adolescence

Q: How is adolescence defined?

Adolescence is the transitional phase of growth and development between childhood and adulthood. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adolescent as any person between ages 10 and 19.

Q: Does adolescence exist in all cultures?

Nearly every culture recognizes adolescence as a stage of development. However, the duration and experiences of adolescence vary greatly across the cultural spectrum.

Q: What kinds of changes take place during adolescence?

Many changes take place during adolescence. Prominent among these are physical changes, including puberty , and social and psychological changes, with development of reasoning skills, rational thought, and moral judgment.

Written by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: May 23, 2023 • Article History

Three youths running down a street together.

adolescence

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Related Topics:: human development human body secondary education puberty youth

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How is adolescence defined?

Does adolescence exist in all cultures?

What kinds of changes take place during adolescence?

adolescence, transitional phase of growth and development between childhood and adulthood. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adolescent as any person between ages 10 and 19. This age range falls within WHO’s definition of young people, which refers to individuals between ages 10 and 24. In many societies, however, adolescence is narrowly equated with puberty and the cycle of physical changes culminating in reproductive maturity. In other societies adolescence is understood in broader terms that encompass psychological, social, and moral terrain as well as the strictly physical aspects of maturation. In these societies the term adolescence typically refers to ...(100 of 1926 words)

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