Arts and Social Sciences Journal

Overview of Social Development for Adolescents

Abstract

Stalnaker RD

Adolescence is a period of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. There has been much
discussion about the social task and challenges of adolescence. In this paper, we will explore how peers influence
gender roles, how adolescents think differently than children, how teenagers form a cultural identity role, and how
important it is that the adolescent develops an identity. We will introduce the interaction of peer group influence, and
the formation of identity as the adolescent develops physically, cognitively, and emotionally. At all ages especially
adolescence, we strive to fit in with a particular group, and that group, of course, influences us. The factors of
physical, cognitive, and emotional development will impact finding a cultural role and the adjustment of fitting into a
social group.