Age-related Growth and Development Essay by Top Papers

According to Erikson, adolescence, from the ages of 12-18, is the time for ego development and represents the stage of identity versus role confusion (Harder, 2002). This period is one of the most significant because, by comparison with earlier developmental stages where development depends on what is done to the individual, adolescence and all subsequent stages is marked and determined by the person's own decisions and actions. According to Harder, the adolescent is confronted with three tasks: discovering an identity, learning effective social interaction, and attempting to achieve experience with moral issues.