Late Adolescence: What It Is And Physical And Psychological Characteristics
Adolescence is one of the most complex and difficult periods we go through throughout our life development. It is a stage of growth in which we stop being children and become adults, we begin to acquire more and more responsibilities and become more independent, and the moment in which we forge our identity.
The final stage of adolescence, the years before properly entering adulthood, This is what some authors call late adolescence It is about this evolutionary moment that we are going to talk about throughout this article.
The transition between childhood and adulthood It is a stage of development characterized by the presence of a large number of changes, both physically, mentally and socially. This stage is completed by late adolescence, but before the latter occurs, many phenomena occur that allow us to better understand it.
Firstly, the appearance of puberty stands out as the moment that will mark the beginning of adolescence and in which Different changes begin to be generated due to the action of the neuroendocrine system (especially due to the activation of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland) and the stimulation of the production and action of the sexual hormones derived from it in both men and women.
The body grows in size (unevenly) and bones and muscles strengthen and develop, primary sexual characteristics develop (basically internal and external genitalia and the appearance of the first menstruation/pollution) and secondary sexual characteristics (hair on face, body and pubis, voice changes, breast growth). This growth occurs rapidly at first, although it gradually slows down as the years go by.
At a cognitive level and as the prefrontal cortex develops, little by little the adolescent will acquire ability to self-control and self-management, mental flexibility, ability to inhibit and select your behavior and seek and organize their own goals and motivations, plan and anticipate results.
The egocentrism typical of childhood gives way to a different egocentrism, characterized by the presence of thoughts of omnipotence in the form of a personal fable and the creation of the imaginary audience (considering that others are observing and giving importance to our behavior). As the subject matures, this egocentrism will decrease in most cases.
The creation of one’s own identity
But without a doubt one of the most important psychological milestones of this vital stage is the acquisition of one’s own identity separate from the rest of the world The adolescent stops seeing himself solely in terms of what the rest of the world considers him to be and builds a self-concept, beginning to value his own complexity and wanting to experiment to find himself. It is at this moment that the subject begins to seek social involvement and seek greater independence.
There is certain separation from family and they tend to focus more on the group of friends, these being essential elements when developing identity aspects and the sense of social belonging. Likewise, society begins to assign them more and more responsibilities and demand more of them.
All of this means that the set of changes that adolescents must face can be highly stressful and difficult for them to assume, being a particularly sensitive stage of development.
Adolescence can be divided into several stages: early adolescence between eleven and thirteen years old (the time when puberty usually occurs), middle adolescence between fourteen and sixteen/seventeen years old, and late adolescence, which we will see below.
Late adolescence is considered to be the evolutionary moment immediately prior to adulthood, after most of adolescence has already passed. Specifically, late adolescence is identified with the second half of the second decade of life, in a period that can vary between 15 and 21 years (some authors consider that it occurs from 15 to 19, others propose between 17 and 21).
In this vital stage it is considered that most of the most important maturational changes on a physical level have already occurred (being more typical of early and middle adolescence), although this does not imply that the body does not continue developing.
Cognitive and maturational area
Regarding cognitive and social aspects, it is considered that in late adolescence, more abstract thinking and the ability to assess the repercussions of one’s actions are already established.
This is a much more stable stage than those that precede it, characterized by much more adult thinking and focused not so much on the present and immediacy but rather oriented towards the future. The identity is largely consolidated and there are already established values (although they may vary over time). The presence of strong idealism and enthusiasm is common, although there is also uncertainty and anxieties and psychological and health problems may appear.
Occasionally a small crisis may appear (the so-called crisis of 21, despite the fact that it is increasingly delayed in today’s society), in which the still adolescent begins to face the demands of the adult at the level of work, partner and social participation.
Despite everything, we must keep in mind that we are still in adolescence and There are still aspects to be developed, even at a biological level (for example, the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until at least 25 years of age in most people, or even beyond the age of 30).
Psychosocial aspects
In terms of personal relationships, there is greater stability and less experimentation than at other times during adolescence, and At a relational level, contact with the large group is no longer sought so much If not, there is usually greater attention to person-to-person relationships and intimacy (both in romantic relationships and friendships).
They are much more independent both from the family environment and from the peer group (although both are still very important) and their values and actions no longer depend so much on what others consider. Regarding the family, the separation carried out during the initial moments of adolescence is reduced and the connection with the family environment of origin is rebuilt. Their involvement in the community is much greater and it is usually the time when they want to “take on the world.”
