Create and analyze a 1–2-page simulated case study of an adolescent with developmental challenges. Then, create a 5–7-page intervention plan based on evidence-based strategies that have proven effective in similar cases and make projections of possible long-term impacts that current challenges may produce across the individual's lifespan.

The adolescent period begins with the onset of puberty. This is the time when people begin to try to figure out who they are and who they want to be. The quest for individuality is a prime focus at a time when significant—often uncomfortable—changes are taking place. In addition to dramatic biological changes, adolescents continue to demonstrate cognitive development and are greatly influenced by peer relationships while often being at odds with the influence of schools and parents. The issue of risk-taking behavior is prominent at this time.

Adolescent Case Intervention Analysis

What is adolescence? When does it begin and end? What risks and opportunities does it entail? This period of transformation from childhood to adulthood comprises so many changes in development—physical, cognitive, identity, and social—it has been referred to as adolescent metamorphosis.

Adolescence brings the emergence of sexual characteristics, sexual behavior, and sexual preference. Maturation affects males and females differently in terms of potential social and psychological problems.

In cognitive development, as the Piagetian stage of concrete operations is gradually supplanted by the formal operations stage, more evidence of reasoning and abstract thinking begin to emerge. The shift to this stage of formal thought has the capacity to influence adolescents' approach to academics as well as other life domains.

In addition to biological and cognitive changes, there are dramatic advancements in socialization and peer relationships. During adolescence, relationships with parents, siblings, and peers change. Adolescents no longer fit in well with groups of younger children and at the same time, they are not sufficiently developed to associate well with adults. Thus, adolescents can be greatly influenced by peer relationships, something that often places them at odds with the influence of parents and the broader community including schools. What risky or unhealthy behaviors are associated with adolescence? Are these behaviors common across genders or across cultures?

Adolescence is a time when humans begin the process of figuring out who they are and who they want to be. The quest for individuality is a major focus at a time when significant and often uncomfortable changes are taking place. Erikson (1950) proposes that all adolescents experience an identity crisis that needs to be resolved.

Effects of earlier influences continue to manifest themselves in the development of adolescents. And, the significant biological and social changes that adolescents undergo have great implications for their emergence into adulthood.

Reference

Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Norton.

APA Resources

Because this is a psychology course, you must format this assessment according to APA guidelines, since it is the writing style of the profession. Use the following resources to guide your work. Additional resources about APA can be found in the Research Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

• APA Paper Template [DOCX].
• American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
  • This book is available from the Capella University Bookstore.

SHOW LESS

Suggested Resources

The resources provided here are optional and support the assessment. They provide helpful information about the topics. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you will need to ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The PSY-FP7210 – Lifespan Development Library Guide can help direct your research. The Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to help support you.

Adolescent Development

• Broderick, P. C., & Blewitt, P. (2015). The life span: Human development for helping professionals (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
  • This resource is available from the Capella University Bookstore.
    • Chapter 7, "Self and Moral Development: Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence," pages 244–281.
    • Chapter 9, "Physical, Cognitive, and Identity Development in Adolescence," pages 324–367.
    • Chapter 10, "The Social World of Adolescence," pages 368–407.
• Adolescent Cognitive Development | Transcript.
• FMG Video
  • Teen Species: Understanding the Adolescent | Transcript.
    • This video was purchased through Films Media Group for use in this Capella course. Any distribution of video content or associated links is prohibited.
• Borghuis, J., Denissen, J. A., Oberski, D., Sijtsma, K., Meeus, W. H. J., Branje, S., & ... Bleidorn, W. (2017). Big Five personality stability, change, and codevelopment across adolescence and early adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(4), 641–657.
• UNICEF. (2011). Adolescent voices. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/sowc2011/adolescentvoices.ph...
• WGBH Educational Foundation. (Producer). (2001). Discovering psychology: The self [Video] | Transcript. Retrieved from http://learner3.learner.org/series/discoveringpsyc...
  • This video is part of series that, although recorded several years ago, presents seminal ideas.

Sample Research on Adolescent Social-Emotional Development

The following articles provide information on the social-emotional development of adolescents. Research the library for current articles that are more specific to your topic.

• Blodgett Salafia, E. H., Schaefer, M. K., & Haugen, E. C. (2014). Connections between marital conflict and adolescent girls' disordered eating: Parent–adolescent relationship quality as a mediator. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23(6), 1128–1138.
• Christ, S. L., Kwak, Y. Y., & Lu, T. (2017). Adolescents’ experience of parental psychological caregiving and neglect: Construct development. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(3), 326–336.
• Kornienko, O., Santos, C. E., Martin, C. L., & Granger, K. L. (2016). Peer influence on gender identity development in adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 52(10), 1578–1592.
• Lecompte, V., & Moss, E. (2014). Disorganized and controlling patterns of attachment, role reversal, and caregiving helplessness: Links to adolescents' externalizing problems. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 84(5), 581–589.
• Marcia, J., & Josselson, R. (2013). Eriksonian personality research and its implications for psychotherapy. Journal of Personality, 81(6), 617–629.

