UNIT 3 EMOTIONAL AND

PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES
Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Concept and meaning of psychosocial and emotional changes
3.2.1 Psychosocial Changes during Adolescence
3.2.2 Emotional Changes during Adolescence

3.3 Aspects of Psychosocial and Emotional changes among adolescent

3.3.1 Identity formation
3.3.2 Influence of peer group
3.3.3 Experimentation: Curiosity and Exploration
3.3.4 Conflicts with family/ elders over control
3.3.5 Mood fluctuation
3.3.6 Role Model (Hero worship)

3.4 Role of teachers

3.5 Role of parents
3.6 Let Us Sum up
3.7 Key Words
3.8 Answers to Check Your Progress
3.9 References

3.0 OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit, you will be able to:
 list the various emotional and psychosocial changes that occur during
adolescence;
 discuss the various aspects of identity formation, hero worship and peer
pressure;
 state the causes and impact of experimentation, mood swings and conflict
with adults during adolescence; and
 describe your role as a teacher and parent in helping the adolescent to deal
with these changes positively.

3.1 INTRODUCTION
You have just read about the physical and cognitive changes in adolescence.
However, during this phase there are many emotional and psychosocial changes
too which lead to the development of the personality of the individual.
Almost all physical changes may be accompanied by marked mental and
37
psychological changes. Though physical change may be visible, mental and
Growth and Development emotional change takes time to be apparent. It is usually a period of turbulence.
During Adolescence
Adolescents face ongoing conflict and difficulty adapting to the sudden upsurge
of sexual and aggressive drives. These changes cause unrest and confusion in the
adolescents’ inner selves and in the way they perceive the world. From an
adolescent’s point of view “It is the age at which he is old enough to pay adult
prices for the movie but is not allowed to see adult movies.” No longer a child
but still not an adult.

3.2 CONCEPT AND MEANING OF

PSYCHOSOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL
CHANGES
Adolescent maturation is a personal phase of psychological changes and
development where children have to establish their identies, own beliefs, values,
and what they want to accomplish in life. This self-evaluation process leads to the
beginning of long-range goal setting, emotional and social independence, and the
making of a mature adult.
The psychological growth during this period results in a variety of types of
behaviour. A wide variety of behaviour changes should be considered within the
normal realm for adolescents. It may sometimes be difficult to distinguish between
normal and abnormal behaviour, and a normal adolescent from a disturbed one.

