Convenient sampling refers to the use of respondents who are available at the time you need them. I used convenient sampling in picking interviewees, whereby I excused myself to each respondent, requesting them to kindly spare me their time to interview them. I promised them confidentiality to the information they would give, anonymity, and that it was purely for research. The interviewees were college students aged nineteen, and I approached them while leaving school after classes. With the aim of being able to study the thoughts of the interviewees on certain issues, I took 15 minutes to interview the individuals, and indeed it was worth the time spent.
The session was interactive as the interviewees were so free in pouring their hearts out, making it easier for me to gather the necessary information I intended to have. I had an objective of finding out the errors young adults make in their minds on mere comments, how people perceive them, and advancements made towards them.
I realized that the interviewees were steadily developing biologically, cognitively, and psychosocially. Biologically those that mature early in terms of physical appearance are perceived to be older. Girls who mature early are taken advantage of and exposed to social ills such as early initiation into sexual activities, pregnancies, and even early substance use (Cole & Hall, 2009). On the other hand, boys are assumed to be more responsible and believed to be better performers in sporting activities. Adolescents have stopped reasoning as children, who only think of the present but think as adults. They embrace both concrete thinking and abstract thinking. They are able to think and make inferences out of their imaginations hypothetically. Adolescents are ready to take risks in new adventures as they only think of the fun part of it. For instance, members of opposite sexes have crushes on each other and any advance extended to an individual is perceived to be sexually attached. When an individual offers something to a member of the opposite sex, other adolescents who witness that think that the one offering is crushing on the one given. The one is given, on the other hand, may think that she/he is offered the gift because of some reason. Nonetheless, the one offering the gift may also have some feelings behind the gift.
Adolescents start being sensitive to what people will say about them. They showcase their concerns through hairstyles, clothing, language, and even accessories (Prester, 2009). These help them in seeking attention from their peers and even older people. Similarly, these also aid in building confidence among them. Most of the adolescents believe that having crazy hairstyles, funny clothing, speaking in slang, and having expensive accessories such as phones make them have many followers and likes from their peers.
Adolescents think that they can be independent. This makes them start hustling on their own in search of self-identity and self -worth separate from that of their parents or guardians. This is done through the exploration of one’s talents, being goal-oriented, and identifying opportunities that could lead them to such independence (Bálint, 2014). Being future-oriented is also another way of gaining a self- identity. Youths gain cognitive maturity, which is vital in developing their future careers, and they are likely to also refine their morals, sexual values, and beliefs. They expect to be treated as adults and have access to alcohol and other drugs, among other freedoms like attending night clubs (Belsky, n.d.).
Jean Piaget, in his theory of cognitive development, helps in understanding this age group (as cited in Cole & Hall, 2009). He clearly states that at this stage, one tends to think both in concrete and abstract situations while Lehman and Nisbett disagree, arguing that one will not be in a position to think abstractly at this age if not exposed to an idea or concept ( as cited in Bálint, 2014).
In conclusion, I have learned that the adolescence stage comes with a lot of excitement and confusion and that when those undergoing this stage are not early prepared psychologically and mentally, they may end up making mistakes, some of which may affect them all their lives. Every adult passes through this stage, and most of the thinking errors are made by almost everyone at this stage. For instance, in adolescence, most people think of seeking attention through language, clothing, and hairstyle, among other things. Men tend to get different funny haircuts as women try to style their hairs in such a way that they think will attract the opposite sex.
This topic has helped me understand my children because this is a stage they have to pass through, just the way I passed through it. I now understand why my parents and grandparents were very hard on me during my adolescence: they feared that I could go astray. They helped me understand the errors of thoughts young adults commit. Through my parent’s and grandparents ‘advice, I was able to understand why my friends and I made errors in thoughts and perception at adolescents.
References
Bálint, Á. (2014). Towards the positive psychology of adolescence. Hungarian Educational Research Journal, 4(2), 23-27. Web.
Belsky, J. (n.d.). Experiencing the lifespan (3rd edition).
Cole, L. & Hall, I. (2009). Psychology of adolescence. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Prester, T. (2009). Psychology of adolescents. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science Publisher