adolescent psych exam 1

Early adolescence - 10-13

Middle - 14/15-17

Late - 18-21

Adolescent development: I. Fundamental changes: A. Biological - puberty. B. Cognitive. C. Social. II. Context of Adolescent Development: A. Family. B. Peer groups. C. Schools. D. Work, Leisure, and Mass Media. III. Psychosocial Development of Adolescents: A. Identity. B. Autonomy. C. Intimacy. D. Sexuality. E. Achievement. *Psychosocial problems - 

The brain - puberty makes your brain stronger and more efficient. Hormones - affects more than just mood, like your heart, other organs, and even bone, muscles and skin. Adrenal gland - secretes androgen. Sebaceous glands - secretes oil in your skin. Pituitary Gland - produces testosterone in males during puberty. Testosterone - produces more hair growth during puberty and aids in growing lean muscle mass. Estrogen - redistributes women body fat to form breasts. Axons in the brain start to become more insulated by the myelin sheath which sends brain signals faster. Neuron - a brain cell that holds information. Amygdala - more emotional part of the brain, less rational thinking 

Circadian rhythm gets pushed back a few hours. Body starts releasing sex hormones. Prefrontal cortex starts to more rapidly develop. Synaptic pruning occurs to get rid of brain connections that are no longer necessary. Developing brains are more vulnerable and long term addiction is more likely 

There are males and females: females enter puberty on average a year before males. There are some potential negative affects of this however, it could mean the biological age could be as low as 8 years old. Not really any late term affects for females. Its kind of flipped for males. Males who enter puberty earlier than their peers could be regarded as a leader or more popular. If a male enters puberty late it is seen as negative, they could be seen as the runt or get picked on. Stimulant based drugs could delay puberty in adolescents. Generally speaking it always happens and always happens around when its supposed to unless of extreme circumstances. The brain changes a lot during puberty. 

Cognitive transitions are one of the fundamental changes: 1. The thinking about possibilities. Pre adolescent think only in concrete. If-then thinking (hypothetical) is a key trait in cognitive change. They don’t become more argumentative necessarily they just become better at it. 2. Thinking about abstract concepts. 3. Thinking about thinking (metacognition). Increased introspection, goes hand in hand with increased self consciousness. Egocentricism is a part of the changes as well, results are: imaginary audiences, personal fable, 4. Thinking in multiple dimensions: Complexity (self concept). Sarcasm. 5. relativism: 

Information processing changes: Attention, improvements and changes in selected and divided attention tasks. Memory changes as well. Speed, and organization. 

topic for group  #4: Current age of Majority? Recommended age of majority? Why? To consent to body art such as piercing and body art, and the age to vote.

Context of adolescence: Families- Adolescents do not get more argumentative, they simply get better at arguing. They can think in hypotheticals now. Parents and teens are most likely to get in an argument about something like music tastes or trends. Four quadrants of parenting styles: high demandingness, High responsiveness, low demandingness, and low responsiveness. HD/LR = Authoritarian, tyrannical. HD/HR = Authoritative, a LOT more healthy to raise children in. Supports children by pushing them but respecting the children. Often the best way to transition the child into adulthood. HR/LD = Indulgent, won’t get in the way of their child developing, they don’t really place expectations from their kids, more concerned with being their kids friend. Not really guidelines for their children, can be over-involved. LR/LD = indifferent, they want to spend as little effort as possible raising their kids. They are not involved with their kids much, they don’t want their child to inconvenience them. 

Peer Groups: 4 primary ways that peer groups change over the course of adolescence: 1. The increase in time spent with peers. 2. Sharp decrease in adult supervision. 3. Increase in mixed sex interactions, more male and female interactions even within larger groups. 4. Emergence of crowds. The difference between Cliques and Crowds: Cliques are small - between 2-12 individuals, the average is about 5-6, common activities or friendships form the foundations of cliques. Provide the main social context for adolescence. Closed and open cliques, pretty self explanatory. You may be able to be a part of multiple cliques or no cliques. Crowds are large reputation based groups. Help solidify an adolescents place. Often help with identity. Encourage certain behaviors and/or people/friendships and discouraging others. Cliques are like your closest friends, crowds are large reputation based. Most public schools have different types of crowds. Crowds are often stereotype based. 

Leisure, media, and work. Formal and informal occupations. Informal is like yard work and babysitting. Formal work usually after age 16, mainly service and retail industries. Adolescents have more leisure time than anything else. Structured and unstructured leisure time. Structured - Mostly extracurricular actives. 

  1. Adolescent Development Stages:

    • Early adolescence: 10-13 years old

    • Middle adolescence: 14/15-17 years old

    • Late adolescence: 18-21 years old

  2. Fundamental Changes in Adolescent Development:

    • Biological: Puberty

    • Cognitive

    • Social

  3. Context of Adolescent Development:

    • Family

    • Peer groups

    • Schools

    • Work, Leisure, and Mass Media

  4. Psychosocial Development of Adolescents:

    • Identity

    • Autonomy

    • Intimacy

    • Sexuality

    • Achievement

  5. Brain Changes during Puberty:

    • Hormonal effects on brain, heart, organs, bones, muscles, and skin

    • Role of adrenal, sebaceous, and pituitary glands

    • Functions of testosterone and estrogen

    • Myelination of axons for faster brain signals

    • Role of neurons and the amygdala in emotional processing

  6. Cognitive Transitions in Adolescence:

    • Thinking about possibilities

    • Abstract concept thinking

    • Metacognition (thinking about thinking)

    • Egocentrism and its results: imaginary audiences, personal fable

    • Thinking in multiple dimensions and relativism

  7. Information Processing Changes:

    • Attention improvements and changes

    • Memory changes in speed and organization

  8. Parenting Styles:

    • Authoritarian

    • Authoritative

    • Indulgent

    • Indifferent

  9. Peer Groups in Adolescence:

    • Changes in peer group dynamics

    • Difference between cliques and crowds

    • Characteristics of cliques: size, common activities, friendships

    • Characteristics of crowds: reputation-based, influence on identity and behavior

  10. Leisure, Media, and Work:

    • Formal and informal occupations

    • Structured and unstructured leisure time

    • Types of formal work for adolescents

    • Importance of leisure time for adolescents, including extracurricular activities.