3.2.1 Psychosoical changes during Adolescence

It is a critical phase and this changes happens in span of three important sub-
phases as discussed below:
a) Early adolescence corresponds to ages 10 to 14 years, when most of
them are in middle school. Most are progressing through puberty, intensely
aware of physical changes, often leading to many body image issues. They
have rapid wide mood swings, become easily upset and emotional, and
alternate between extreme cooperation and extreme resistance to adult
guidance. They form close friendships with same-sex peers.
b) Middle adolescence, typically ages 15 to 17 years, finds youth continuing
education in high school or seeking employment. Puberty usually is complete,
and adult size is approaching. Middle adolescents struggle the most with the
development of self-identity, and autonomy. Risk-taking behaviour
involving driving, substance use, and/or sexual activity may have harmful
consequences. Experimentation seems to be a normal part of mid-adolescent
development. Sexually, most middle adolescents are now establishing their
sexual identity with attraction to the opposite sex, and sometimes, to the
same sex. It is a period of immense stress with board exams and career
choices. They have a lot of energy which should be channelized in the right
direction by giving positive strokes for their psychological and emotional well
being.
c) Late adolescence refers to the years in college, from age 17 to 19 years.
Most late adolescents are physically adult, accepted as adults in their
environments, and are more mature. They become ‘major’ at 18 years and
38
can drive a car and vote. Girls can legally get married. In some states they
 can also drink alcohol. They are self-supporting or pursuing educational or Emotional and
Psychosocial Changes
vocational training. Their self-identity is established. Late adolescents have
a well-established sexual identity, and the ability to have intimate relationships
that satisfy the emotional and sexual needs of both partners. Yet some may
have not yet reached the level of psychosocial maturity that would facilitate
a healthy family life for themselves, or their partners.
PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES IN ADOLESCENCE AND RELATED
ISSUES
 Body image concerns – leading to low self-esteem.
 Need for acceptance in peer group - friendships with same sex and opposite
sex.
 Experimentation and risk taking behaviour-smoking, drinking, drug abuse.
 Attraction towards opposite sex – dating, crushes, heartbreaks, infatuation,
etc.
 Conflicts with parents and family/elders.
 Establishing identity and wanting independence.
 Clarifying personal value system.
 Setting goals and career
planning.
 Antisocial behaviour.
 Media influences.
 Internet – chatting, blogging,
facebook, etc.
 Gender discrimination.
 Diet fads.
 Physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
 Bullying - Around 1 in 10 secondary school children is bullied at some point,
about 1 in 20 is bullied every week.
The five Is of psychosocial development are:
a) Independence: Adolescents need to become less dependent on parents.
The dependence begins to shift from parents to peers and from existing to
new belief systems in order to achieve independence. This shift is strong and
may manifest in the form of rebellion against parents and elders or guardians.
As they become more independent, young people want to try out new
things and experiment, but often recognize that they have little experience
to fall back on when things get difficult. This may produce rapid changes in
self-confidence and behaviour – feeling very adult one minute, very young
and inexperienced the next. In India, girls are usually given less independence
than boys leading to a gender discrimination.
b) Identity: Adolescents usually look out for a renewed self-image and identity.
They search for answers to the questions like: “Who am I? What can I be?”
This process involves doubts and experimentation. Identity crisis in 39
Growth and Development adolescents makes their behaviour difficult to understand. Media becomes
During Adolescence
a very powerful source of influence in this stage, especially movies and
television. These provide adolescents with role models like film heroes,
great athletes, etc., whom they try to emulate. Such models help the
adolescents realize their fantasies and dreams. Body image becomes a very
important concern for the adolescents. Not only body image, its gender
identity, professional identity child and adult identity which also brings out
many crisis and psychological reaction.
c) Intimacy and Independency: They are quite often driven towards search
for intimate relationships, with a feeling of love and also a desire to be loved.
They make close relationships outside the family, with peers. Relationships
within the family also change. The adolescents often get into conflicts with
their parents and elders since they want to break away from their control.
As the adolescent strive to become independent, he detaches himself from
