Human Development Exam 3

What is Adolescence?

The age period between childhood and adulthood

Characteristics of Adolescence

Increases in external body changes, heightened emotional responses and sexual desires

What does puberty begin with?

Hypothalamus releasing GRH which stimulates the pituitary to direct the release of sex hormones

Why is the HPG axis important?

Important to the production of sex hormones, which affects the body’s shape and function

Estrogen

Hormone responsible for most of the physical sexual changes in females

Hormones

An organic chemical substance, produced by one body tissue and conveyed via the blood stream to another to affect some physiological function

HPA axis

Hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal axi

HPG axis

Hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis

What do the HPG and HPA axis represent?

Represents the routes followed by the hormones to regulate body functions, and to trigger the changes of puberty such as growth, sleep, appetite, sexual excitement, and various bodily changes

Testosterone

Hormone responsible for the physical and sexual changes in males

Average age of onset of puberty

11 to 12 years

Which gender sees hormonal changes earlier?

Females begin hormonal changes a few months earlier than males

Age of puberty onset depends upon

Genetics, gender, body fat and stress

How does stress impact age of onset of puberty?

Production of hormones is directly connected to stressful experience via the HPA axis; causes the hormones to increase at an earlier age with extreme/continued

Primary Sex Characteristics

Changes in the uterus, testicles, outward physical characteristics

Primary Sex Characteristics in Females

Nipple growth, few pubic hairs, peak growth spurt, hips widen, first menstrual period, full pubic-hair pattern, breast maturation.

Primary Sex Characteristics in Males

Growth of testes, few pubic hairs, growth of penis, first ejaculation, facial hair appears, peak growth spurt, deepening of voice, full pubic hair pattern

Average age for menarche

12 ½ years

Average age for spermarche

13 years

Menarche

Agirl’’s first periods; Signals ovulation has begun

Spermarche

A boy’s first ejaculation; Signals sperm production has begun

Growth Spurt

Sudden/rapid period of physical growth

Poor nutrition may result from

Anxiety about body image

Dissatisfaction with body image correlates with low self-esteem

Low self-esteem

Anorexia Nervosa

Self-starvation; voluntarily under-eating and often over-exercising, depriving the vital organs of nutrition

Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa requires

Significantly low body weight for age (BMI 17 or less), intense fear of weight gain, disturbed body perception and denial.

Bulimia

Eating disorder characterized by binge eating and subsequent purging, usually by induced vomiting and / or use of laxatives. More common than anorexia, and can cause damage to the gastrointestinal system or death.

Diagnosis of Bulimia requires

One episode of binge eating and subsequent purging / week for at least 3 months and an uncontrollable urge to overeat.

Body rhythms

Natural ‘rise and fall’ responses to environment

How does puberty alter biorhythms?

Hormones of HPA axis cause phase delay in the sleep-wake cycles

Personal fable

An aspect of adolescent egocentrism characterized by an adolescent’s belief that his or her thoughts, feelings, and experiences are unique, more wonderful or awful than anyone else’s.

Invincibility fable

An adolescent egocentric conviction that he or she cannot be overcome or even harmed by anything that might defeat a normal mortal, such as unprotected sex, drug abuse, or high-speed driving.

Imaginary audience

The other people who, in an adolescent’s egocentric belief, are watching and taking note of his or her appearance, ideas, and behavior. This belief makes many teenagers very self-conscious.

Adolescent egocentrism

A characteristic of adolescent thinking that leads young people to focus on themselves to the exclusion of others.

Egocentrism is a common explanation

Risk taking

Adolescent thinking becomes more evident by 12 to 13

Very egocentric and self-conscious: “all about me”, my thoughts and my friends. 

Underdeveloped prefrontal cortex can cause

Impulsive behaviors

Limbic system develops faster than the

Prefrontal cortex

Limbic system

Emotional system

Prefrontal cortex

Rational thinking

What explains the impulsive, emotional reactions of teens?

The limbic system developing before the prefrontal cortex

Identity Achievement

Erikson’s term for the attainment of identity, or the point at which a person understands who he or she is as a unique individual.

Role Confusion

Characterized by a lack of values, traits, or commitments to goal achievement. The adolescent does not seem to know / care what his or her identity is; has a lack of values and avoidance of commitments to goals.

Foreclosure

Erikson’s term for premature identity formation, which occurs when an adolescent adopts parent’s or society’s roles and values wholesale, without questioning or analysis.

Moratorium

An adolescent’s choice of a socially acceptable way to postpone making identity-achievement decisions, with going to college a common example.

