PEPSI Screening

Samantha Clodt

Principles of Educational Psychology: EDU 220

Dr. Rochelle Hooks

Thursday, October 6, 2022

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BIOGRAPHY

The adolescent I selected to view for this screening was my younger brother, Ethan

Clodt. He is seventeen years old and a senior in high school. He is also the youngest of four

siblings. Ethan was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His parents are Darryl Clodt and

Kathleen Groth- both divorced when he was three. Ethan has grown up in a split household- he

sees his biological parents weekly. Ethan has two step-parents- Kathleen’s husband Craig, and

Darryl’s wife Lori. Lori has been in his life since he was about four years old and Craig has been

in his life since he was around eleven years old.

Growing up in a split household poses many challenges: typically inconsistent standards,

different home environments, and often contention between the divorced parents. Ethan

encountered all of these aspects of a split household while growing up. Right now, he is staying

at his father’s house during the school week and seeing his mom for the weekend. This is

because Darryl’s household is closest to his high school.

Ethan is typically reserved from most family functions. The most he interacts with the

family is at dinnertime, otherwise, he mostly stays to himself. He typically plays video games in

his free time. He doesn’t prioritize school- part of the reason he stays at his dad’s house during

the school week is so he stays accountable with his schoolwork. In his mom’s household, school

is viewed as the responsibility of the child. There isn’t nearly as much accountability at his

mom’s house as at his dad’s.

Outside of school, he has a part-time job at Sprouts. He usually only works on the

weekends.
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PHYSICAL

Ethan struggles with allergies and asthma. He has faced these conditions his whole life.

Additionally, he was sick a lot as a baby and as a growing child. Ethan gets allergy shots every

week and has been for the last five years. He also takes Zyrtec and singular. Although his

allergies have improved significantly in the last year, these physical ailments have posed

emotional and social challenges for Ethan. None of his older siblings have any severe allergies.

In many ways, these health problems may have been an isolating experience for Ethan.

There is a link between low self-esteem, mood disorders and severe allergies. According

to Medical News Today, “People living with allergies may be prone to experiencing mental

health disorders, such as anxiety and depression” (Medical News Today, 2022.) Research

identifies different theories that may cause this correlation. Inflammation in parts of the body

caused by allergies may also affect the brain as well as raised cortisol levels as a result of stress

(Medical News Today, 2022.)

A study done in the United Kingdom revealed 53% of people living with allergies in the

UK avoided social interactions, 52% felt they had to downplay the severity of their allergy, and

40% of parents of children with severe allergies reported their children being bullied for their

condition (Allergy UK, 2022.)

Ethan does not pay much attention to his physical appearance. Often, his hair is left

uncombed, he does not pay attention to what he wears, and he often has to be reminded about

trivial matters- like showering and brushing his teeth. This causes his parents to be frustrated

with him, as they feel he is at an age where he should care about his appearance.

There is a strong correlation between dissatisfaction of physical appearance and

depression (Science Daily, 2020.) “Dislike of one's physical appearance, formally known as body
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dissatisfaction, affects up to 61% of teens worldwide. It has been identified as a risk factor for

eating disorders, unhealthy behaviours, and poor mental health” (Science Daily, 2020.) I feel at

this age, it should be imperative for Ethan to begin caring about his physical appearance.

EMOTIONAL

Ethan appears below average in his emotional development. According to the CDC,

seventeen-year-olds will become more goal-oriented at this stage, go through less conflict with

parents, and begin forming an identity (National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental

Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021.) Independence and

soul-searching are very important aspects of this time. Erik Erikson proposes the concept of

self-identity formation in Stage V of his Stages of Psychosocial Development, which takes place

between the ages of 12 and 18. “Adolescence is a time of change. Teenagers experiment with

various sexual, occupational, and educational roles as they try to find out who they are and who

they can be” (Slavin, 2021, p. 48.)

One of the common emotions I’ve identified in Ethan is apathy. He has not yet formed

goals for his plans after high school and with many things, he simply doesn’t care. Psychology

Today identifies several reasons apathy may occur in teenagers: boredom, defiance of the parents

as a result of a need for independence, defense, and indifference are all possible explanations of

apathy displayed by teenagers during this time (Psychology Today, 2022.)

PHILOSOPHICAL

Lawrence Kohlberg compiled a theory of moral reasoning that identified the patterns of

thinking that children go through when making decisions. According to Kohlberg, it is the

reasoning that is important, not the end decision (Slavin, 2021.) Stanford Medicine reports that

“From ages 12 to 18, children grow in the way they think. They move from concrete thinking to
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formal logical operations.” Additionally, children begin developing their own view of the world.

Ethan has lied frequently since he was in middle school. According to Pacific Teen Treatment,

teens may lie as a way to conserve privacy, be independent of parents, to play the victim, or

“game the system” (Pacific Teen Treatment, 2022.) Ethan’s number 1 priority is video-gaming,

which his parents confiscate if his grades drop.

An interesting point brought up by Pacific Teen Treatment is “Some teenagers reinforce

lying behaviors to the point that they become unaware that they are even telling lies. It is at this

point that lying becomes a tactic used to manipulate the world around the teen to enable him or

her to experience the least amount of friction from others.” I feel that Ethan does not want to get

scolded when his schoolwork is subpar, but since he doesn’t care about keeping up on his

schoolwork, he often tells lies to try and get himself out of trouble rather than accepting

responsibility or changing his habits.

