PSY 340

Adolescence Assignments
Group 1: Chapter 14 - Physical Development in Adolescence
Making Naturalistic Observations of Young Adolescents
To better understand the various aspects of adolescent physical development, visit a junior high school before or after
school. Watch for examples of developmental patterns discussed in the textfor example, sex differences in athletic
skill, changes in body proportions during early adolescence, and the tendency among teenagers to seek companions
whose level of biological maturity is similar to their own. Prepare a comprehensive report that discusses your
observations. Do your findings/observations match the text? What account for the similarities and differences
between your observations and the text information?
Group 2: Chapter 15 - Cognitive Development in Adolescence
Helping Adolescents Adjust to School Transitions
Pretend that you must speak to a group of parents and teachers about helping adolescents adjust to school
transitions (e.g., high school etc.). Using the information on cognitive development in adolescence and the research
in the text as a guide, prepare a presentation with recommendations for both parents and teachers. Be sure to
provide explanations/rationales for each of your recommendations. What can be done to support adolescents who
have an especially difficult time after a school transition? Your recommendations should be culturally appropriate i.e.,
they should take into account the reality of Bahamian youth, family and school systems.
Group 3: Chapter 16 - Emotional and Social Development in Adolescence
Internet Friendships
Interview a high school student (alone) and the teenagers parent (alone) about internet use and using the Internet to
meet new people. After establishing how much time is spent on the internet, when the internet is used most and the
principal activities when online, the following questions may be helpful:
(1) How do you feel about meeting new people on the Internet?
(2) Have you ever met a friend or romantic partner on the Internet? If so, are you still in contact with that person?
Was the individual honest and straightforward about him or herself? Explain.
(3) If you have met someone on the Internet, did you feel safe and supported by this person? Why or why not?
(4) If you have not used the Internet to meet new people, will you do so in the future? Why or why not? If you have
used the Internet to meet new people, will you continue to do so in the future? Why or why not?
(5) Have you shared personal information or pictures of yourself on the email?
(6) What are the benefits of meeting new people on the Internet? What are some potential risks?
(7) What safety tips would you provide to young people about internet use?
After completing this activity, prepare a report of the interview findings For example, did the majority of respondents
indicate that they had met new people on the Internet? Did they experience any problems with their online friend or
romantic partner? For respondents who have never used the Internet to meet new people, what reasons did they give
for this decision? Did the respondents seem to understand the potential dangers of meeting people online?
Next, compare the teenagers answers to the parents answers. How similar were the teenager and parent in their
answers? Who was more familiar with internet use and safety matters and/or the potential dangers associated with
internet use/meeting people online? Was there any evidence that the parent had provided guidance about internet
use? What are your recommendations for this parent-teenager dyad? To what extent does the profile of the teenager
and his/her relationship with the parent reflect the typical development, as outlined by Berk?