(Human) Adolescent Development: Chapters 9 & 10

Vocabulary flashcards covering biological, cognitive, social, and psychological developments during adolescence from Chapters 9 and 10.

Pituitary gland (during puberty)

The endocrine gland stimulated by the hypothalamus to release hormones that activate other endocrine glands, including the gonads.

Gonads

The reproductive glands (testes in males and ovaries in females) that secrete sex hormones to promote primary and secondary sexual characteristics.

Androgens

Masculinizing hormones, such as testosterone, that promote primary and secondary sexual characteristics during puberty.

Estrogens

Feminizing hormones that promote primary and secondary sexual characteristics during puberty.

Formal Operational Thought

The cognitive stage emerging in adolescence that enables scientific problem solving, constructing ideals, and abstract hypothetical reasoning.

Metacognitive Skills

Cognitive advances in adolescence characterized as 'thinking about thought.'

Marcia's Four Statuses of Identity

The four statuses of progress toward formulating a mature identity: identity achievement, moratorium, identity foreclosure, and identity diffusion.

Secure base (family context)

A supportive family foundation that fosters attachment while allowing adolescents to freely express opinions, thereby encouraging identity achievement or moratorium.

Anorexia nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by a refusal to maintain adequate body weight (falling below $85\%$ of expected weight for age and height).

Bulimia nervosa

An eating disorder marked by patterns of binging and purging occurring at least twice a week for $3$ months.

Frameworklessness (Seltzer's Model)

A state of instability and anxiety unique to adolescence resulting from physical changes, emerging adult sexual needs, hormonal shifts, future reflection, and higher maturity demands.

Influences on Risk Taking

Developmental factors driving adolescent risk taking: sensation seeking, collective egocentrism, the maturity gap, and broad socialization practices.

State-environment mismatch (Eccles)

The developmental conflict between adolescents' needs and secondary school structures, marked by increased competition, strict discipline, heightened teacher control, and fewer decision-making opportunities.

Extracurricular activities (adolescence)

School- or community-sponsored activities where longer and more intense participation correlates with higher academic achievement and positive development.

Temporary affluence

Short-term discretionary income gained from adolescent employment that can diminish motivation to pursue education-dependent, high-paying careers in adulthood.

Adolescent Work Threshold ($20$ hours/week)

The employment limit beyond which adolescents experience increased risk for school and behavioral problems.