What Changes During Adolescence?

Find a therapist to support kids and teens

Adolescence causes teens' personalities to change.

Approaching your teen's changes with curiosity prevents reactivity.

Exercising cognitive empathy fosters understanding.

Psychological separation is one of the hardest parts of raising teens.

The teen years are challenging. From hormonal shifts to identity development, your teen undergoes a sea of change. During this developmental phase, behavior often takes a detour. Affection gets replaced with bids for independence. Respect gets replaced with eye rolls and pushback. These behaviors can feel like rejection or rudeness. However, there's a scientific explanation for this personality shift: "the adolescent personality dip."

According to research, tweens and teens ages 10 to 16 can become more emotionally reactive, less agreeable, and less thoughtful. This behavior isn't intended to hurt parents or disrespect them; it's the result of hormonal shifts that influence how your teen thinks, feels, and behaves.

The adolescent personality dip can cause positive qualities like self-discipline, motivation, and orderliness to shift. Personality changes like these can set off alarm bells, especially........

© Psychology Today