CHD3243 Adolescent Development Exam 1 Study Guide (Units 1-4)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and student-friendly definitions from Units 1 through 4 of Adolescent Development: Developmental Perspectives, Puberty and Biological Foundations, Cognitive Development, and Identity, Emotion, and Personality.

Adolescence

A developmental period between childhood and adulthood involving biological, cognitive, emotional, and social changes.

Historical perspective

The idea that views of adolescence have changed over time depending on cultural beliefs, social institutions, and scientific knowledge.

Storm-and-stress view

G. Stanley Hall’s view that adolescence is naturally turbulent, emotional, and conflict-filled.

Sociocultural view

Margaret Mead’s argument that adolescent experience is shaped strongly by culture and social expectations, not biology alone.

Inventionist view

The idea that adolescence is partly a sociohistorical creation shaped by schooling, work, economics, and social policy.

Cohort

A group born around the same historical time who share similar social, cultural, or historical experiences.

Cohort effects

Influences related to the era or generation in which someone develops, rather than age alone.

Adolescent generalization gap

The mistake of making broad claims about all adolescents based on a limited or highly visible group.

Psychoanalytic approach

A theory lens emphasizing stages, inner conflict, and psychosocial tasks; Erikson is the major example used in the course.

Erikson’s identity vs. role confusion

The adolescent psychosocial conflict involving exploration of values, roles, beliefs, and sense of self.

Cognitive approach

A theory lens emphasizing how thinking changes across development; Piaget is the major example.

Formal operational stage

Piaget’s stage beginning in adolescence, marked by abstract, logical, hypothetical, and idealistic thinking.

Sociocultural cognitive theory

Vygotsky’s view that learning occurs through social interaction, culture, guided participation, and support.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The range between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with guidance.

Information processing theory

A theory lens comparing the mind to a system that takes in, stores, retrieves, and uses information.

Behavioral approach

A theory lens emphasizing reinforcement, punishment, and learned behavior.

Social cognitive approach

Bandura’s view that people learn by observing others and that beliefs about ability shape behavior.

Self-efficacy

A person’s belief that they can succeed or perform effectively in a specific situation.

Ecological approach

Bronfenbrenner’s view that development is shaped by interacting systems, from family and school to culture and historical time.

At different times, adolescents were viewed as

Miniature adults, naturally turbulent, culturally shaped, or influenced by social institutions (schooling)

Cohort effects help explain why

Different generations may experience adolescence differently

Examples of cohort effects

Growing up with smartphones, streaming, social media, COVID-19, heightened mental health

Theories that explain each part of adolescent development

Identity, cognition, learning, social models, environmental systems

Storm-and-stress vs. sociocultural view

Storm-and-stress emphasizes adolescence as naturally turbulent; sociocultural emphasizes culture and context

Ex of storm-and -stress vs sociocultural

A teen’s conflict with parents could be interpreted as biological/emotional turbulence or as a result of cultural expectations

Cohort effect vs age effect

Cohort is about historical generation; age is about developmental age

Ex of cohort vs age effect

A 15 year old using social media daily reflects both adolescence and the Gen Z/technology cohort contex

Behavioral theory vs social cognitive theory

Behavioral focuses on reinforcement/punishment; social cognitive adds observational learning and self-efficacy

Ex of behavioral vs social cognitive

Teen studies bc they earn privileges=reinforcement. Teen studies bc they watched older sibling succeed= social cognitive

Microsystem vs macrosystem

Micro- immediate setting; macro- broader culture and values

Ex of microsystem

Parent-child relationship

Ex of macro system

Cultural beliefs about independence

Example of identity exploration

teen suddenly changes their clothing style, friend group, and political opinions

Ex of observational learning

Teen learns how to handle conflict by watching their older sibling calmly negotiate with parents

Ex of self-efficacy

Teen believes “I can get better at math if I practice”

Ex of low self-efficacy

Student says “I’m just bad at math, so why try”

Microsystem

The immediate contexts such as family, peers, or school.

Macrosystem

broader cultural beliefs, values, and norms

Puberty

A complex biological process that transforms a child’s body into one capable of reproduction and adult-like functioning.

Growth spurt

A rapid increase in height and weight during puberty.

Primary sex characteristics

Maturation of reproductive organs such as ovaries and testes.

Secondary sex characteristics

External physical changes such as breast development, body hair, voice changes, and body shape changes.

Endocrine system

Network of glands that produces and releases hormones that regulate growth, development, mood, metabolism, sleep, and sexual function.

