Final answer:
With the onset of puberty and adolescence, children begin to focus on peer relationships and identity, as they navigate the psychosocial challenge of defining their sense of self. They also enter Piaget's formal operational stage, allowing for abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking. Cognitive and social advancements facilitate increased independence and a deeper exploration of personal values and peer influences.
Step-by-step explanation:
With the onset of puberty and adolescence, children begin to focus on peer relationships and identity. During this stage of life, adolescents experience significant psychosocial development, as theorized by Erikson, which involves refining their sense of self and questioning "Who am I?" and "Who do I want to be?" Peer relationships become particularly important as they may influence the formation of identity in alignment or opposition to parental values. Additionally, cognitive development takes a leap forward as adolescents enter Piaget's formal operational stage, beginning at around age 11, where they start to think more abstractly and handle hypothetical situations. This cognitive growth supports enhanced problem-solving skills and allows teenagers to consider multiple perspectives, debate complex ideas, and question established norms.
While adolescents may display more independence from their parents, mood swings and an increased desire for autonomy are common due to the hormonal changes of gonadarche. Cognitive skills in areas such as abstract reasoning grow, with adolescents developing the ability to conceptualize ideas about freedom and justice. This is also a period of renewal in egocentrism, where teenagers may believe that others share their perceptions, such as being overly concerned about a minor pimple.