his parents but is yet financially dependent on them. This mixed state of
dependency confuses and irritates them. Attraction towards members
of the opposite sex is another prominent characteristic of the adolescent.
This is natural and occurs mainly because of the sexual maturity taking place
among the adolescents. Sex related emotional experiences like ‘crushes’
and ‘infatuation’ also begin to surface during this period. Many girls in India
are married in adolescence, and may become mothers. Some adolescents
however, face emotional, physical or sexual abuse at this tender age.
d) Integrity: Adolescents develop a foundation for sorting out values. Parents
provide a base for this. However, there is a tremendous amount of other
inputs at this phase - peers, media, school, and society. The adolescents also
begin to acquire beliefs, opinions, attitudes and stereotypes about society
based upon their own understanding. Adolescents also face an information
explosion through TV, magazines, radio and other media. Traditional values
learnt at home confront modern values leading to confusion over value system.
e) Intellect and Idealism: you have already learnt that the adolescent’s
intellectual capacity develops and changes from concrete thinking to abstract
thinking. Adolescents become capable of conceptual thinking and
understanding logic and deductive reasoning. Some adolescents tend to see
things from an idealistic point of view. This involves trying out new
experiences, some of which may be risky or even dangerous. Young people
can crave excitement in a way that most adults find difficult to understand
- and exciting activities may be dangerous. When they do experiment –
with drink or drugs or smoking – it is usually with friends.

3.2.2 EMOTIONAL CHANGES DURING

ADOLESCENCE
All changes in life bring out emotional reactions as all stage of life. While adults
are able to cope but adolescents need positive support to cope.
As you have read, the onset of puberty brings physical changes among the
adolescents. These changes are often accompanied by emotional reactions. The
adolescent is exposed to new social situations, patterns of behaviour and societal
expectations which bring a sense of insecurity. It has been found that there is
40
increase in the incidence of depression. The adolescents show the tendency of Emotional and
Psychosocial Changes
impulsive urges to take immediate action which often leads to risk taking
behaviour.
Let us list the Emotional Changes during Adolescence as below
 Emotional ability understanding their feelings.
 Impulsiveness
 Preoccupied with body image
 Frequent mood changes and mood swings
 Self-exploration and evaluation of their emotions
 Confused at times
 Poor coping skills – succumb to stress and emotions
 Day dreaming and fantasizing
 Attention-seeking behaviour to feel wanted.
Emotional changes and Problems
During adolescence, the individual faces a wide range and variety of emotions.
These include both positive emotions like love, happiness, joy, as well as negative
emotions. like sadness, depression, unhappiness, anxiety. In addition, feelings of
anger, rebellion and protest also emerge. Interestingly, emotions of loyalty, patriotism
and sacrifice for the nation also develop during adolescence.
Each of the above emotions is felt very intensely. Adolescents tend to express
everything in an exaggerated form e.g., “I love cakes”, or “I hate that person”.
Mood swings also occur quite frequently. Sometimes they are happy, sometimes
sad. Sometimes they have a high degree of patriotic zeal, but a few minutes later
they become disillusioned or angry. This makes their behaviour somewhat
unpredictable. You have already learnt earlier that due to rapid physical changes
taking place in an adolescent, a conscious and increased interest about one’s own
body develops. The body image can bring a sense of fun, pride, shyness or even
unhappiness and low self-esteem.
Emotional problems will often affect school work. Pressure to do well and to
pass exams may come from parents or teachers, but adolescents usually want to
do well and will push themselves. Examination stress is enormous in our country.
The hormonal changes in adolescence lead to heightened emotions. They become
more emotional and sensitive. Casual comments by their teachers, friends or
family can make them cry or go into fits of anger. They are also impulsive and
do not stop to think about the consequences of their actions.
Anxiety may produce phobias and panic attacks. During their adolescence,
teenagers may think so little of themselves that life does not seem worth living.
They may even attempt suicide. In spite of these powerful feelings, depression
may not be obvious to other people.
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Growth and Development
During Adolescence 3.3 ASPECTS OF EMOTIONAL AND
PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES AMONG
ADOLESCENT
After reading emotional and psychosocial changes in adolescencs. Now let us discuss
the other aspects also as follows:

3.3.1 Identity formation

13 year old Rashmi is very confused. Yesterday was her 8 year old brother’s
birthday and she was very excited and wanted to join in the party games. Her
mother scolded her and said that she was too old for them and instead should
help her. Today her mother’s friends came over for a kitty party and Rashmi
wanted to sit and listen to the juicy gossip when her mother once again
scolded her and said that she was too young to listen to it! Was she young
or old – a child or an adult?
This is the dilemma that all adolescents face which leads to the identity crisis
“Who am I?” “Where am I going?” “What will I become?”
Identity, or a sense of sameness and continuity, must be searched for. It is a
turning point in an adolescent’s life. He wants to become independent but
parents are not ready to let go. He finds solace and empathy in his peers which
further estranges him from his parents. He becomes touchy and sensitive, and
irrationally emotional. He gets confused over his own behaviour, and thus gets an
‘identity crisis’.
Erik Erikson in his theory of personality coined the phrase “identity crisis”.
Here identity means the quest for answers to ‘who am I?” and “where am I
going?” – in other words self identity. The word ‘crisis’ means turning point in
the life of an individual.
The task confronting adolescents is to consolidate the knowledge learnt about
themselves and integrate all these self images to give a new identity. Identity must
be acquired through sustained individual effort. The search for an identity involves
the establishment of a meaningful self-concept in which past, present, and future
are brought together.
Of great concern for many adolescents is the issue of developing a vocational
identity, and during the initial attempts some unrealistic choices are not uncommon.
Furthermore, goal aspirations are often much higher than warranted by the
individual’s perseverance and ability. Frequently, the adolescent is attracted to
vocational goals that are attainable by only a very few: models, actors, rock
musicians, athletic champions, car racers, astronauts, and other socially glamorized
“heroes.” In the process, the adolescents over identify with and idolize their role
models and heroes to the extent that they forsake their own identity to imitate
the heroes.
At this point, adolescents rarely identify with their parents; on the contrary, they
often rebel against parental control, value systems, and intrusions into their private
life. This is a necessary part of growing up, since youths must separate their own
identity from that of their family and develop autonomy in order to attaint maturity.
42 The adolescent’s search for a personal identity also includes the action of a
personal ideology or a philosophy of life that will give the individual a frame Emotional and
Psychosocial Changes
of reference for evaluating events. Such a perspective aids in making choices and
guiding behaviour, and in this sense a personal identity based on a philosophy of
life may greatly influence the value orientation of the individual.
Finally, the sexual identity is an important aspect of our identity, and this also
develops in the adolescent, along with the sexual orientation. A positive outcome
of the identity crisis depends on the young person’s willingness to accept his or
her own past and establish continuity with previous experiences.The adolescent
must develop a commitment to a system of values – religious beliefs, vocational
goals, a philosophy of life-and accept his or her sexuality.
The adolescent who fails in the search for an identity will experience self-
doubt, and role confusion; such an individual may indulge in a self-destructive
one-sided preoccupation. He or she will continue to be morbidly preoccupied
with the opinion of others or may turn to the other extreme of no longer caring
what others think and withdraw or turn to drugs or alcohol in order to relieve the
anxiety. In its most severe form, the clinical picture of identity confusion may lead
to suicide or suicide attempts.
Check Your Progress 1
a) Name three emotional changes that occur in adolescence.
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
b) State the five “Is” of psychosocial development in adolescence.
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................................................................................................................
c) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:
i) During adolescence ............................... are felt very intensely.
ii) During adolescence there is movement away from parents towards....
iii) Frequent ......................... lead to the unpredictability of adolescent
emotions.
iv) ....................crisis is often seen in adolescence.
3.3.2 Influence of peer group: (Social Changes)
Let us read few examples to know about social changes as given below:
Examples: Smita spends her free time talking on her mobile phone with her
friends or sending SMS’s to them. Ravi and his friends daily go for tuition together,
and study as a group. There is healthy competition between them and they all help
each other excel in their studies. Pankaj was the only boy in his group who did
not smoke or drink, but last week on his 18th birthday party he was forced to
43
Growth and Development drink by his friends. Kanchan has a fight everyday with her mother, since she is
During Adolescence
not allowed to wear short skirts while all her friends do so.
JOKE
An 105 year old man was asked by a reporter “What is the best thing about
being 105 years old?
The man replied instantly “No peer pressure”.
The term ‘Peer’ stands for persons of the same age and profession as that of the
individual. They could be his/her friends, colleagues, or neighbours. The term
‘pressure’ indicates influence or force. Thus the term peer pressure indicates
influence of people having similar interest on the individual’s belief, behaviour and
attitudes.
Peer pressure is the pressure, stress or strain people feel from friends and
classmates to act, behave, think and look a certain way. This kind of pressure can
cover everything from fashion to academics, sex and dating. Peer pressure can
be either negative, where someone is forced into doing something that they
know is negative (e.g., drugs, smoking, or pressure to have sex) or positive –
for example, a teen whose friends are all high achievers in school will feel pressure
to also be successful. Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer
group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behaviour
in order to conform to group norms. Peer pressure can cause people to do things
they would not normally do, e.g., bunk school, eve teasing, take drugs, smoke,
get a girlfriend, marry, have a job, etc. Anyone can be affected by peer
pressure; however, teens with low-self esteem due to poor emotional /
psychological well being are most likely to fall victim to negative peer
pressure.
Peer pressure also has positive influences like information sharing, confidence
building, emotional sharing and above all identity formation. For example, if one
is involved with a group of people that are ambitious and working to succeed, one
might feel pressured to follow suit to avoid feeling excluded from the group.
Therefore, the youth would be pressured into improving themselves, bettering
them in the long run. This is most commonly seen in youths that are active in
sports or other extracurricular activities.
Youth peer pressure is one of the most frequently referred to forms of negative
peer pressure. It is particularly common because most young people spend
large amounts of time in fixed groups (schools and colleges and subgroups within
them) regardless of their opinion of those groups. In addition to this, they may
lack the maturity and skills to handle pressure from ‘friends’. Nearly eight
hours are usually spent communicating with peers, but only eight percent of this
time is spent talking to adults. Consequently, conflict between adolescents and
their parents increase at this time as adolescents strive to create a separation and
sense of independence.
Tips for adolescents to resist peer pressure when it’s having a negative
impact
 Develop life skills: Assertiveness and negotiation. Even though it’s tough
44 to say “no” they can do it if they believe in themselves.
 Safety in numbers: It can really make things a lot easier if they have at least Emotional and
Psychosocial Changes
one other friend who is on their side.
 Remember that the values that their parents taught them will make them
stronger in handling peer pressure.
 Since it is rather difficult to always say ‘No’ to friends, try and choose
likeminded people as friends.