Identity Achievement

Erikson’s term for the attainment of identity or the point at which a person understands who he or she is as a unique individual

Erikson Four Areas of Identity Achievement

Religious

Political

Vocational

Gender

Sex Education has not lowered

Teenage Pregnancy

Political or ethnic identity

Tendency to identify politically with others of one’s group, such as same race, religion & ethnicity

Adolescent egocentrism

A characteristic of adolescent thinking that leads young people (ages 10 to 13) to focus on themselves to the exclusion
of others

Bickering

Peevish arguing, usually repeated
and ongoing. Often concerns clothes and personal habits

Granting greater autonomy

As adolescents get older, parents may grant more autonomy, often with positive affect

Better communication and balance

Both parents and teenagers try to balance the need for independence and closeness, with less disclosure but improved communication as the young person matures

During adolescence, there is

Distancing from adult influence, due to the drive for independence

Independence and culture

Teens find it difficult to live up to the parent/cultural expectations

Teens who are bisexual or are confused about sexuality tend to have more

Self-esteem issues, at an increased risk for use of drugs, sexual violence, STIs and have an increased risk of sexual abuse

Asking about sexual behavior may provide information

That encourages a better assessment of health needs

Sexual abuse

Can cause more long-term harm then even severe physical abuse

Sexually transmitted infections

Adolescents reluctant to seek care – particularly those with same-sex partners; this reluctance increases potential for infection to worsen and allow communicability to continue

Clinical depression

A deep sadness that disrupts all normal, regular activities. These feelings of hopelessness, lethargy, and worthlessness last for two weeks or more.

Suicidal ideation

Thinking about suicide; may lead to a specific plan, attempt or death

Cluster suicides

Pact of suicides

Parasuicides

Deliberate harm that could have been lethal; attempted suicide

Parental monitoring

A practice where parents keep a close eye on their teens to avert them from making bad decisions.

Causes of crimes

Neurological problem

Psychosocial risk factors

Neurological problem

ADHD, brain damage, child abuse, that increases the risk that a child will become a life-course-persistent offender,

Psychosocial risk factors

Having friends who commit crimes, few positive-focused relationships results in a adolescent-only or adolescence-limited offender.

Adolescent limited offender

Where a teen engages in delinquent activity UNTIL they are considered an adult (age 21), then the behavior stops.

Early-maturing girls

May see: low self-esteem, more depression, and poorer body image than do other girls

Early-maturing girls with older boyfriends

Are at increased risk for using drugs and alcohol and may face relational bullying and physical violence

Early-maturing boys

May be more aggressive, 
law-breaking, and alcohol abusing than later-maturing boys.

Late-maturing boys

Tend to be more anxious, depressed and afraid of sex

A diet high in fat

May result in earlier puberty

What changes during puberty?

Perception of body image

Dissatisfaction with body image correlates with

Low-self esteem

Characteristics of Egocentric Thinking

Leads adolescents to believe others are frequently judging them

Myelination of the prefrontal cortex

Improves with age and leads to improvements in decision making, and even reaction time.

As brain continues to develop

Cognitive skills develop leading to increased creativity, flexibility, and analytic abilities which encourage innovation and mastery – needed for the work of adulthood!

Formal Operational Thought

Characterized by more systematic logic and the ability to think about abstract ideas. This is possible because of brain development!

In the formal operational thought stage, the person now has the capacity of

Thinking of possibility, not just reality. It is hypothetical reasoning that includes if-then propositions. Can consider factors systematically, observe / track results, and draw conclusions.

Analytical Thought

Thinking logically using deductive and inductive reasoning and involves complex problem solving, planning for the future, and critical thinking

Intuitive thought

Quick, involves emotions, impacted by peer pressure, and may not be either logical or correct

Why might an A student’s grades slip from elementary school to middle school

Middle school uses more of analytical reasoning vs intuitive thinking

Emerging adulthood

Reflects ages 18-25

During emerging adulthood

Ratio of a person’s weight to height is at it’s healthiest

Homeostasis

Quick and efficient during young adulthood; maintaining equilibrium

Organ reserve

Extra power each organ employs when need is as its optimum; most adults adapt to stress quickly

Purpose of sex

Reproduction, relationship, recreation

Reproduction during emerging adulthood

Fertility (biologically) is stronger now than at other time period.

Sex and Relationships during emerging adulthood

Belief that sex is to strengthen pair bonding

Sex and recreation during emerging adulthood

Have more partners and more sex than those in earlier generations

In emerging adulthood, severe injuries are

High due to risky behaviors

Stereotype threat

Refers to the experience of anxiety, stress, and self-doubt that can arise in individuals when they are in a situation where they feel that their performance is being evaluated based on negative stereotypes associated with their social group.

Fear of confirming a negative stereotype

Leads individuals to feel that their abilities or worth are being questioned, and this can result in underperformance on tasks that are relevant to the stereotype.

Causes of anxiety and fear of failure

Stereotype threat

Emerging adulthood is characterized by

Focus on identity exploration, instability, self-focus, feeling in-between, and a sense of possibilities. Also, a period of exploration and experimentation in various life domains, such as career, relationships, and values.

Three factors during emerging adulthood that will impact adults’ identity formation

Ethic background, vocation, and personality.

Prefrontal Cortex

What part of the brain is overwhelmed when stress, arousal, passion, sensory bombardment, drug intoxication, or deprivation is extreme, flooding the adolescent brain with impulses?