Child Development Exam 4

Definition of Adolescence?

Often defined as the period that begins with puberty and ends with the transition to adulthood

What is the commonly accepted beginning age for being in adolescence stage?

Age 12

What causes Adolescent growth spurt?

Simultaneous release of growth hormones, thyroid hormones, and androgens

What are the first places in your body to grow when starting the adolescent stage?

Extremities (Head, hands, and feet), followed by the arms and legs, and later the torso and shoulders

What other parts of the body increases in both size and capacity during puberty?

Heart and lungs

When do boys generally go through puberty?

11-12 years old

When do girls generally go through puberty?

10-11 years old

When do males experience their growth spurt?

About two years later than females

Females experience a higher increase in?

Body fat

Who grows muscles much faster?

Males

In females, what hormones are increased?

Estrogen and progesterone-pituitary gland

In males, what hormones are increased?

Testosterone-pituitary gland

Definition of Menarche?

The first menstrual period

When does cognitive empathy begin rising in boys?

Around 15 years old

When does cognitive empathy begin rising in girls?

Around 13 years old

Why are teenagers more risk-takers than adults?

Because their prefrontal cortex is still developing

What is the prefrontal involved in?

The control of impulses, organization, planning, and making good decisions

When does the prefrontal cortex fully develop?

Not until your mid-20s

What is the limbic system?

Regulates emotion and reward, related to novelty seeking and a shift toward interacting with peers

What is the limbic system linked to?

Linked to the hormonal changes that occur at puberty

The adolescent brain is affected by Oxytocin which?

Facilitates bonding and makes social connections more rewarding

What are the 2 phases of puberty?

Adrenarche and Gonadarche

Definition of Adrenarche?

Begins at age 6 to 8 years of age and involves increased production of adrenal androgens that contribute to a number of pubertal changes-such as skeletal growth

Definition of Gonadarche?

Begins several years later and involves increased production of hormones governing physical and sexual maturation

Definition of primary sex characteristics?

Are organs specifically needed for reproduction

Definition of Secondary sex characteristics?

Are physical signs of sexual maturation that do not directly directly involve sex organs

Primary Sex characteristics in girls?

The uterus and ovaries

The primary sex characteristic(s) of boys?

Testes

Secondary sex characteristics of boys?

Deepened voice and growth of facial hair

Secondary sex characteristics in girls?

Development of breasts and hips

Definition of Hormones?

Play an organizational role (priming the body to behave in a certain way once puberty begins) and an activation role (triggering certain behavioral and physical changes)

What do teen hormones affect?

Teenagers’ moods, emotions, and impulses as well as their body

The mood swings that teens experience are caused by?

Fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone- the sex hormones

These several sex hormones will affect the way teens think about?

Dating and sex

List of sex hormones?

Oxytocin, prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, estrogen, progesterone

Parietal lobe is responsible for?

Perception, making sense of the world, spelling, arithmetic

Temporal Lobe is responsible for?

Memory, understanding, language

Brain matures by becoming?

More interconnected and specialized

The frontal lobe is responsible for?

Judgement, impulse control, and planning- still maturing until early adulthood

What allows the adolescent to make significant improvements in their thinking and processing skills?

Increase in the white matter of the brain

What part of the brain is considered to be the most important for sexual functioning?

The hypothalamus

Adolescent health issues?

Pregnancy, STIs, drug and substance abuse, depression, eating disorders, obesity, and psychological disorders

According to the youtube video when does the period of adolescence end?

Around age 25

Direction the brain develops from?

Back to the front- so the prefrontal cortex is the last to develop

During the teenage years, what part of the brain develops faster?

The limbic system develops really quickly

When does the striatum release dopamine?

When you receive a reward like finding money on the floor or receiving a cookie

The idea of receiving rewards is more sensitive in?

Adolescents than in children or older people

Two parts of the brain that are particularly affected by alcohol during the teenage years are?

The hippocampus and the prefrontal lobe

Extended alcohol use is associated with?

10% reduction in the size of the hippocampus (which is uniquely sensitive to alcohol at this age)

Other than the size of the hippocampus how else does alcohol affect it?

It can poison, damage or destroy its nerve cells

Alcohol prevents teenagers from?

Creating memories or recalling information

Hippocampus is responsible for?

Learning and memory formation

Drinking teenagers and non-drinkers differ in prefrontal lobes, how?

Drinkers have a smaller prefrontal lobes

Cognition refers to?

Thinking and memory processes

Cognitive development refers to?

Long-term changes in cognitive processes

During adolescence, teenagers move beyond concrete thinking and become capable of?

Abstract thought

What is teen thinking characterized by?

The ability to consider multiple points of view, imagine hypothetical situations, debate ideas and opinions (politics, justice) and form new ideas

Which of Piaget’s stages of development happen during adolescence?

Formal Operational Stage of Development (Age: 12 to 18 years)

Definition of the Formal Operational Stage of Development ?

