Adolescent psychology by Annabelle Wilford

Biological Transitions

awilford22 — 2024-11-11 19:42:20 UTC

During adolescence, I had my first period at the age of 12; this is like my mother, who had her first period at the age of 13. This was the normal time to have it; I was also homeschooled when this happened, so I didn't have anyone to compare myself to when it came to see if I was a late bloomer or an early bloomer. I remember that it was tiny and that in the coming days, it got bloodier and how uncomfortable I felt in pads and tampons. I was really excited to get it. I felt that it somehow connected me to the other girls my age and that it represented my transition from childhood into womanhood.

Family

awilford22 — 2024-11-12 17:10:18 UTC

During adolescence, my family structure strengthened. My mother has always had authoritative parenting, which meant that she had a high demand with a high responsiveness. She always explained to us what was going on and why we had the rules in place. My dad had a disengaged parenting style until I was in 10th grade when he had cancer. Then, it changed to a permissive parenting style; this meant he had a low demand and high responsiveness. He started to spend more time with me and wanted to make sure that we had a good relationship and make amends in case he ended up dying. My younger brother and I used to have a caregiver relationship while he was younger due to my dad being deployed and my mom being overwhelmed; however, now that we're older, it's changed to a more casual relationship. Because we both have our own lives.

Risk taking

awilford22 — 2024-11-12 17:21:44 UTC

During cognitive development, it is normal for adolescents to engage in risk-taking behaviors. This is true for me and my brother as well. I went on my first rollercoaster, which to me felt like I was an adrenaline junkie. After the first rollercoaster, I learned that I really enjoyed it, which led to more risk-taking behavior. For example, this spring I will be going sky diving with my brother. This is due to sensation seeking, which is when the brain's reward system is stimulated while doing risky behaviors, which then causes an increase of adolescents doing risky behavior.

Identity

awilford22 — 2024-11-12 19:53:38 UTC

My identity is rooted in Christ. I grew up Christian and went to a Christian school. The way that I view myself is through the Christian worldview, which affects how I make decisions and how I want others to view me. It impacts what I want to do in the future and the person I want to be, who is my ideal self. My self-conceptions are based on the Bible and whether I'm living in alignment with it. My potential self, which is the self I want to be, is someone who does daily devotionals and has Christ-centered friendships.

Love

awilford22 — 2024-11-13 18:38:03 UTC

When I was 15, I had my first boyfriend. We were together for six months before I broke up with him. According to Sternburg's theory of love, we had a high amount of intimacy and were in the Like phase. We didn't have any commitment in the sense of loving each other; we strongly liked each other, but we didn't love each other. After the breakup, we remained civil as we had mutual friends, and I even helped him plan his promposal. We were in the Initiation and affection phase. Around 15, everyone was starting relationships, which made us feel like we had to start one while we were still getting to know each other.

Crowds

awilford22 — 2024-11-13 18:58:41 UTC

I was in a sorority on campus during my first two years of college. This constituted a crowd as it was a large group of people with whom I was associated and with whom my reputation was intertwined. Within this large group of people were cliches, which are smaller groups of close friends. I was in several cliches within the sorority since one cliche did not get along with the other cliche. In this peer group, I met some of my best friends with whom I'm still close. My friend Julia and I have a championship relationship because if we want to try out something new or need someone to go with, we have each other.

Social Transitions

awilford22 — 2024-11-13 19:04:04 UTC

I grew up in two different cultures, Germany and America. My mom is from Germany and raised me there until I was six. Most of my childhood included the German culture, which is more of a family-oriented culture. I grew up in a house with most of my family around me, for example, my cousins. Germany has a broad socialization due to its being surrounded by other countries and the many immigrants that live there. It is described as an individualistic culture; however, compared to the U.S.A., I would argue that it is more of a collectivist culture due to family being a large part of your identity.

Work

awilford22 — 2024-11-13 19:04:25 UTC

My parents did not believe in having a job while I was in school. I did not have my first job until I was done with my first year of college. I was a tutor for Camp Learn-A-Lot, which was a lot of fun. I had three students for whom I was responsible, and we had to review them on the grade they had just left and get them ready for the grade that they were entering. I got to use UDL and make specialized lesson plans for them while making it fun! I loved getting to see them everyday for the month of June and being able to create connections with the students. After the camp, it solidified that education was what I wanted to do for my job.

High School

awilford22 — 2024-11-13 19:06:30 UTC

In high school, I was involved in student council, theater, and being a TA. I was also involved in the yearbook, where I was able to take pictures of events that happened around the school, and I was the design editor, where I was able to help decide how the yearbook was meant to look. I enjoyed helping and organizing, which was why I was able to do so much in high school. It also helped me decide what I should go into in college. I loved getting to know everyone. However, my self-esteem was not the best in high school, and I was constantly worried that everyone was watching me mess up. I had an imagery audience for everything which had me second guessing every move I made. This picture is of my prom and the group of people I went with. We had a great time taking the pictures and hanging out.

Drivers license

awilford22 — 2024-11-13 19:12:26 UTC

My first taste of autonomy was getting my driver's license. I got my driver's license a year later than my permit due to COVID-19. Everything was shut down, and you had to get on a waiting list in order to take your driver's test. It was an interesting experience where my mom was in the passenger seat while I drove through an obstacle course that they set up in the parking lot. After I passed, I drove my brother and me to my aunt's house, where we had our family dinner. It felt nice being able to drive by myself and helping out my family by driving my brother and me to school. It gave me a sense of responsibility and made me feel as though my place in the family was solidified.

Graduation

awilford22 — 2024-11-13 19:13:48 UTC

My achievement to date is my graduation from high school; when I first started high school, I was awkward and convinced that I wouldn't make any friends. When I graduated, I was a different person who felt more sure and comfortable with herself. My Oma flew in from Germany to watch me graduate and get my diploma. I remember being excited to leave and explore something new. My family got me a set of pearls to celebrate, and after, we went to dinner with my family, where we ate and discussed my future plans.