3.3.3 Experimentation: Curiosity and Exploration

Kanha is a 18 year old boy. One day he goes with his friends to a party. His
friends all drink beer and dance and have a lot of fun. Kanha does not touch
the beer. His friend Chetan drives the car back home. Chetan wants to
impress the girls in the car and therefore drives fast and rashly. They crash into
a tree. Chetan and Kanha die on the spot while the others have major injuries.
This is unfortunately a reality that the commonest cause of death amongst
adolescents is accidents. They love daring feats, speed, excitement and taking
risks without thinking about their consequences.
Adolescents are basically fun loving, enthusiastic, energetic, daring, and full of
life. They are naturally curious and willing to explore new avenues and
experiment in new things – be it dressing styles, new gadgets, new foods, or
even drugs, smoking, alcohol or sex.
Adolescence is the age of learning new things and experimentation is a part of
learning. This involves trying out new experiments, some of which may be risky
and even dangerous. They do this for various reasons:
 To behave like adults
 Because of Peer pressure
 For the sake of curiosity and finding out for themselves.
Therefore, it is important for us to impart education and equip them with the life
skills to try out their newly learned abstract thinking like critical thinking and self
awareness are all those issues which may affect their lives adversely could be
handled in a positive manner.
Adult need to understand that teenagers have not fully developed the ability to
evaluate situations and to make accurate judgements about risks. Teens tend to
underestimate risks and overestimate their own abilities. As a result, they are often
act to accept a dare from a friend that can lead to dangerous risk-taking and
illegal or self-destructive behaviour. Some may try feats beyond their physical
abilities without full appreciation of the danger. Adults working with this age group
should nurture independence and at the same time set boundaries for acceptable
behaviour.
Rahul is a 17 year old boy who goes to school. His parents have recently
started noticing some changes in him – he has stopped playing football, he
comes home late at nights and sleeps all day and often misses school. He is
irritable and is constantly asking for money. His mother suspects that he may
be stealing money from her purse. His school results are suffering and his
45
Growth and Development principal has issued a warning. Ultimately, their parents find out that Rahul is
During Adolescence
taking drugs. He started experimenting with drugs just for fun. His parents
have no money or courage to take their son to a de- addiction center. They
are frightened that Rahul will be suspended from school.
In our country the menace of drugs has come to stay. Recent National level data
indicates that 3.5 per cent of 15-19 years girls chew and 0.1 per cent smoke
tobacco while 28.6 per cent of 15-19 years boys chew and 12.3 per cent smoke
tobacco. 11 % of boys of the same age group drink alcohol (NFHS-3). Any
person who has ever tried a drug has 80 per cent chances of taking it again.
Hence experimentation is not to be allowed since it may lead to addiction.
Shikha and Paras have been going steady for two years. One evening Paras
invites Shikha to his home since his parents were going out and they could be
alone. She agrees, but later repents since Paras takes advantage of their
privacy and forces her into a physical relationship.
During adolescence individuals feel attracted to people of the opposite sex.
This is a normal process of growing up. However, all attraction cannot be
categorized as sexual attraction. In the age of adolescence, a boy or girl may like
to talk to each other, praise their intellect and beauty, share their books and notes
– all these are simply a likeness and friendship. In addition, at this age young
people witness change in their body resulting into some behavioural change and
that raises their curiosity to know the opposite sex. About one in five males and
about one in twenty females have engaged in sex before marriage. For some
adolescents, curiosity about sex leads them to commercial sex workers. Often
they are incidences of unprotected sex, leading to unwanted teenage
pregnancies, illegal abortions, STIs and HIV/AIDS. In some cases, there
may be attraction to the same sex.
Adults should therefore encourage the enthusiasm and curiosity of their adolescent
while maintaining strict limits which should not be crossed.

3.3.4 Conflicts with family/elders over control

Prabha has locked herself in her room for two days and refuses to come out
and talk to her parents. Her mother did not allow her to attend the class
farewell party since it involved staying out late at night.Gagan has a passion
for dancing and acting and wants to pursue it as a career. His father wants
him to become a doctor and look after the big nursing home he owns.
Everyday they have arguments over this issue and Gagan is very frustrated
and upset and wants to run away from home.
The early years of adolescence are associated with transformations in family
relationships and with the emergence of conflict between young adolescents and
their parents. Research indicates that parent-adolescent conflict increases during
the middle school years and involves the everyday events of family life. While
growing up the adolescents want to act like adults and take independent decisions.
In such a process the moral values, attitudes, and religious beliefs are often
questioned and they form their own opinions that may be radically different from
those of parents and elders.
When communication starts breaking down, emotional tension increases.
46 Communication becomes more difficult and conflict can spin out of control. Parents
and their teens both share frustration, stress, time pressures, disappointment, Emotional and
Psychosocial Changes
financial stress, and fear of failure. They both want the best for each other. How
they deal with these feelings and desires can create disconnects, or can also be
a basis for managing conflict constructively.
Underlying all constructive conflict management is understanding and feeling that
you are understood. Knowing that you are understood creates respect for you
and your position. Understanding a situation from the other’s perspective creates
an environment that fosters formulation of mutually beneficial solutions. Stephen
Covey says it best. “Seek first to understand. Then be understood”. This is much
easier said than done.
As adults we should respect the adolescents and build confidence in them having
regular talk with them. That will build their skills to convey their opinion in a more
flexible, respectful manner with the elders.

