Adolescence: Bronfenbrenner's Biological Approach

Adolescence is not defined by one single definition; instead, it is a combination of several key aspects and how they interact with one another. All aspects are accompanied by Bronfenbrenner’s Biological Approach. This is a set of systems that interact with the environment. The first, microsystem, is comprised of home, school, and neighborhood. The second, mesosystem, is the link between microsystem and exosystem. Exosystem is the influence of parents’ jobs and social groups. The fourth, macrosystem, consists of cultural values, political system, and economy. The fifth and final, chronosystem, is an event or a collection of events that changes the interactions of one of the four. These are easily seen when reflecting on physical, cognitive,

There is an increased production of grey brain matter and myelination during these years. This causes the sophisticated thinking that is commonly associated with this age group. The immature prefrontal cortex accounts for the impulsiveness that is also associated with the age bracket (Feldman, 2011, pg.366). The microsystem of this attribute consists of several different components. The first is sleep deprivation. Sleep is extremely important for the functioning of cognitive abilities in all age groups with the teenager requiring the most. The loss of sleep can cause hostile emotions, a slip in school, influxes in automobile accidents, and others. I experienced this in high school. I would wake up usually around 7 a.m., be at school at 8 a.m., band practice at 3 p.m., work right after at 5 p.m., and get home at around 11 p.m. to prepare to do it again the following day. I was not only receiving a minimal amount of sleep, but was expending all that saved up energy the next day. I became angry and hostile very quickly. My sleep deprivation also affected the mesosystem and exosystem in relation to the microsystem. My parents were forced to deal with the resulting aggression and ill temperament that occupancies sleep deprivation. The microsystem also strongly correlates to the continuous information processing theory. A child in the adolescent age bracket is strongly egocentric. This child shows markers of self-absorption, the belief of an imaginary audience, and personal fables. I remember thinking that everyone was watching me, judging me and I acted according to this feeling. If I believed a certain action would cause judgement, I avoided it. I quit marching band freshman year of high school because I was afraid of what others would think of me. Meta-cognition is also a major component of information processing theory. This is the thinking of one’s