Psychology - Adolescence

Adolescent growth spurt

rapid increase in the individual’s height and weight during puberty resulting from simultaneous release of growth hormones, thyroid hormones, and androgens. Males experience their growth spurt about two years later, on average, than females

Adrenarche

an increase in the production of androgens by the adrenal cortex that usually occurs during the eighth or ninth year of life and typically peaks at around 10 to 14 years of age and is eventually involved in the development of pubic hair, body oder, skin oiliness, and acne

Amygdala

part of the limbic system in the brain, which is involved with emotions and emotional responses and is particularly active during puberty

Anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation. Affected individuals voluntarily undereat and often overexercise, depriving their vital organs of nutrition and can be fatal

Binge-eating disorder

an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame. distress or guilt afterwards; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (purging) to counter the binge eating. It is the most common eating disorder in the US

Body dissatisfaction

negative subjective evaluation of the weight and shape of one’s own body, which may predict the onset, severity, and treatment outcomes of eating disorders

Body image

a person’s idea of how his or her body looks

Bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and subsequent purging, usually by induced vomiting or use of laxatives

Dopamine

a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a role in pleasure and reward system; increases in the limbic system and later in the prefrontal cortex during adolescence

Estrogen

primary female sex hormone that is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics

Frontal lobes

the part of the brain involved in impulse control, planning, and higher order thinking; still developing in adolesence

gonad

a sex organ that produces gametes; specifically, a testicle or ovary

Gonadarche

refers to the earliest gonadal changes of puberty. In response to pituitary gonadotropins, the ovaries in girls and the testes in boys begin to grow and increase the production of the sex steroids, especially estradiol and testosterone

limbic system

structures in the brain (including the amygdala) that involve processing emotional experience and social information and determining rewards and punishment; develops years before the prefrontal cortex

Mastubation

sexual self-stimulation, usually achieved by touching, stroking, or massaging the male or female genitals until this triggers an orgasm

Melatonin

Sleep hormone whose levels rise later at night and decrease later in the morning for teens, compared to children and adults

Menarche

a girl’s first menstrual period, signaling that she has begun ovulation. Pregnancy is biologically possible, but ovulation and menstruation are often irregular for years after menarche

Muscle dysmorphia

sometimes called “reverse anorexia” this is an obsession with being small and underdeveloped; extreme concern. with becoming more muscular

Myelination

insulation of neurons’ axons with fatty substance (myelin sheath) that helps speed up the processing of information, starts to increase in the prefrontal cortex during adolescence

Primary sex characteristics

the parts of the body that are directly involved in reproduction, including the vagina, uterus, ovaries, testicles, and penis

Puberty

the period of rapid growth and sexual development that begins in adolescence

Secondary sex characteristics

physical traits that are not directly involved in reproduction but that indicate sexual maturity, such as a man’s beard or woman’s breasts

Serotonin

“calming chemical” a neurotransmitter in the brain involved with the regulation of mood and behavior, levels increase in the limbic system during adolescence

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

diseases that are spread by sexual contact, including syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, chlamydia, and HIV/AIDS

Spermarche

a boy’s first ejaculation of sperm. Erections can occur as early as infancy, but ejaculation signals sperm production. Spermarche may occur during sleep (nocturnal emission or “wet dream”) or via direct stimulation

Synaptic pruning

connections in the brain that are not used much are lost so that other connections can be strengthened; this pruning happens with prefrontal cortex connections in adolescence

Testosterone

the primary male sex hormone that plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair. Females also produce testosterone, but at lower levels that males

Adolescent egocentrism

a characteristic of adolescent thinking that leads young people (ages 10-13) to focus on themselves to the exclusion of others (according to David Elkind)

Analytic thought

thoughts that results from analysis, such as a systematic ranking of pros and cons, risks and consequences, possibilities and facts. Analytic thought depends on logic and rationality

Behavioral decision-making theory

proposes that adolescents and adults both weigh the potential rewards and consequences of an action. However, research has shown that adolescents seem to give more weight to reward, particularly social reward, than do adults

constructivist perspective

based on the work of piaget, a quantitative, stage theory approach. This view hypothesizes that adolescents’ cognitive improvement is relatively sudden and drastic, as adolescents learn by acting on their environment and they actively construct knowledge

Deductive reasoning

reasoning from a general statement, premise, or principle, though logical steps to figure out (deduce) specifics. Also called top-down processing