3.3.5 Mood Fluctuation

Preeti is very upset these days since she cannot understand her daughter
Ananya these days. Sometimes Ananya is very angry at her for small things
like the breakfast menu and shouts at her and even broke the plate once. At
other times she just lies down in bed and looks depressed and refuses to talk.
Preeti talks to her friend Sujata who is a trained counsellor. Sujata explains
to Preeti that these ‘mood swings’ are a normal part of adolescence.
Activity
Think about any adolescent close to you. Have you noticed any mood swings
in his/her behaviour?
According to G. Stanley Hall adolescence is a period of “storm and stress.” this
period of time would be marked by turmoil, turbulence, and frustrated idealism,
regardless of environmental factors. On the other hand, social anthropologist
Margaret Mead did studies that showed that cultural, spiritual, and familial factors
played a role in whether or not a teenager ever experienced mood swings, and
that different cultures had different experiences. Most researchers agree that it is
a combination of biological and emotional factors that affect a teenager’s
mood.
Let us read about the factors which leads to mood fluctuation
Biological Factors
The brain reaches 90% of its full size by the age of six. Recently researchers have
discovered that the brain continues to grow and develop through adolescence
much more than originally thought. The last to develop is the area of the brain
responsible for judgement, self-control, and planning. This means that while
teenagers have very strong emotions and passions, they don’t have the mechanisms
in place to control these emotions. This is one reason behind teenage mood
swings.
Another biological factor is that this is when the body starts producing sex
hormones as well as going through a major growth spurt. The physical changes
that teens experience cause them to feel strange and perhaps confused or
uncomfortable, and this erodes their sense of security. Because of the effect that
this has on their psychological state, they may strike out or experience conflicting 47
Growth and Development moods. Pre menstrual mood swings are common in girls due to the changing
During Adolescence
hormones.

Emotional Factors

Teenagers have not yet developed the ability to deal with the pressures, frustrations,
and anxieties of life. As their lives become more complicated and adult-like, they
don’t have the built-in coping mechanisms that adults have developed to help
them deal, so they are prone to react very emotionally to situations. Also, teenagers
are typically very preoccupied with identity formations and becoming entities
with lives separate from those of their parents. This, again, can cause confusion
or frustration.

Mood swings can leave a teenager feel like they’re out of control, which is a
very uncomfortable state for anyone to be in. Of course, if the mood swings are
severely abnormal or prolonged the teen should see a professional about other
possible issues. In India, as many as 12.8 % adolescents suffer from mental
health disorders, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. Of
these, about 3 – 4 % are clinically depressed. During adolescence, girls are twice
as likely as boys to develop depression as they undergo far more hormonal
change and feel gender related discrimination at the age of adolescence.

Normal teenage mood swings can make a teenager feel unbalanced, though, and
are not to be taken lightly. Here are some tips for what your teen can do when
dealing with a mood swing:

 Talking to a friend or peer who is dealing with the same issues will make
them feel less abnormal and help them realize that they are not crazy.

 Take a breather: Stepping back and trying to look at the situation from
another angle, counting to ten, or just sitting with the uncomfortable feelings
for a moment will help the teen to realize that it’s not as bad as it seems.

 Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins into the blood stream, and these
chemicals can help to regulate mood and ease frustration.

 Get plenty of rest: Regular sleep helps keep the mind in tip-top shape.

 Get creative: Painting, drawing, writing, or building something can help a

teen to express their emotions in a healthy way.

 Wait: The mood may pass as quickly as it struck; wait before acting out on
extreme emotions. It won’t last forever.

Mood swings can be very difficult to deal with. However, your teenager needs
your support more than ever when they are feel low, self-conscious and
embarrassed. Focus on what you love in him, show that you appreciate him and
keep in mind that this is just a stage. It will pass.

48
 Emotional and
3.3.6 Role Model (Hero worship) Psychosocial Changes

Sunanda’s room is very colourful. Every inch of her wall is covered with
posters and pictures of her role model Aishwarya Rai. She does not miss any
of her movies or shows and all her dresses are based on her icon’s style.

Activity

Reflect back on your adolescence.

Who was your role model? Why did you choose him / her?

Do you now think that s/he was appropriate?

Around mid adolescence, while developing their own identity, the adolescent
looks around in search of their ideal in the form of a role model. This model may
be from any sphere of their life – parents, family, friends, celebrities, community,
society, national or international. Role models have an important role to play in
the psychological development of the adolescent.

Children, especially during adolescence – their most vulnerable and impressionable

age are in need of role models, and take them from all areas that are close at
hand, whether mass media, parents and family, or their teachers.

Many teens choose models for themselves who they see as having particular
characteristics that they —the teens — are lacking. For example, a teen who
perceives herself as unattractive may choose a supermodel as a role model. In the
event that a parent feels there is something wrong with the role model their child
has chosen, the parent needs to try to figure out what the teen is trying to
compensate for by choosing that model, then address that issue directly with the
teen.

While teenagers often choose role models because they truly want to be like
those they’ve chosen, sometimes role models are selected as a means of defiance.
“My son knows I can’t stand this one rock star that all the kids seem to be
listening to these days,” says a mother of a teen. “I think he put up the posters
and bought the CD’s just to aggravate me.”

Whatever the reasoning may be for a child choosing a particular role model,
parents may be faced with an uphill battle if they don’t like what they see.
“Television and media make it really hard to parent,” says a mother of three
teenagers. “I want certain standards in my family, and pressure from TV and
peer pressure work against me sometimes.

