Life Development Exam 3

Puberty begins when:

1. Hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland
2. Pituitary signals the adrenal gland and gonads
3. Glands and gonads produce hormones which begins the process

Hypothalamus > Pituitary > Adrenal > and Gonadal > Hormones

New dimension of puberty?

sexual maturation

What is the major hormone of puberty?

GnRH

GnRH causes an increase production of 

* Testosterone in males
* Estrogen in females

(sex glands)

Who starts puberty earlier?

Girls and theses physical changes cause psychological impact

Physical changes are caused by:

* Sex
* Genetics
* Body fat
* Stress (more stress = earlier start in puberty)

Menarche (first menstrual cycle) occur between

9 and 15 years of age

Average age is 12

Spermarche (first ejeculation of sperm)

Average age of this is difficult to date because males usually happens on the low

Who is most likely to start puberty? (body type wise)

Stocky children with more fat

Who is less likely to start puberty? (body type wise)

Children that are taller, thinner, and less body fat

Puberty is always late for both guys and girls when they’re

athletes and malnourished children

Family stress effect puberty how?

speed up puberty due to the release of hormones which causes puberty

Why do girls have trouble with early maturation?

Girls receive attention due to their body changes and get treated differently from men.

Why do boys have more trouble with late maturation start?

Boys with earlier maturation tend to receive a lot of attention becoming grown while other may be falling behind on that process.

How does growth spurt happen?

growth proceeds from the extremities to the core

Both boys and girls become heavier because:

fat accumulates due to gender, genes, diet, and exercise

Adolescents increase in endurance due to

lungs tripling in weight and heart doubling in size

theses glands is affected by puberty

* oil
* Sweat
* Odor glands

What are primary sex characteristics?

allows for reproduction to be possible

* Girls: Ovaries, uterus, vagina
* Boy: Penis, testes

What are secondary sex characteristics?

Theses characters are not necessary for reproduction 

* Girls: Wider pelvis, Breasts enlarge, more body fat 
* Boys: Gain 5 inches in height (growth spurt), shoulders widen, voice deepens

Vitamins needed:

calcium, Iron, and Zinc

Most individuals are unhappy with their body image this leads to

Anorexia  and Bulimia

Time of marriage in the US

People are waiting later and later to get married

Risks for sexually active teens is

* HIV
* Pregnancy

Risks for HIV Increase if:

1. Have other infections
2. More than one sex partner in a year
3. Do not use condoms

Pregnancy risks in adolescent increases when

cycle began within last two years 

* Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) 
* High prenatal and birth problems 
* Slows education and vocation 
* Restricts personal growth 
* Low birth weight 

Sexual Abuse

Any activity in which an adult uses an unconsenting person for his or her own sexual stimulation or pleasure

Sexual Abuse of a Child

any erotic activity that arouses an adult and excites, shames, or confuses a child, whether or not the victim protests and whether or not genital contact is involved

Damage to the child depends on

* Repeated incidence
* Distorted adult-child relationship 
* Coercion (persuading someone to do something by using force)
* Child’s inability to develop normally 

Drug Abuse can be harmful

Physically and psychological

Gateway drugs (helps leads you to other drugs)

1. Tobacco
2. Alcohol 
3. Marijuana

Tobacco causes

* Decrease in food consumption 
* Decrease in nutrients 
* This may limit the growth spurt 

Alcohol causes

* Decrease in inhibitions and reasoning
* Can be destructive 

Marijuana causes

* Slows down the thinking process
* Causes general lack of motivation 
* Causes indifference towards the future 

Adolescence cognitive is more able to

* Speculate 
* Hypothesize 
* Fantansize

Egocentrism leads to

* Belief in their own invincibility
* Ex: thinking they can drive very fast and believe they won’t crash
* Expectations of heroic lives
* Concern about people’s reactions to their appearances and behavior

Think advances by more:

* cognitive skills
* Logic
* Intuitive thinking

Prontal cortex continues to mature which results in better

decision making

Piaget Stage: Formal Operational

stage where inductive reasoning (think of possibilities) and deductive reasoning takes place

Adolescents thoughts are defined by:

* Hypothetical thought
* Analytic thoughts
* Intuitive thoughts

Our brain have two pathways 

* Analytic thought (left brain)
* Intuitive thought (right brain)

Personal Fable

The belif that their lives are unique or heroic 

Imaginary Audience

use this idea to fantasize about how others will react to their appearance and behavior

Adolescent decision-making can be harmful because

* younger age = more serious the consequences
* Adolescent choices are long lasting
* Overestimate joy and ignore risks

Volatile Mismatch

Educational settings which emphasize competition instead of cooperation

* Most high schools are like this

Schools vary internationally in but in the USA adolescent

work more than 20 hours per week their grades suffer

Who chooses Risk-taking behaviors?

Each person has a choice of making a decision

Adolescent focus on:

* Self understanding and finding their identify
* Results to fantasies about who they might become when they grow up

When adolescent to find them selves what stage of Erikson is being used?

