Adolescent Development Final Exam

The diets of Elijah and his friends, who are between the ages of 13 and 16, tend to be high in _____ and low in _____.

sugar; fruits and vegetables

During middle childhood, the fast, long-range synaptic connections between the subcortical structures and the _____, the hub of decision-making and conscious thought, are strengthened, which influence children's personalities, their emotion regulation, and their ways of relating.

prefrontal cortex

Dr. O'Brien, a developmental scientist, has conducted research that school-based _____ can help young people improve their sexual well-being.

comprehensive sexual education

Children with health concerns that require treatment are referred to having a(n):

disability

Yali is constantly worried whether she will make friends at school and often panics when leaving her parent at the start of the school day. With her constant state of worry, Yali may be diagnosed with:

an anxiety disorder.

Middle childhood begins around age 6 and ends:

when children begin adolescence 

Synaptic connections that are not used are gradually:

pruned

Sexuality and romantic desire is regulated by the body and cultural context. Sexual desire is triggered by the release of _____. Interest in sex and romance is also fostered by maturity in _____.

hormones; brain systems

Unmyelinated neural pathways are referred to as _____, whereas myelinated connections are referred to as _____.

gray matter; white matter

An example of unstructured or free play is:

building a fort

An example of an internalizing disorder is _____ while an example of an externalizing disorder is _____.

anxiety; rebellion

A _____ is a health care provider with a background in child development, who undergoes intensive hands-on training to support children with various conditions.

child life specialist 

Which of these is a typical pattern in regard to one's growth spurt during middle childhood?

 

Girls experience a growth spurt two years before boys do.

Some communities may not have access to supermarkets or healthy food options. These communities are called a:

food desert

All adolescents secrete a variety of hormones at relatively the same level before puberty. The testes typically secrete more _____ and the ovaries secrete more _____ during puberty.

 

testosterone; estrogen

Physical activity is often correlated with:

improved cognitive functioning.

When an entire family works together in an intervention to improve health, including increasing activity as a group and eating a nutritious diet, this is known as:

family-based treatment.

___ is the term health care providers use to describe diseases that can be passed from one person to another through intimate contact.

sexually transmitted infection

Adolescents function BEST with approximately _____ hours of sleep every night.

8-10

Approximately 1 in 5 U.S. adolescents and 6 out of 100 adolescents worldwide have:

obesity

According to researchers, which of these factors plays the most important role in health and survival of illnesses?

family income

Adrenarche refers to

 

hormonal changes preparing the body for puberty.

To stay healthy, Dr. Lee, a pediatrician, recommends that adolescents get about _____ minutes of exercise every day.

60

2 / 2 pts

By the time Fei reached _____, she no longer exercised for the fun of it. At this point in her life, her school days were consumed by technology, homework, and other sedentary activities.

early adolescence 

In the United States, only about _____ of teenagers have oral or penetrative intercourse before age 18.

half

Puberty is triggered by all of these glands in the HPG axis EXCEPT for the:

adrenal

Approximately _____ in 10 U.S. high school students identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

1

In the United States and other high-income countries, a leading cause of death in middle childhood are:

accidents

Children diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder:

have difficulty following rules and doing what authorities tell them to do.

_____ is the process where with a lot of practice, children can perform a skill without consciously paying attention.

automatization

Puberty includes maturation of all of these EXCEPT:

sex chromosomes.

Participation in sports is not always equitable. Often times, children from _____ families are less likely to be involved in sports.

low income

Which statement regarding air pollution and children's health is TRUE?

 

Air pollution can cause respiratory infections in children

Although many adolescents are unsure how it works in practice, affirmative _____ is when partners verbally agree to any sexual activity.

consent

_____ can be transmitted sexually, acquired through blood transfusions, or acquired prenatally.

HIV

_____ begins with the biological changes of puberty and ends when young people are recognized as adults.

adolescence

Emmanuel is not sure when _____ occurred. He has ejaculated for a few years but assumes that now that he is 14, his ejaculation probably contains sperm.

spermarche

Adrenarche begins when the _____ start secreting hormones that launch the development of some secondary sex characteristics.

adrenal gland

Another word for concerted cultivation is:

intensive parenting

One of the strongest predictors of when children will reach puberty is their:

genome

Communities often reject gender-diverse teenagers, which may result in:

 

higher rates of emotional health problems.

The two thumb-sized structures on top of the kidneys that begin to secrete hormones between the ages of 5 and 9 are called _____ glands.

adrenal

Shashi, age 16, has episodes of compulsive excessive eating. She regularly escapes to her bedroom where she has hidden cookies, cupcakes, and all of her favorite chocolate bars. She feels ashamed, out of control, and upset, but she continues to eat until she has finished all of her treats. What disorder is Shashi experiencing?

binge eating

The reproductive organs babies are typically born with reflect _____ sex characteristics.

primary

During middle childhood, a child's growth in independence and self-regulation is seen through:

 

attending school and doing chores.

