Cognitive development in adolescence includes the ascent of abstract reasoning, lessening self-centeredness, and finding self-identity. Jean Piaget’s theory characterizes four stages of intellectual development, with the last two concerning cognitive development in adolescence. Hormonal changes and peer influence also impact cognitive development.
Human growth and development occurs at many levels, and cognitive development encompasses the processes an individual experiences as they develop mentally and intellectually. Opinions on cognitive development in adolescence can differ by region, with some regions not even recognizing a transitional growth period called adolescence. For the purposes of the discussion, adolescence is considered to be the period between approximately 12 and 18 years of age. One of the primary focal areas in cognitive development in adolescence is the ascent of abstract reasoning: a progression from a concrete developmental stage to a formal operational developmental stage. Other pathways of cognitive development include lessening self-centeredness and finding self-identity.
One of the most famous theories of cognitive development was put forward by Jean Piaget. This child psychologist characterized four stages of intellectual development from infancy to adolescence. The last two phases, concrete and formal, concern cognitive development in adolescence. In the concrete part of early adolescence, the child may think in abstract terms and question ideas about what is seen and experienced, whereas before they thought of the world only in terms of what could be directly experienced by the senses. During the formal operational stage – which adolescents and even adults may not eventually reach – abstract reasoning and imagination extends to concepts and ideas that are not easily visible or are part of the individual’s common knowledge, such as philosophical.
Another major component of cognitive development in adolescence is the evolution of how the adolescent sees himself in relation to the world. As individuals enter adolescence, they often carry with them the self-centeredness of childhood. In other words, the early adolescent is highly egocentric and filters most interactions and ideas through a lens of how information affects him personally. As the adolescent progresses into adulthood, he may undergo a complete transformation into a worldview that he largely considers the impact of thoughts and actions on others. Most adolescents will experience some departure from full-blown self-centeredness, even if they retain much of this trait.
Concomitant physical, psychosocial and emotional development will likely also influence the stages of cognitive development in adolescence. Hormonal changes can impact brain development, causing emotional outbursts and questioning traditional ideas, particularly if those ideas come from parents or other authority figures. As they move away from parental influence, many adolescents turn to peers for validation, so the adolescent’s social circle will often play a large role in shaping ideas and beliefs. Psychologist Erik Erikson characterized the developmental phase of adolescence as an unstable period of identity versus role confusion, in which the individual tries new experiences and assumes different attitudes in the search for an independent and true adult identity.
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