It is possible for the media to have less effect on teens than parents may fear. If
a young person has emotional / psychological security as well as open lines of
communication with parents, the actual influence is minimal. However, besides
celebrities in the media, most adolescents in India have their teachers, extended
family or prominent history characters as their role models. Of course an
understanding and empathetic parent would be the ideal role model.

Role models are likely to change as the adolescent keeps ‘finding’ himself and
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developing his own identify and personality.
Growth and Development
During Adolescence

STAGES OF HEALTHY ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

Stage with Age Early Adolescence Middle Adolescence Late Adolescence
Range (ages 10-14 years) (ages 14-17) (ages 17-19)
Characteristic Development Milestones and Tasks
Physical * Puberty: Rapid * Secondary sexual * Physical maturity and
Growth growth period characteristics productive growth
* Secondary sexual advanced levelling off and ending
characteristics * 95% of adult height
appear reached
Intellectual/ * Concrete thought * Growth in abstract * Abstract thought
Cognition dominates here and thought; reverts to established
now. concrete thought * Future oriented; able to
* Cause-effect under stress understand, plan and
relationships * Cause-effect pursue long range goals
underdeveloped relationships better * Philosophical and
* Stronger self than understood idealistic
social awareness * Very self-absorbed
Identity * Am I normal? * Experimentation, sex, * Pursue realistic
Development * Daydreaming drug, friends, jobs, vocational goals with
* Vocational goals risk-taking behaviour training or employment
change frequently * Career planning * Relate to family as adult
* Begin to develop * Attraction to opposite * Realizations of own
own value system sex limitations
* Emerging sexual * Establishment of sexual
feeling and sexual identity, sexual activity
exploration is more common
* Desire of privacy * Establishment of ethical
* Magnify own and moral values system
problems – no one * More capable of
understand me! intimate, complex
Relationships
Peer Group * Intense friendship * Strong peer alliances, * Decisions/values less
with same sex fad behaviours influenced by peers
* Contact with * Sexual drives emerge * Relates to individuals
opposite sex in and teens begin to more than to peer group
groups explore ability to * Selection of partner
date and attract a based on individual
partner Preference
Autonomy * Challenge * Conflict with family * Emancipation:
authority, family; predominates due to - vocational/
anti parent ambivalence about technical/college and/or
* Loneliness emerging work
* Wide mood swings independence - adult lifestyle
* Argumentative and
disobedient
Body Image * Preoccupation with * Less concern about * Usually comfortable with
physical changes physical body image
and changes but increased
critical of interest in personal
appearance attractiveness
* Anxieties about * Excessive physical
secondary sexual activity
characteristic alternating with
changes lethargy
* Peers used as a
standard for normal
appearance

The given table will enable you to have a quick glance on the stages of adolescent
development.
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 Check Your Progress 2 Emotional and
Psychosocial Changes
a) List three ways in which an adolescent can handle his / her mood swings.
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
b) List three negative impacts of risk taking behaviour during adolescence.
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................
c) Fill in the blanks:
i) Peer pressure can be ..................... or .......................... .
ii) Mood swings are due to ................ and ........................ factors.
ii) An understanding and empathetic ...................... would be the ideal
role model.
iv) Curiosity and exploration lead to ............................ in adolescence.

3.4 ROLE OF TEACHERS

As a teacher, you have a pivotal role in the psychosocial and emotional
development of the adolescents. The teacher is often a role model for the
adolescent and therefore you can counsel and guide your students through their
difficult times. Starting from issues of growing up to choosing a career the student
is more likely to listen to a teacher than a parent.
Correct information is important for holistic development, and you are the best
person to provide reliable information.
With information, attitude and skill development are also essential. These can
be imparted through life skill sessions in the classrooms which are both fun and
educational. The aim of school-based interventions is to create an environment
that will strengthen children’s coping abilities and allow them to counter the
environmental stresses and disadvantages they face.
Your support is important throughout the school life and often, old students will
come back to you for advice. The adolescent also requires a safe environment
with no risk of bullying or abuse.
Adolescents need to be shown limits so that they do not indulge in risky activities,
and so discipline is important. This should be positive and not in the form of
punishments.
Adolescents require appreciation and encouragement to motivate them to excel
in curricular and co-curricular activities. A non-judgmental attitude is extremely
important.
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Growth and Development Teach them life-skills like coping with emotion and managing the stress,
During Adolescence
critical thinking, and problem joining.
Finally, all students need to be loved for what they are, with their strengths and
weaknesses. This is one of the biggest gifts you can give your students.
SWEAT
S = Support and empathetic attitudes
W = Watchful observation and guidance
E = Education and information
A = Appreciation and encouragement
T = Time and trust
Adolescence is thus a turning point in one’s life, a period of increased potential
but also increased vulnerability which, in the absence of a support system and
appropriate life skills, may lead to substance abuse and mental health problems.
Society bears a moral responsibility to help their adolescents for which we have
to work hard and SWEAT.