Divided attention

the ability to pay attention to two or more stimuli at the same time; this ability improves during adolescence

Dual process model/dual processing

the notion that two networks exist within the human brain, one for emotional processing of stimuli and one for analytic reasoning

Formal operational thought

the fourth and final stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, characterized by more systematic logical thinking and by the ability to understand and systematically manipulate abstract concepts

Hypothetical thought

reasoning that includes propositions and possibilities that may not reflect reality

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 adolescents very self-conscious

Information processing perspective

derives from the study of artificial intelligence and explains cognitive development in terms of the growth of specific components of the overall process of thinking

Intuitive thought

thoughts that arise from an emotion or a hunch, beyond rational explanation, and are influenced by past experiences and cultural assumptions

Invincibility fable

an adolescent’s 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

Metacognition

refers to “thinking about thinking” and it is relevant in social cognition and results in increased introspection, self-consciousness, and intellectualization during adolescence

Middle school

a school for children in the grades between elementary school and high school. Middle school usually begins with grade 6 and ends with grade 8

Mnemonic devices

mental strategies to help learn and remember information more efficiently; improves during adolescence

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 more awful than anyone else’s

Relativistic thinking

thinking that understands the relative or situational nature of circumstances

Secondary education

the period after primary education (elementary or grade school) and before tertiary education (college). It usually occurs from about ages 12 to 18, although there is some variation by school and by nation

Selective attention

the process by which one focuses on one stimulus while tuning out another; this ability improves during adolescence

Cisgender

an umbrella term used to describe people whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex

Clique

used to describe a group of persons who interact with each other more regularly and intensely than others in the same setting. Cliques are distinguished from “crowds” in that their members interact with one another

Crowds

large groups of adolescents defined by their shared image and reputation

Deviant peer contagion

process by which peers reinforce problem behavior by laughing or showing other signs of approval that then increase the likelihood of future problem behavior

Foreclosure

term for premature identity formation, which occurs when an adolescent adopts his or her parents’ or society’s role and values without questioning or analysis, according to Marcia’s theory

Gender

a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions of behaviors that are considered male or female

Gender dysphoria

a condition listed in the DSM-5 in which people whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with. This condition replaces “gender identity disorder”

Gender expression

how one demonstrates gender (based on traditional gender role norms related to clothing, behavior, and interactions); can be feminine, masculine, androgynous, or somewhere along a spectrum

Gender identity

the way that one thinks about gender and self-identifies, can be woman, man, or genderqueer

Homophily

a tendency of individuals to form links disproportionately with others like themselves

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, in accord with past experiences and future plans; already questioned and made commitment according to Marcia’s theory

Identity vs. role confusion

Erikson’s term for the fifth stage of development, in which the person tries to figure out “Who am I?” but is confused as to which of many possible roles to adopt

Major depression

feelings of hopelessness, lethargy, and worthlessness that last two weeks or more

Moratorium

an adolescent’s choice of a socially acceptable way to postpone making identity-achievement decisions. Going to college is a common example. Engaged in questioning, but not yet making a commitment, according to Marcia’s theory

Parasuicide

any potentially lethal action against the self that does not result in death. (also called attempted suicide or failed suicide)

Peer pressure

encouragement to conform to one’s friends or contemporaries in behavior, dress, and attitude; usually considered a negative force, as when adolescent peers encourage one another to defy adult authority

Role confusion

a situation in which an adolescent does not seem to know or care what his or her identity is. (Sometimes called identity diffusion or role diffusion)

Self-concept

our individual perceptions of our behavior, abilities, and unique characteristics. It is essentially a mental picture of who you are as a person. For example, beliefs such as “I am a good friend” or “I am a kind person” are part of an overall self-concept

Self-esteem

considered an important component of emotional health, self-esteem encompasses both self-confidence and self-acceptance. It is the way individuals perceive themselves and their self-value

Sex

a term that denotes the presence of physical or physiological differences between males and females

Sexual orientation

a term that refers to whether a person is sexually and romantically attracted to others of the same sex, the opposite sex, or both sexes

Suicide

the act of intentionally causing one’s own death

Suicidal ideation

thinking about suicide, usually with some serious emotional and intellectual or cognitive overtones

Transgender

a term used to describe people whose sense of personal identity does not correspond with their birth sex