Development and Growth Assessment Project

Overview of the Subject 

Subject’s Name: Ms. X 

Address: Springville, Utah 

Phone: XXX 

Gender: Female 

Date of birth: April 6, 2005 

Place of Birth: [ Springville, Utah ] 

Race or Ethnic Background: White American 

Educational Level: High School 

Occupation: Student 

Theoretical Description of the Subjects Current Period of Life 

The Subject falls in the adolescence stage of development. Adolescence is the bio-social transition between childhood and adulthood (Curtis, 2015). Therefore, during the adolescence stage of development, a child experiences intensive growth and changes in almost all aspects of her physical, mental, social, and emotional life. The adolescence period of development is vital in the life of a human being, as it impacts on the subsequent stages of life (Curtis, 2015; Vasquez et al., 2019). The exponential growth, the experience acquired, responsibility, and relationship experienced at the adolescence stage of development frames the entire future of a person. Therefore, the behavioral characteristic of an adolescent is shaped by both cultural and physical changes. Adolescence can also be defined as the period of life that starts at puberty when sexual maturity is attained (Curtis, 2015). While the physical transformations in adolescents are universal, the social and psychological transition during adolescence varies depending on their cultural surroundings. 

Comparison of Physical Development 

The primary physical transformation that marks the beginning of adolescence is puberty or sexual maturity. Puberty is marked by exponential physical changes in both growth rate and sexual characteristics ( Özdemir et al., 2016 ). It is at this stage that the physical growth and development reaches its peak, with the human body finding its eventual form. In girls, rapid growth in height tends to occur in the two years preceding menarche, which at about the age of 10 or 11 years ( Özdemir et al., 2016 ). Physiologically, a girl attains the characteristics of a female in preparation for adulthood. A girl’s voice acquires shrillness and becomes sweet. They also develop secondary sexual characteristics at this stage. 

Like most adolescents, Ms. X underwent an exponential growth period at the age of 11 years. She experienced physical changes in the form of an increase in height as well as various secondary sex characteristics. By the age of 13, Ms. X had experienced her first menstrual cycle. In addition, there were significant changes in her physical characteristics, with the growth of breasts, the development of a rounded figure, and a decrease in the upper body strength. Furthermore, Ms. X also lost her childish voices, which transitioned significantly to resemble the voice of an adult female. The development of secondary sex characteristics can be linked to genes and her diet ( Özdemir et al., 2016 ). Although Ms.X has attained the primary female features due to genes and hormonal production, she has managed to maintain a lean body due to her rather strict diet. 

Comparison of Cognitive Development 

As an adolescent, Ms. X has become more abstract, logical, and idealistic. She has developed the ability to examine her thoughts, the thoughts of people around her, as well as what these people think about her (Vasquez et al., 2019). Ms. X manages to portray her new cognitive developmental changes through her improved cognitive and social awareness. At this stage of development, girls tend to begin thinking beyond concrete experience and start thinking more in abstract terms and reason about themselves (Vasquez et al., 2019). Therefore, unlike when she was a child, Ms. X has developed to become more idealistic. Due to her newfound hypothetical deductive reasoning, Ms. X is always ready to engage in an argument with her parents. In addition, her ability to be systematic in solving problems can be seen through her tendency to take care of her younger sibling. In addition to being idealistic, Ms. X has developed a specific kind of egocentrism. The primary contributors to egocentrism among adolescents are the imaginary audience and personal fable (Banerjee et al., 2015). Imaginary audience is the belief that people around adolescents are preoccupied with them; adolescents imagine that people are always observing their behavior and physical appearance. As a result, Ms. X is often wary about her appearance and behavior around people, particularly boys. She hates having a pimple; she is extremely self-conscious. On the other hand, personal fable is the part of adolescents’ egocentrism that makes the feel like no one understands them or their feelings (Banerjee et al., 2015). As a result, one is often overly emotional. As compared to when she was a child, Ms. X is involved in more fights with her mother because she feels like her mother does not understand her. 

In most instances, people form their identities as adolescents. Adolescents form their identity without the help of their parents at this stage. The detachment process facilitates the development of a personalized set of beliefs that are unique to an individual (Vasquez et al., 2019). While adolescents that can cope with conflicting identities develop a new sense of self, a person who is unable to deal with the multiple mixes of identities tends to isolate themselves from family members and peers. A quick transition between self-confidence and insecurity are common during adolescence. Ms. X is, most of the time, self-confident and likes to socialize with friends and families. Her outgoing traits are mainly influenced by factors, including the cultural background, family, and societal values, as well as their socio-economic status (Curtis, 2015). Ms. X lives in a household that is socio-economically well off and has a strong family bond. Her interaction with peers has helped refine her social skill. 

Comparison of Psychological Development 

Psychological development is another change that occurs during adolescence. During this stage, human beings undergo self-definition and personality development ( Özdemir et al., 2016 ). Adolescents start to manifest age-specific tasks and behaviors that are often associated with adults; this is observed in self-definition. However, the manifestation of psychological changes is not universal. Psychological development changes are influenced by both nature and nurture. Personality development is a process that begins during birth and continues to metamorphosize until death, depending on an individual’s exposure to various experiences ( Özdemir et al., 2016 ). As an adolescent, a person starts to take up social duties and attempts to live her life on her own, assuming an adult level of responsibility. In addition to that, an adolescent establishes new relationships, becomes selfish, complains about rules, and yearns for freedom and independence. Often, adolescents do not want to stay at home and wish to spend more time with their peers. 

While most of the aforementioned traits can be observed in Ms. X , some of these traits are non-existent. Ms. X is more outgoing and wishes to spend more time with her friends. Also, Ms. X has become more rebellious to the house rules and is often involved in an argument with her mother. The physical transformation, intrinsic enthusiasm, and developmental issues at this stage have led to the development of a sense of identity ( Özdemir et al., 2016 ). However, Ms. X does not struggle with self-acceptance like many adolescents. In addition, she has not picked up the primary social tasks and responsibility that is expected of a girl her age. The slight variation from the theoretical description of the psychological development changes in adolescence is as a result of her past and current experiences. 

In general, Ms. X portrays most of the stereotypical features of an adolescent. She has undergone physical changes in the form of an increase in height and the development of secondary sexual characteristics. In addition, she has also undergone cognitive and psychological changes. Nonetheless, Ms. X does not portray some of the traits that are expected of an adolescent. The slight variation in physical and cognitive and psychological features are mainly as a result of genetic uniqueness, and the nurturing environment, respectively. Nonetheless, Ms. X posses the main characteristics of a female in the adolescence growth and development stage. 

References 

Banerjee, S. C., Greene, K., Yanovitzky, I., Bagdasarov, Z., Choi, S. Y., & Magsamen-Conrad, K. (2015). Adolescent egocentrism and indoor tanning: is the relationship direct or mediated?.  Journal of youth studies ,  18 (3), 357-375. 

Curtis, A. C. (2015). Defining adolescence.  Journal of Adolescent and Family Health ,  7 (2), 2. 

Özdemir, A., Utkualp, N., & Palloş, A. (2016). Physical and psychosocial effects of the changes in adolescence period.  International Journal of Caring Sciences ,  9 (2), 717. 

Vasquez, B. S. G., Martinez, C. J. B., Martinez, M. E. M., & Vasquez, M. A. I. (2019). Brain and learning on adolescence stage.  International research journal of engineering, IT & scientific research ,  5 (5), 1-7.