The nurse is working with an adolescent client in the hospital. The adolescent requests that the parents bring some books about puns to the hospital

Question

He frequently uses puns in conversation and is highly critical about the hospital rules, his parents, and many aspects of the world. The parents ask the nurse why their child is acting so differently in adolescence compared to when he was younger. The best answer by the nurse is a. "This is your child's way of dealing with the stress of hospitalization."
b. "Your child has developed the ability to use abstract thinking."
c. "Perhaps some psychological tests might help determine if this is normal."
d. "Setting limits in regard to critical statements often helps stop this behavior."

Answer 1

B
The most distinctive feature of adolescent's thinking is that they can now consider what is possible rather than just what is real. Thinking is no longer constrained by the concrete, physical world of their existence; rather they are now capable of considering abstract possibilities. One outcome of adolescents' ability to think abstractly is that they begin to recognize the distinction between how things are and how things could be. They have a new ability to critically assess their world. They also begin to find great joy in the double meaning of puns, satire, and parodies. This adolescent's behavior is not his way of dealing with the stress of hospitalization. Option c is inappropriate because his behavior is normal. Option d is too controlling; if parents are not sensitive to adolescents' desires to test their newly found cognitive skills, adolescents are likely to be perceived as defiant.