PEPSI SCREENING

PEPSI Screening of Gianna Louise Medina

Gabrielle M. Medina

College of Southern Nevada

EDU 220: Principles of Educational Psychology

Dr. Rochelle Hooks

April 2021
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BIOGRAPHY OF SUBJECT

Name: Gianna Louise Medina

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: Filipino-American

Age: 17-years-old

Grade: 11

Socioeconomic Status: Middle Socioeconomic Status

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Gianna is considered to be in the later stages of adolescence and currently weighs in at 98

pounds (44.45 kilograms) and measures at around 53 inches (1.35 meters) tall. According to the

BMI calculator from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Gianna is

considered to be in the “normal” range (CDC, 2020). Based on Gianna’s height and weight, she

is a part of the 82nd percentile for 17-year-old girls, meaning she has a healthy weight (CDC,

2020). It should be noted that up until Gianna was 15 years old, she was always considered

underweight, facing many challenges to gain weight and eat right. A major contribution to

Gianna’s weight is the fact that she has been a picky eater since she was a toddler, and has

trouble finding nutrition in foods that she will or will not eat.

Gianna has exhibited one major sign of puberty which includes starting her menstrual

cycle. Since school is online, Gianna spends most of her early mornings on the computer

listening and attending lectures for her high school. After school, she spends the rest of her time

working a part-time job in a cafe or hanging out with friends. One of her favorite hobbies is

playing basketball with friends and family, or practice shooting baskets on her own. She does

this at least 4-5 times a week for about an hour each time, which illustrates her slim and toned

physique.

Gianna also has a mild visual impairment, in which she wears glasses every day, except

for when she is at home. Gianna has been wearing glasses since she was around 10 years old, and

her prescriptions have worsened as she ages. At this time, Gianna’s prescription is considered

moderate for her age, and cannot see from far distances (What Eye Prescription is Considered

Bad? | Vision Center, 2021).

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EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

While observing Gianna I noticed that if she was feeling stressed out she would become

silent and did not want to share her feelings, but if the opportunity arrived when she was alone,

she would call up a friend and vent her emotions. It is also worthy to note that when a friend was

not available, Gianna would turn to her mom or dad and express how she was feeling. According

to Larson and Brown, research shows that adolescents experience wide fluctuations in their daily

emotional states, and learning how to manage these emotions is vital in their effectiveness and

well-being in adult work, parenting, and other roles (Emotional Development in Adolescence,

2007). Gianna knows when it is appropriate to express her feelings and when it’s not, showing

that she is well developed in her emotional states. Research has found that in adolescence,

children her age are thought to have greater potential to acquire metacognitive strategies for

regulation of negative emotions and enhancement of positive emotions (2007). This illustrates

Gianna’s ability to alter her expressions according to the setting or situation she is in. For

example, when I would observe her, Gianna would not want to open about her negative emotions

and would stay neutral or happy when speaking to me, but when with friends or her parents, she

would express herself freely.

For children in Gianna’s age range (16 years - 18 years old), it can be expected for her

not to want to be home or spend as much time with family. Larson and Brown describe this

practice as standard and occurs as children grow older. Adolescent’s time spent in different

settings allows for opportunities for new types of emotional learning, that anticipate the demands

of adult settings and build on adolescents’ emerging potentials for systems thinking and

conscious self-regulation (2007).

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PHILOSOPHICAL DEVELOPMENT

Coming from a Filipino-American background, Gianna was raised under Roman Catholic

beliefs. According to The Cultural Atlas on religion in the Philippines, “Catholicism believes in

the doctrine of God as the ‘Holy Trinity’ comprising the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. …

many Filipinos accept the authority of the priesthood and the Roman Catholic Church, which is

led by the Pope” (Filipino Culture - Religion, 2016). Gianna follows this same belief system,

however, states that she no longer has the privilege to practice her faith as much as she would

because of obstacles in life. She does mention that in times of grief, stress, or need she prays to

try and find answers to her problems.

Since Gianna is now at the age where she can make decisions on her own, her parents do

not force any beliefs or values that she does not accept. This has led Gianna to form beliefs

surrounding Catholicism to guide her life, for example, she believes that through the good and

bad things you encounter in life, God always has a plan. According to Harris and Koenig, as

found in a study conducted by Barett, Richert, & Drisenga, children accept that God has

extraordinary cognitive powers as compared to human beings (Trust in Testimony, 2006). This

would explain why Gianna proudly accepts and practices her beliefs, because of the power of

faith she has for God.

