Class/Section: FHS 1500

Name: Robyn Sandgren

Assignment: Observation Four
Background Information:
Age: 18
Factious Name: Amber
Location: Salt Lake City
Brief Description: I interviewed the new receptionist at my work.
Physical Development
One of the first things I noticed about Amber is that she was extremely thin. During the
adolescence body image can affect both men and women but it is seen to effect women primarily.
Normally young girls have eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia, feeling they are fat and
want to be thin; this was not the case with Amber. As I observed, amber didnt bring breakfast to
work, but may have eaten before, and that she didnt take a lunch until about three P.M., with no
snacking in between. Hormones can affect diurnal rhythms, which include appetite, (Berger.
2014. P.327) this could also be the issuing she is experiencing. But after interviewing Amber I
was informed that she has always been thin and has never had an eating disorder. In fact, she is
really upset about being so thin, because she is always getting told she is too skinny. Ambers
circadian rhythm is also different than adults, as seen in most adolescents, as she says that she
stays awake until early hours of the morning playing video games. This could be why she doesnt
have an appetite until the afternoon. Amber experienced menarche, the first menstrual period
(Berger. 2014. P.319), on her thirteenth birthday. She said her periods have been terrible, and
didnt think that they would last a whole week. Her hormones get her feeling very angry during
this time. During puberty the body goes through a lot of changes and teens endure many new
emotions and often do not know how to cope with them. Amber is a perfect example of just how
hard this time can be. I think it would be beneficial is she were to try and focus on eating more
nutritious food and building muscle to give her more self-confidence.
Cognitive Development
Like the body, different parts of the brain grow at different times. During the years of
adolescents, the amygdala matures before the prefrontal cortex. (Berger. 2014. P.331) Because of
this, teens seek thrill and excitement but do not proceed with any caution, or think about the
consequences of their actions. Amber likes to take dangerous risks, such as fighting, but does not
think about the consequences. Her thinking is that if she dies or gets in trouble, oh well, if any
thought at all. This is very typical of someone her age. Because the prefrontal cortex has not
matured, they do not even question or doubt what their actions might lead to. Middle school and
high school seemed to prove difficult for Amber because she felt like a loser with no friends.

She hated school and even graduated early just to get out. Amber is smart, but because she didnt
have friends, this made her feel stupid and not want to be involved. I do believe that she
understands incremental approach to intelligence, as she studied really hard to graduate early.
She understands that a lot of effort needs to be put forth to see results (Berger. 2014. P. 341)
Amber mentioned that she did not want to go to college, but I believe this is due to the fact that
there were cliques in school and she felt left out, not because she does not have capabilities.
She just does not yet understand that, college is more of a place to further your education, unlike
middle school and high school, where the environment is much more social. Amber seems to be
developing negative feelings towards potential educational growth from her past experiences.
Emotional/Social Development
A sense of identity is an important part of growing during the time of adolescences.
Because the brain does not even fully develop until the mid-twenties, finding ones sense of self
can sometimes be challenging. It is said that finding ones own identity, is the primary task of
adolescence. (Berger. 2014. P. 356) When I asked Amber if she has a sense of identity, she said
that she kind of does, but does not really know where she belongs. She had mentioned that she
worked at the haunted house, Nightmare on 13th, and said she feels like she belongs there and
with that group of people who also like she, like horror. She said that she finally was able to meet
people like her and develop some lasting friendships. When I asked Amber about her goals, they
seemed very immature, or lacking. Her primary goals were to get married, and go to Disneyland.
I would say that Amber has role confusion, where she does not have a true sense of self, and is
unconcerned about future goals. (Berger. 2014. P. 356) Amber claims to not have a v good
relationship with her parents. This is due to the fact that they have strict rules, and treat her like a
child. She feels that her parents do not care about her because they dont respect what she wants
to do. I think that is an immature way of thinking, as bickering and conflict with the parents,
indicates a healthy family relationship. (Berger. 2014. P.361) Amber seems to choose her friends
wisely, as she said she does not easily give into peer pressure, and when her only option as
friends were considered the druggies she chose not to have any. I think that Amber has a lot of
maturing to do socially and emotionally but I can see that it will happen, she just needs more
time.

Reference List

Berger, K. S. (2014). Invitation to the life span (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.