Identity vs Role Confusion

Identity Achievemnet 

* Establish own goals and values 
* Let go of some parents parent’s values and goals but sometimes keep some of parent's values and goals 

Foreclosure

* Happens when: they settle on identity prematurely 
* Don’t have a say in decsionmaking of their future their parents make that decision for them
* Ex: Taking over the family business

 Negative Identity

* When they choose an identity seen as negative by the family 
* Is a rebellion against what is expected of them 
* Ex: Minister’s child becomes a prostitute

Identity Diffusion

\
happens when they have a few commitments, goals, or values and is really in lack of identity..there is no commitment and no passion

* Identity is scattered
* Ex: A slacker (go from job to job)

Identity Moratorium

Happens when people take a time-out accepted by society

* A postponing decision
* Ex: Gap year, college, military

Identity is formed…

within, this is one’s true self

Gender Identity is

a person’s self-identification as male, female, or other

Rite of Passage

marks the transition from childhood to adulthood

* Ex: turning 21, buying alcohol, getting married, other culture norms

Emotional problems can result in

\

1. Internalizing Problems: direct feelings inward
2. Externalizing Problems: direct feelings outward


1. Both increase in adolescence

Internalizing problems leads to

\

1. Depression
2. eating disorders
3. Self-mutilation
4. overuse of sedative drugs
5. clinical depression
6. suicide

Externalizing problem leads to

\

1. can include: a. injury to others
2. destroy property
3. defy authority

From ages 6 through 12 people feel less capable, why?

\
* Self-awareness
* comparison with others

Suicidal Ideation

\
* is common in high school most attempts do not end in death

Parasuicide

acts of self-destruction term does not imply intent so is preferred over “attempted” or “failed

Factors which help determine if adolescents will kill themselves:

* availability of guns
* parental supervision
* alcohol and drug use
* being male
* cultural attitudes

Since 1960 Suicide has:

\
* DOUBLED in North America and Europe
* Likely due to:
* More drugs and alcohol
* More availability of guns
* Less parental supervision

Cluster Suicides

Several suicides happen in the same time frame in a group or town

What helps stop criminal behavior?

Interventions

Ex: effective school, supporting peer group, family, friends

Family and Friends: Generation Gap

The distance between generations in values, behaviors, and knowledge

* Lack of understanding between generations

Generational Stake

the need for each generation to see things from their point of view

* Example: Curfew
* Parents think they’re doing good by keeping their child safe and the child has a different perspective thinking that their parents don't trust them and are irresponsible.

Parent-Adolescent Conflict

\
* more common between moms and early-maturing daughters
* more common with moms than dads (mother puts in structure in child’s life) 

Friendship during Adolescence

\
* Intimacy and trust
* __most friends have similar values and interests__
* Sometimes peer pressure isn’t negative

Heterosexual Involvement

1. Group of same-sex friends
2. Loose public interaction between groups
3. Smaller group by more


1. mature members of both
4.  Pairing of couples

Emerging to adulthood ages from 18 to 25 are characteristically defined as:

Exploration and instability

Early adulthood is the prime of what?

life and health

Body system declines

around the age of 20 because organs and muscles reverse

Two Body systems which remain at relatively high levels which are:

\

1. Athletic performance depends on lifestyle
2. Sexual reproduction depends on age

Early adulthood is more likely to see the development of

\

1. Eating disorders 
2. Drug abuse 
3. psychotherapy 
4. Violence 

At what age do females stop growing?

16 years old

At what age do males stop growing?

18 years old

accumulation of fat and muscle growth occurs in

both genders but men are typically stronger

What age does strength peak at for female and males?

at age 30

optimum functioning time for 

\

1. Digestive system 
2. Respiratory system 
3. Circulatory system
4. Sexual reproductive systems 

Early adulthood mostly visit doctors because?

most likely injured

Early adulthood mostly have cancer?

1 in 10,000 and leads in to a fatal diseases 

Early adulthood violence is the?

leading cause of death

Senescence

\
* Age related physical decline  (how your body begins to age)
* Begins between 20 and 30 years of age

Factors which affect rate of senescence:

\

1. Genes 
2. Environment (sun, chemicals, substances, etc.)
3. Personal choices 

First visual sign of aging is

on the skin around the age of 20

Hair begins to change a grayish color by:

age 30

adult females are more:

healthier, better habits, have fewer fatal diseases, live longer 5 years

What are two disadvantages of being female

1. undernourished
2. Reproductive system problems

3 Theories as to why there is more elderly women:

\

1. Biological: Need to reproduce and care for young 
2. Cognitive: men take more risks 
3. Psycgosocial: women marriage, family, etc. 

Homeostasis

the adjustments of the body’s systems to keep the physiological functions in a state of equilibrium

* The older you get the harder it is to recover from physical stress
* The older you get the harder it is to maintain the homeostasis

Set Point

* The homeostatic point for weight and is affected by: 
* Age
* Genes
* Diet
* Hormones
* Exercise

Organ Reserve

\
* The extra capacity that each organ has for responding to stressful events or prolonged effort 

Muscle capacity declines

about age 30, change is gradual not noticeable in everyday 

Heart Rate

\
* Maximum heart rate: declines with age
* Resting heart rate: remains stable
* Ex: Football vs. Golf

Why do men need more time as they age?

* It takes longer and more effort 
* full erection
* ejaculation
* refractory period 

Women are more likely to orgasm as they mature why?

\

1. Males takes longer
2. Experiences help
3. Culture inhibits women 
4. Reproduction less likely 

Women can still have children at what age?

5o years old