (NMSA, 1992)
• Caught in the Middle (California State Department
  of Education, 1987)
• The Exemplary Middle School (W.M. Alexander and
  P.S. George, 1993)