HPG axis

The hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis; a hormonal feedback loop. The master hormonal system that drives pubertal development and reproductive maturity.

Hypothalamus

Brain structure that signals the pituitary gland to begin the hormonal cascade of puberty.

Pituitary gland

Gland that releases hormones such as FSH and LH, which stimulate the gonads.

Gonads

Ovaries and testes; organs that produce sex hormones and reproductive cells.

Androgens

Sex hormones, including testosterone, associated with many pubertal changes often emphasized in boys.

Estrogens

Sex hormones, including estradiol, associated with many pubertal changes often emphasized in girls.

Leptin

Hormone produced by fat cells that signals sufficient energy stores for puberty to begin.

Kisspeptin

Hormonal signal that helps activate the HPG axis.

Metabolically gated puberty

The idea that the body needs sufficient energy stores before puberty is initiated.

Adrenarche

Early stage of puberty involving adrenal hormone changes, often linked to body odor and early hair growth.

Gonadarche

Stage involving maturation of reproductive organs and secondary sex characteristics.

Menarche

First menstrual period.

Spermarche

First ejaculation.

Secular trend

Historical trend toward earlier pubertal timing, including earlier average age of menarche.

Precocious puberty

Unusually early puberty, which can create social and emotional challenges.

Risk-taking behavior

Behavior that involves potential harm, influenced by puberty, brain development, peers, emotion, and context.

Ex of adrenarche

12 year old who has body odor and slight hair growth but no major reproductive maturation

increased self-consciousness and social attention

teen who matures much earlier than peers; affects body image and emotional well being

Combined influence of reward sensitivity, social motivation, still-developing impulse control

Student who becomes more risk-seeking around peers

Social and psychological side of puberty

Girls who feels distress about body changes after comparing herself to unrealistic media images

Bottom-up brain development

The pattern in which lower-level emotional, reward, sensory, and survival systems mature earlier than higher-level control systems.

Limbic system

Brain system involved in emotions, memories, habits, attachment, and motivation.

Amygdala

Brain structure involved in emotion, threat response, and rapid emotional reactions.

Prefrontal cortex

Brain region involved in reasoning, self-control, planning, and decision-making; continues developing into the mid-20s.

Corpus callosum

Thick band of fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres; improves communication between hemispheres.

Neuroconstructivist view

View that brain development is shaped by both biological processes and environmental conditions; the brain has plasticity and is context-dependent.

Formal operational thought

Piaget’s adolescent stage involving abstract, logical, idealistic, and hypothetical thinking.

Hypothetical-deductive reasoning

Ability to generate hypotheses and logically test possible solutions.

Assimilation

Interpreting new experiences using existing schemas.

Accommodation

Changing a schema because new information does not fit.

Equilibration

Balancing existing knowledge with new experiences.

Metacognition

Thinking about one’s own thinking.

Information processing

Approach that studies attention, memory, speed, capacity, and executive functioning.

Selective attention

Focusing on relevant information while filtering out distractions.

Divided attention

Managing more than one task at a time.

Sustained attention

Maintaining focus over time.

Executive attention

Directing attention strategically toward goals.

Working memory

Mental workspace used to hold and manipulate information.

Executive function

Higher-order processes such as planning, inhibition, organization, decision-making, and cognitive flexibility.

Critical thinking

Reflecting, evaluating, synthesizing, questioning assumptions, and using evidence.

Creative thinking

Generating new ideas and solutions.

Convergent thinking

Finding one correct answer.

Divergent thinking

Generating many possible answers.

Sternberg’s triarchic theory

Theory of intelligence including analytical, creative, and practical intelligence.

Gardner’s multiple intelligences

Theory that intelligence exists in multiple domains such as musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

Emotional intelligence

Ability to recognize, understand, express, and regulate emotions.

Social cognition

Ability to understand people, relationships, social situations, and group dynamics.

Adolescent egocentrism

Heightened self-focus in adolescence, including imaginary audience and personal fable.

Imaginary audience

Belief that others are constantly watching and evaluating the adolescent.

Personal fable

Belief in one’s uniqueness or invulnerability.

Ex of Piaget

Teen solving a logic problem alone

Ex of vygotsky

Teen learning through mentor support

Ex of assimilation

Calling a Great Dane a dog

Ex of accommodation

Learning a zebra is not a striped horse

Ex of short-term memory

Remembering a phone number for a few seconds

Ex of working memory

Mentally comparing two options before deciding

Ex of selective attention

Ignoring hallway noise while reading