Sample Research on the Impact of Individual and Cultural Differences in Adolescent Development

The following articles provide information on the impact of individual and cultural differences on the development of adolescents. Research the library for current articles that are more specific to your topic.

• Meca, A., Sabet, R. F., Farrelly, C. M., Benitez, C. G., Schwartz, S. J., Gonzales-Backen, M., & ... Lizzi, K. M. (2017). Personal and cultural identity development in recently immigrated Hispanic adolescents: Links with psychosocial functioning. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 23(3), 348–361.
• Reese, E., Fivush, R., Merrill, N., Wang, Q., & McAnally, H. (2017). Adolescents’ intergenerational narratives across cultures. Developmental Psychology, 53(6), 1142–1153.

Sample Evidence-Based Interventions for Adolescent Developmental Challenges

The following resources provide information about evidence-based interventions for adolescent development challenges. Research the library for current articles that are specific to your topic.

• Moretti, M. M., Obsuth, I., Craig, S. G., & Bartolo, T. (2015). An attachment-based intervention for parents of adolescents at risk: Mechanisms of change. Attachment & Human Development, 17(2), 119–135.
• Piehler, T. F., & Winters, K. C. (2017). Decision-making style and response to parental involvement in brief interventions for adolescent substance use. Journal of Family Psychology, 31(3), 336–346.
• Simon, D. J. (2016). Overview of psychological interventions for children and adolescents. In School-centered interventions: Evidence-based strategies for social, emotional, and academic success (pp. 29–46). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. ISBN: 9781433820861.

Part 1: Create the Case: Adolescence

Create a simulated case study, relevant to your area of specialization, of an adolescent who presents developmental challenges related to Erikson's age- or stage-related milestones expected at his or her age.

Your case study should be 1–2 pages in length and it should describe:

• The adolescent and his or her strengths and challenges.
• A challenge for the adolescent in terms of identity and self-concept.
• The medical, family, and social context.
• The developmental challenges evident in the behavior of the adolescent.
• Evidence in the case that the adolescent struggles by not meeting the expected milestones of Erikson's theory of adolescent development.
• Individual and cultural factors that theory and/or research indicate could impact the adolescent's development.
• Any other factors you deem appropriate based on your understanding of the theory and related research.

To develop this case, you should:

• Explore theory and research related to development linked to adolescence.
• Utilize current research on adolescent brain development to describe potential outcomes linked to brain development at this age, including important considerations in the case you are developing.
• Develop your case study further by creating an environmental context for the adolescent. Include any specific issues that you want to explore through research, such as influences of a specific culture or ethnicity or specific socioeconomic status.
• Maintain a resource list of the materials you consulted to build your case.

Follow current APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources. Include a reference list of the scholarly resources you use.

Part 2: Adolescent Case Intervention Analysis

Research

Complete the following:

• Research evidence-based interventions that have been effective in meeting the challenges of the adolescent you described in your case study, from the perspective of your own professional specialization (as far as possible).
  • Explain how the deficits in the social-emotional developmental domain impact development.
  • Explain how the environmental contexts impact development.
  • State the recommended interventions that align with your specialization.
  • Include evidence for those recommendations and outcomes from the professional literature.
• Explore briefly the literature on adult identity and self-concept, considering that early influences can impact development across the lifespan.
  • Explain, from the perspective of your specialization, how the identity issues (for example, Erikson's theoretical perspective) that emerged in adolescence could be manifested in adulthood.
  • Explain how this might help in understanding and determining an approach to working with an adult with a history of identity issues.

Structure of the Report

Use the following format to structure your report:

• Title page.
  • A descriptive title of 5–15 words that concisely communicates the purpose of your report and includes the name of the fictional subject. Be sure to follow Capella's suggested format for title pages on course papers.
• Introduction.
  • An overview of the paper contents, including a brief summary (approximately ½ page) of the background information regarding the case study. (The complete 1–2 page case you developed will be included as an appendix.)
• Body of the report.
  • The presenting challenges and primary issues.
  • An analysis of how lifespan development theory and research may account for the presenting challenges.
  • An assessment of the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development for the age and context described in the case study.
  • Suggestions of evidence-based intervention strategies that have proven effective in similar cases, supported by citations of research and any applicable theories.
  • Projections, based on research and/or theory, of possible long-term impacts that the current challenges may produce across the individual's lifespan.
• Conclusion.
  • A summary of what was introduced in the body of the paper with respect to the case study context, challenges, and interventions.
• Reference page.
  • A minimum of five scholarly sources from current peer-reviewed journals, formatted in current APA style.
• Appendix.
  • The simulated case study you created in Part 1.

Other Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Write coherently to support central ideas, in appropriate APA format, and with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
• Length of paper: 5–7 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title page, reference page, or case study appendix.
• References: At least five scholarly sources (peer-reviewed journals).
• APA format: Follow current APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources in the body of your paper and on the reference page.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 points.