A secular trend, due to improvements in public health and nutrition in adolescent health, is described as a gradual, long-term progression toward _____ puberty.

earlier

In the era of technology, where many students work on computers, keyboards, tablets, and cellphones, some children have difficulties with this fine motor skill.

handwriting

_____ theory suggests that, in the past, biological responses to early life stress may have offered an advantage for those who reached puberty earlier in times of adversity. For example, children who matured early tended to have children early during times of widespread war or famine.

life history

Children may live with health impairments that are less visible such as:

cavities

_____ are long-term, unhealthy patterns of food consumption, obsessions with food, and poor body images that lead to difficulties in functioning.

eating disorders

In middle childhood, what is the main function of the prefrontal cortex?

It supports improved planning, decision-making, impulse control, and organization.

What is Piaget’s middle childhood stage of cognitive development called?

The Concrete Operational Stage.

When a child reaches Piaget’s concrete operational stage, what do they know about this scenario?

They understand conservation—the amount of water stays the same despite the change in appearance.

What are children able to do when they complete a classification task according to Piaget?

They can organize objects into categories and subcategories based on shared characteristics.

What is the difference between classification and seriation?

Classification is grouping objects by shared traits. Seriation is ordering items along a dimension (size, length, number).

Vygotsky believed that the cognitive skills of children increase in relationship to what?

Social interaction with more knowledgeable others.

Explain Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).

The range of tasks a child can accomplish with guidance, but not alone.

How did Vygotsky’s impact on educational psychology affect classrooms around the world?

Increased cooperative learning, scaffolding, and teacher–student interaction.

Define working memory.

The mental system that holds and manipulates information for short periods.

Define selective attention.

Focusing on relevant information while ignoring distractions.

What is semantic memory?

Long-term memory for facts, concepts, and general knowledge.

What is autobiographical memory?

Memory for personal life experiences.

What is rehearsal in regard to memory?

Repeating information to keep it in working memory or store it long-term.

What is elaboration in regard to memory?

Making connections between new information and what you already know.

What is childhood amnesia?

Inability to recall memories from early childhood (typically before age 3–4)

What is metacognition?

Thinking about one’s own thinking; awareness and control of cognitive processes

According to researchers, what happens to children who play violent video games?

Increased aggression and desensitization to violence.

What is the average range of IQ scores?

85-115

What is the Flynn effect?

The observed rise in average IQ scores across generations.

20. According to Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences:

a. To what do linguistic skills relate?

b. To what do spatial skills relate

a. Language use—reading, writing, speaking.

b. Visualizing and manipulating space, shapes, and objects.

According to Sternberg’s Theory of Successful Intelligence:

a. What is analytical intelligence?

b. What is creative intelligence?

c. What is practical intelligence?

a. Problem-solving and logical reasoning.

b. Generating new ideas and adapting to novelty.

c. Applying knowledge to real-world situations (“street smarts”).

How many new words do children learn every year when they go to school?

2000 - 5000 a school year

what is pragmatics related to language styles?

knowing how to use language appropriately in social contexts.

what is a language broker?

A child who translates for family members in daily life situations.

How do children from marginalized groups (many English learners) feel about school, and how is their academic achievement?

They often feel less connected to school and face lower academic achievement due to systemic barriers.

to what is the school-to-prison pipeline linked?

Harsh disciplinary policies, bias, and inequity in school practices.

what is literacy

the ability to read and write

what is numeracy

the ability to understand and work with numbers

Describe phonics-based instruction to teaching reading.

Teaching children to decode words by linking letters to sounds.

Describe the whole-language approach to teaching reading.

Emphasizes meaning, immersion in text, and using context—less focus on decoding.

What is phonemic awareness?

Understanding that words are made of individual sounds (phonemes)

What is socioemotional learning (SEL)?

teaching skills like self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, and relationship building.

Describe a growth mindset.

Belief that abilities can improve through effort and learning.

Describe a fixed mindset.

Belief that abilities are innate and unchangeable.

What is self-efficacy

Belief in one’s ability to succeed at specific tasks.

What is grit?

Persistence and passion for long-term goals.

How do specific learning disorders affect achievement in school?

They interfere with reading, writing, or math despite normal intelligence, lowering academic performance.

What is intellectual developmental disorder (IDD)?

What is intellectual developmental disorder (IDD)?

what is gifted education?

Specialized programs for students with exceptional abilities or talents.

What does it mean that an adolescent’s brain is plastic?

It is highly changeable and capable of rapid learning and rewiring

What are the three interconnected processes of the brain?

1. Myelination

2. Synaptogenesis

3. Synaptic pruning

Where does some of the most significant reshaping of the brain occur and is linked to control of behavior and thinking?

prefrontal cortex

During adolescence, what increases and decreases in the prefrontal cortex?

Increases: Myelination

Decreases: Gray matter through synaptic pruning

What allows an adolescent’s brain to help fuel learning and adapt to the world?

Heightened neural plasticity and increased connectivity.

To what neurotransmitter is the reward system of the brain sensitive?

dopamine

What small structures in the reward system activate anticipation and pleasure?

Dopaminergic neurons

What is the nucleus accumbens and what is it associated with?

A reward-system structure associated with pleasure, motivation, and reinforcement.

What are the subcortical structures associated with?

Emotions, reward processing, and impulse reactions.

What are some side effects of a concussion?

Headache, confusion, dizziness, memory problems, sensitivity to light/sound.

define attention

The ability to focus mental resources on specific stimuli or tasks.