C . Cognitive Changes You will read in detail about the changes in thinking (cognition) that takes place from infancy to adolescence in Unit III titled ‘Childhood’. At this point we are briefly describing the cognitive changes that have an impact on the development of the sense of identity. The child develops from a person who has no sense of a separate identity or sense of the individual self to one who describes the self in concrete and absolute terms during early childhood years.
While the self-descriptions during middle childhood are also concrete, the difference is that these descriptions are now in comparative terms. By the time the child is , the self descriptions are fairly realistic enabling the child to differentiate between the ‘real’ and the ‘ideal’ self. During adolescence, the leap that takes place is that adolescents can think in abstract terms, i.e., they can think beyond what is present and what they see and experience. Further, as thought becomes flexible, they can think of hypothetical situations — in other words, they can imagine the various possibilities and their outcomes without necessarily having to go through them or act out the steps of any outcome.
The implication for identity formation is that adolescents can imaginatively link up their present with a future they imagine for themselves. For example, the adolescent can think of the possible careers that she/he can take up as an adult which are suited to her/his situation and temperament, and plan the current direction of her/his studies accordingly. Thus, adolescence is a crucial stage for the development of identity. In fact, adolescence is a significant period of development involving many changes and opportunities.
If the adolescent is healthy, she/he is able to deal with the changes in the best possible manner and realise one’s full potential. Appropriate food and nutrition are the key elements of good health. The next chapter discusses food, nutrition, health and fitness concerns during adolescence. Key Terms Puberty, Pubescence, Menarche, Personality, Peer pressure