
Teens are highly sensitive during adolescence.
BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Based on a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Utrecht and the University of Amsterdam, teens’ moodiness should decline with age, scientists say. This new finding confirms previous psychological studies claiming that teenagers are more emotional during puberty, but these mood shifts will go away once adolescence grow older.
Puberty has been scientifically defined as the process of physical changes that children go through as they grow into adults. Physical changes are usually correlated with frequent mood shifts because or varying hormones in the body.
Most parents complain during these ages that their children are to flippant or that they get too emotional. As a matter of fact, previous psychological studies have revealed that teenagers tend to be angrier or sadder during this period of time. New research brings hope to parents as moodiness is said to decline with age.
Scientists at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Utrecht have studied the evolution of 500 Dutch adolescents with ages between 13 and 18, belonging to families with middle to high incomes. Participants were asked to write Internet diaries describing their feelings in point of anxiety, anger, happiness and sadness. These diaries lasted for three weeks and they were repeated every year over the entire period of the experiment.
At the end of the five year period during which participants were closely observed, researchers have concluded that teens’ moodiness should decline with age. The first experiment that researchers have conducted revealed to them that participants were 40% more likely to externalize their emotions when they were 12. This percentage decreased as they gradually evolved towards older ages.
Hans M. Koot, the co-author of the study has concluded that teenagers experience the greatest volatility while in their early years of adolescence. After the five years’ period, teenagers appeared to be much more stable from an emotional point of view.
Koot has concluded that mood shifts are normal, so parents should not worry about them. They should, nevertheless, be concerned when this moodiness continues after puberty, too.
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