Cognitive Development: Social Transitions, Decision Making, and Risk Taking: High School

Reading #1:

In her essay, Why You Never Truly Leave High School, Senior (2013) cites the profound and lasting impact of adolescence on human development, memories, and identity formation, underscoring the need for greater research on this critical stage of stage. For instance, the so-called reminiscence bump experienced by many adults clearly illustrates how the adolescent years leave an indelible mark on human psyches, with early memories retaining significant vividness compared to those developed during other life periods.

To date, however, developmental psychologists have understudied adolescence relative to early childhood, overlooking its outsized role in shaping self-image, tastes, fears, and coping mechanisms that persist throughout adulthood. Indeed, Senior (2013) emphasizes that self-image during adolescence is adhesive and even the musical tastes developed during adolescence tend to remain active far into adulthood. Likewise, the fears and corresponding...

Therefore, the critically important formative nature of adolescence warrants greater scientific inquiry to better understand and support positive youth development during this pivotal transition into...…to effectively manage their emotions, persist through difficult challenges, and feel they belong and can succeed in school which have also been identified as major contributors to perseverance. The author cites four key beliefs that are foundational to promoting resilience among adolescents, including a sense of belonging, the ability to grow in ability and competence with experience, the notion that success is possible and that the coursework has relevance and meaning. Although all adolescents experience these developmental challenges, Tough (2016) stresses that they are far more pronounced for marginalized students. Therefore, additional research concerning how these challenges can be overcome is needed to improve the lives of tens of millions of young Americans faced with an uncertain…