The fourth and final stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive - children’s cognitive abilities continue to advance and lead to many notable milestones

Developmental examples of the Formal Operational Stage of Development?

Abstract thinking, scientific reasoning, moral reasoning, critical analysis, perspective-taking, and continual language development

What does it mean for adolescents when they reached the Formal Operational Stage of Development?

They are able to understand abstract principles and hypothetical-deductive reasoning

Definition of Schemas?

Mental frameworks or structures that help individuals organize and interpret information

What does Piaget say about Schemas?

Schemas evolve through the processes of assimilation and accommodation as individuals encounter new experiences

Assimilation definition?

Adolescents incorporate new experiences into their existing schemes

Accommodation definition?

They adjust their schemas when new experiences don’t fit

Academic achievement during adolescence is predicted by?

Interpersonal (parental engagement), intrapersonal (intrinsic motivation), and institutional factors (school quality)

Why is academic achievement important for adolescence?

Because it sets the stage for future educational and occupational opportunities

Definition of Intelligence?

The ability to solve problems and to adapt and learn from experience

How is intelligence a product of nurture?

Improving children’s environment can rise their intelligences- schooling affects intelligence and interventions

How is intelligence a product of nature?

Heritability- the fraction of the variance in a population that is attributed to genetics- 20-50%; Small correlations for twins .15

According to Erik Erikson and his Theory of Psychosocial Development, what stage are teenagers in?

The Adolescence Stage

What is the conflict in the Adolescence Stage?

Identity vs Role Confusion

If people successfully deal with the adolescence conflict what happens?

They emerge from the stage with psychological strengths that will serve them well for the rest of their lives

What happens if people fail to deal effectively with the adolescence conflict?

They may not develop the essential skills needed for a strong sense of self

Identity vs Role Confusion definition?

A major stage of development where the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as an adult

During adolescence, we experience psychological moratorium, what does this mean?

Where teens put their current identity on hold while they explore their options for identity

What does the Wheel of Social Identity consist of?

Ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, first language, physical, emotional, developmental (dis)ability, age, religious or spiritual affiliation, and race

Who is credited for the Theory of Identity Development?

James Marcia

Examples of Identity Status?

Identity-Diffusion status, Identity-Foreclosure status, Identity-Moratorium status, and Identity-Achievement Status

Definition of Identity-Diffusion Status?

A status that characterizes those who have neither explored the options, nor made a commitment to an identity- those with this identity may drift aimlessly with little connection to those around them or have little sense of purpose in life

Definition of Identity-Foreclosure status?

A status for those who have made a commitment to an identity without having explored the options. They have established an identity based on the choices or values of others. Some parents may make these decisions for their children and do not grant the teen the opportunity to make choices

Definition of Identity-Moratorium Status?

A status that describes those who are exploring in an attempt to establish an identity but have yet to have made any commitment. Can be an anxious and emotionally tense time period for adolescence.

Definition of Identity- Achievement status?

A status for those who, after exploration, have made a commitment- based on personal decisions. This is a long process and is not often achieved by the end of adolescence

What contributes to your overall identity?

Religious identity, political identity, vocational (occupation) identity, gender identity self-concept, self-esteem, sexual identity, ethnic/cultural, interests, and personality

What is associated with minority identity development?

Acculturation

Definition of Acculturation?

A process of social, psychological, and cultural change that stems from the balancing of two cultures while adapting to the prevailing culture of the society

What is Berry’s acculturation model?

Framework that explains how individuals adapt to a new culture after moving from one cultural environment to another and consists of 4 strategies (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization)

Definition of Integration?

Person keeps their cultural identity and also participates in the new culture

Definition of Assimilation?

Person gives up their original culture and fully adopts the new culture

Definition of Separation?

Person sticks only to their original culture and avoids interaction with the new culture

Definition of Marginalization?

Person loses connection with both cultures

Who created Stages of Moral Development?

Lawrence Kohlberg

What is the Stages of Moral Development?

Theory asserting that individuals progress through six distinct stages of moral reasoning from infancy to adulthood

Kohlberg ran a small tiny experiment where children were given dilemmas, out of their responses, what did Kohlberg establish was a great indication of moral development than the actual answer?

Reasoning behind the decision

What is stage 1 and stage 2 of Moral development known as?

Preconventional Morality (young children)

What is stage 3 and stage 4 of Moral development known as?

Conventional Morality (older children, adolescents, most adults)

What is stage 5 and stage 6 of Moral development known as?

Post Conventional Morality (rare in adolescents, a few adults)

What is stage 1 in Moral Development?

Focus is on self-interest and punishment is avoidable- The man shouldn’t steal the drug, as he may get caught and go to jail

What is stage 2 in Moral Development?

Rewards are sought- argue that the man should steal the drug because he does not want to lose his wife who takes care of him

What is stage 3 in Moral Development?

Focus is on how situational outcomes impact others and wanting to please and be accepted- the man should steal the drug because that is what good husbands do