3.5 ROLE OF PARENTS

Let us discuss the Role of Parents during adolescence related to emotional and
psychosocial changes to help adolescence to adjust well.
a) Parent’s interest and help: The willingness of parents to take interest in
their adolescent’s activities and support him are very important. A positive
attitude can go a long way.
b) Listening, understanding and talking: Adolescents respect understanding
and empathetic parents who communicate openly with them. Lack of
communication widens the ‘generation gap’. By developing open, honest and
ongoing communication about responsibility, sex, and choice, parents can
help their youngsters learn about sex in a healthy and positive manner. It is
important to talk about the responsibilities and consequences that come with
growing up. Helping children understand that these are decisions that require
maturity and responsibility will increase the chance that they make good
choices.
c) Love and acceptance: Unconditional love and acceptance allow the
adolescent to grow securely and be allowed to make a few mistakes.
d) Trust: Adolescents feel respected and loved when their parents trust them.
A non-judgmental and non-critical atmosphere at home should be maintained.
e) Autonomy: A balance of independence and discipline is what most
adolescents expect from their parents.
f) The magic of touch: Touch gives a sense of security to the adolescent. It
could be a pat on the back, a soft touch, facial expressions, words of
appreciation or loving words over the telephone – all show the parent’s
52
concern and affection for his teenage child.
Though parents are often at a loss as to how to relate to their adolescents they Emotional and
Psychosocial Changes
nevertheless want to continue to be involved in their adolescents’ lives. The heart
of successful parenting of adolescents is the relationship that we form with them.
Building a relationship of mutual respect, love and understanding, providing
support and consistency are the foundations of effective parenting.
You may wonder if any of your guidance is sinking in, but young people listen and
absorb more than you think. They are likely to apply your viewpoint to their own
friends and social situations. Young people consistently say that their parents are
the most important influence in their lives.

3.6 LET US SUM UP

In this unit you have learnt the physical, cognitive, emotional and psychosocial
changes in adolescence. Further you have read the aspects of all these changes
among adolescence. Now you be able to identify the causes of peer influence and
experimentation and in later section of unit, has describe your role as teacher
which will further guide you to handle adolescents.

3.7 KEY WORDS

Psycho social : Psychosocial refers to one’s psychological
development in and interaction with a social
environment. It was first commonly used by
psychologist Erik Erikson in his stages of
social development.
Sexual identity : refers to an individual’s conception of their
own sexuality, and decides their sexual
behaviour. Individuals may or may not
express their sexual orientation in their
behaviours.
Sexual orientation : is used to describe a pattern of emotional,
romantic, and/or sexual attractions, fantasies,
attachments and longings to men, women,
or both. Sexual orientation is not a choice;
that is, individuals do not choose to be
homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual but are
born like this. It is usually classified relative
to the gender of the people who are found
sexually attractive.
Autonomy : refers to becoming independent and is the
capacity of a rational individual to make an
informed, un-coerced decision.

3.8 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check your progress 1
a) Three emotional changes are:
i) Mood swings 53
Growth and Development ii) Impulsiveness
During Adolescence
iii) Day dreaming
b) The five Is are
i) Independence
ii) Identity
iii) Intimacy
iv) Integrity
v) Intellect
c) i) emotions
ii) peers
iii) mood swings
iv) identity
Check Your Progress 2
a) i) Talking to a friend or peer
ii) Exercise
iii) Creativity
b) i) Accidents
ii) Substance abuse
iii) HIV / AIDS
c) i) positive; negative
ii) Biological; emotional
iii) Parent
iv) Experimentation

3.9 REFERENCES
Web resources:
 www.teenagerstoday.com
 www.natefacs.org
 www.thehealthcenter.info/teen-mood-swings
 www.infed.org
 www.nos.org
 www.nacoonline.orgh
54  www.wikipedia.com
 www.school.discoveryeducation.com Emotional and
Psychosocial Changes
 www. Teenresolutions.org
Books:
 Developing Adolecents: A Reference for Profesionals by American
Pyschological association.
 Course Manual for Adolescent health by IAP – ITPAH (Indian Academy
of Paediatrics International Training Programme on Adolescent Health)
 Review of Medical Physiology – William F. Ganong
 Textbook of Medical Physiology – Guyton and Hall
 Adolescent Education Program: Life Skills Development by NACO
 Nobody Understands Me! By Dr S. Yamuna

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