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SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Although Gianna is open to conversation when people approach her, she doesn't like to

engage in social interactions on her account. Whenever possible, Gianna prefers to have a friend

or family member speak on her behalf when in public. At home or when with friends, Gianna has

no fears saying what she needs to say or approaching others. This type of personality can be

described as “ambiversion.” According to Ian Davidson in his article “The Ambivert: A Failed

Attempt at A Normal Personality,” he quotes an ambivert as the middle range of life interests on

the wide spectrum of introverts and extroverts (2017). The ambivert personality is the most

“normal” personality yet, and Gianna exhibits this personality most notably in her social

interactions. It should be noted that Gianna likes to keep her friend groups small and stick to a

“clique” which researchers explain helps adolescents’ feel a sense of belonging and acceptance

(High School Tips, 2013).

Gianna does not have a sense of self-reliance and depends on her close friends and family

to guide her decisions. Often if Gianna encounters a difficult situation, like having too many

tasks at once, she turns to the advice of her peers and family to guide her. The problem with this

is that Gianna can form a dependence on others and end up digging herself a hole when she

encounters another difficult situation and has no one to turn to. In Anjali Puri’s study on

self-reliance, she notes the importance of whole-heartedly trusting one’s powers and resources,

and this is an area that Gianna needs to work on (Puri, 2017).

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INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

Gianna is just beginning to question the world around her and develop critical thinking

skills. When observing Gianna, if a political discussion arose, she often agreed on the side of the

majority; the majority being the views of family and friends. As mentioned previously, Gianna

does not have a sense of self-reliance, so she often follows the views of others around her.

According to Snowman and McCown, high school students become increasingly capable of

formal operational thought, and the influence of formal operational reasoning can be seen in

political thinking, which becomes more abstract and knowledgeable (2015). Gianna has

developed an increase in her ability to imagine the consequences of current actions which is a

finding that Snowman and McCown emphasize in chapter 3 (2015).

Apart from developing critical thinking skills, Gianna has shown maturity in the fact that

she does not see herself as the center of the universe and consistently thinks of others’ feelings

and respects those around her. According to UNICEF, this is a critical period to an adolescent’s

development and demonstrates a sense of maturation (2018).

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS

Physical: Exercise and Teenagers

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=90&ContentID=P01

602

Emotional: Stress Management for Teens

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Helping-Te

enagers-With-Stress-066.aspx

Philosophical: Catholic Resources for Teens and Young Adults

https://stmonicamoraga.com/youth-resourses

Social: What Is An Ambivert?

https://introvertdear.com/ambivert-meaning-definition/

Intellectual: Helping Promote Cognitive Development

https://www.childtime.com/blog/2017/09/promoting-healthy-cognitive-development-in-your-chil

d/
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GRAPH Source: https://halls.md/chart-girls-height-w/

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REFERENCE PAGE

Adolescent Health The Missing Population in Universal Health Coverage. (n.d.).

https://www.unicef.org/media/58171/file

CDC. (2020, September 17). Adult BMI Calculator. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi

_calculator.html

Davidson, I. J. (2017). The ambivert: A failed attempt at a normal personality. Journal of the

History of the Behavioral Sciences, 53(4), 313–331.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.csn.edu/10.1002/jhbs.21868

‌Filipino Culture - Religion. (2016). Cultural Atlas.

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/filipino-culture/filipino-culture-religion

‌Harris, P., & Koenig, M. (2006). Trust in Testimony: How Children Learn about Science and

Religion. Child Development, 77(3), 505-524. Retrieved April 11, 2021, from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3696543

High School Tips: Social and Emotional Development - Developmentally Appropriate Practices

for PK-12 Teachers. (2013). High School Tips: Social and Emotional Development -

Developmentally Appropriate Practices for PK-12 Teachers. Google.com.

https://sites.google.com/site/dapforteachers/home/high-school-tips-social-and-emotional-

development

Larson, R. and Brown, J., 2007. Emotional Development in Adolescence: What can be Learned

From a High School Theater Program?. [ebook] University of Illinois, pp.1083-1089.

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Available at:

<http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1040.6738&rep=rep1&type=

pdf> [Accessed 11 April 2021].

‌Puri, D. (2017). SELF RELIANCE IN RELATION TO LEARNING STYLE OF HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS. International Education And Research Journal, 3(5). Retrieved

from http://ierj.in/journal/index.php/ierj/article/view/873/839

Snowman, J., & McCown, R. R. (2015). Psychology applied to teaching.

What Eye Prescription is Considered Bad? | Vision Center. (2021, March 22). Vision Center.

https://www.visioncenter.org/blog/what-eye-prescription-is-bad/#:~:text=A%20negative

%20number%20(indicated%20by,doesn’t%20need%20focusing%20power.&text=025%2

0to%20%2B%2F%2D2.00%20is,%2B%2F%2D%205.00%20is%20considered%20sever

e.