SOCIAL

Ethan does not seem to boast much about his social life. He rarely hangs out with friends

in his free time, often preferring to play video games as opposed to going out. When he does go

out, he typically hangs out with his friend Alex, goes to work, or goes on an outing with family. I

feel he is behind in social development for a seventeen-year-old. Many of Ethan’s friends he

communicates with via video gaming chat rooms and calls. Pew Research Center reports that

gaming online with friends is imperative to the development of friendships for teenage boys.

Additionally, teenage boys are more likely to play video games than girls. “Overall, 72% of teens

ages 13 to 17 play video games on a computer, game console, or portable device. Fully 84% of

boys play video games, significantly higher than the 59% of girls who play games” (Pew

Research Center, 2015.)

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While the prevalence of video gaming in Ethan’s social life is not alarming, it could be a

sign of a developmental issue since he does not harbor many friendships outside of video

gaming. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Social interactions are proposed to be a

basic need, analogous to other fundamental needs such as food consumption or sleep. Indeed,

feeling insufficiently connected to others is associated with profound and lasting negative

consequences on physical and mental health, even leading to increased mortality” (National

Library of Medicine, 2020.) While Ethan may be maintaining his social life through the means of

his job and gaming, I feel it is important for him to branch out and spend more time making new

friends that are independent of technology.

While Ethan is seventeen, he has not yet expressed an interest in driving. It is possible

that the lack of a driver’s license makes it harder for him to go out and do things with friends as

well as gain independence from his parents. Ethan also has a variety of social media apps- his

most used apps are TikTok, Discord, and YouTube. American Academy of Child & Adolescent

Psychiatry report potential risks of social media including: “...exposure to harmful or

inappropriate content, cyber bullying, privacy concerns, identity theft, and an interference of

sleep.” Since most of Ethan’s social life is consumed by social media, I feel he is more at risk for

these adverse effects.

INTELLECTUAL

Adolescents begin forming more complex thinking patterns between the ages of 12-18.

“This includes the ability to: think abstractly about possibilities, reason from known principles,

form new ideas or questions, consider many points of view, compare/debate ideas or opinions,

think about the process of thinking, and be aware of the act of thought processes” (Fraser Health,
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2022.) I feel that Ethan enjoys speaking his mind on things he is passionate about. He does tend

to ask questions and form new ideas that are independent of other people.

While he does not have distinct plans for after high-school, he has tossed around ideas.

“Most 17 year olds are goal-oriented. They are beginning to imagine what type of life they want

outside of high school” (Very Well Family, 2022.) It is important to note that many

seventeen-year-olds may not have distinct plans for after high school and may experience

feelings of loss or uncertainty. “Theoretically, 17 year olds are developing more abstract thought

but that is not solidified until more college-age” (Very Well Family, 2022.)

RECOMMENDATIONS

I feel that Ethan should be encouraged to explore more hobbies and interests outside of

video games in order to further solidify his development. Additionally, I think he should be

encouraged to get his driver’s licence and spend time with friends outside of video games. I think

it would be beneficial to discuss some of his antisocial behaviors, lying, and lack of caring for

his physical appearance with a healthcare provider. Even the option of seeing a therapist could be

beneficial for him, as he has had difficulty with his allergies and dealt with the stress of a split

household.
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GRAPH

Above Average

AGE 17

PHYSICAL EMOTIONAL PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIAL INTELLECTUAL

Below Average
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References

Allergy UK | Fat Beehive. (2022, April 25). Allergy UK: National Charity. Allergy UK |

National Charity. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.allergyuk.org/news/its-allergy-awareness-week-2/

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry . (2022). Social Media and

Teens. Social Media and teens. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

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

l-Media-and-Teens-100.aspx

Fraser Health Authority. (2022). Intellectual development in children. Fraser Health.

Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/children-and-youth/intellectual-developme

nt-in-children#.Y0O53OzMKLo

Gordon, S. (2022, February 8). Is your 17-year-old developing normally? Verywell Family.

Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.verywellfamily.com/17-year-old-developmental-milestones-2609029

Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Health System.

(2020, April 24). The growing child: Adolescent 13 to 18 years. Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-growing-child-adole

scent-13-to-18-years
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Lenhart, A. (2015, August 6). Teens, technology and Friendships. Pew Research Center:

Internet, Science & Tech. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/08/06/teens-technology-and-friendships/

Miranda, S. (2022, May 25). Allergies and mental health: Impact and solutions. Medical

News Today. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/allergies-what-is-their-hidden-impact-on-ment

al-health

Orben, A., Tomova, L., & Blakemore, S.-J. (2020, June 12). The effects of social

deprivation on adolescent development and Mental Health. The Lancet. Child &

adolescent health. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292584/

Pacific Teen Treatment. (2022). Teens and compulsive lying: What you need to know -

pacific teen. Pacific Teen Treatment. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://pacificteentreatment.com/behavioral-health/teens-and-compulsive-lying/

Pickhardt, C. E. (2016, September 5). Puberty and preoccupation with personal

appearance. Psychology Today. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201609/pube

rty-and-preoccupation-personal-appearance

ScienceDaily. (2020, December 7). Teen dislike of physical appearance strong predictor of

depression in early adulthood. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201207195131.htm
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Stanford Medicine. (2022). Stanford Medicine Children's health. Cognitive Development

in Adolescence. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from

https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=cognitive-development-90-P01594