Adolescence A

Summarise the overall physical growth of the adolescent.
Describe the changes that occur during puberty.
Describe the changes in sleep.
Identify nutritional concerns.
Describe eating disorders.
Explain the risk factors and consequences of adolescent pregnancy.
Describe Piaget’s formal operational stage and the characteristics of formal operational thought.
Describe adolescent egocentrism.

Growth in Adolescence:
- Puberty (ages 8-14) is marked by rapid growth and sexual maturation.
- Girls typically start puberty around age 10, while boys start about two years later, with maturation taking 3 to 4 years.
- Growth follows the distal proximal development pattern, which means growth spreads from the extremities (hands/feet) to the torso.
- During ages 10 to 14, girls may be taller but boys begin to surpass girls in height and weight as they progress through puberty.
Issues of Weight & Height:
- Weight differences become more noticeable than height differences, leading to sensitivity among teenagers regarding body image.
- Obesity is increasingly common due to high fat diets and low physical activity levels, exacerbated by educational restrictions on physical education.
- Racial and ethnic backgrounds influence average height and weight, with general trends observed between children of Asian, European, and African descent.

Sexual Development:
- Primary Sexual Characteristics:
- Males: Development of testes, penis, scrotum; spermarche (first ejaculation) occurs around ages 11-15.
- Females: Growth of the uterus and menarche (first menstrual period), which can start earlier in individuals with higher body fat.
- Secondary Sexual Characteristics:
- Males: Broader shoulders, deeper voice, body hair growth.
- Females: Breast development, wider hips, body hair, and increased acne due to hormonal changes.
- Acne can impact social interactions and self-esteem.
Effects of Pubertal Age:
- The average age of onset for puberty has decreased from 16 to around 13.
- Factors like stress, obesity, and endocrine disruptors can affect puberty onset, with potential mental health issues emerging in early maturing girls, such as depression and anxiety.
- Social dynamics can shift, with early or late maturation impacting peer interactions and behaviors, leading to increased risks for both genders.

Adolescent Sleep Needs:
- Adolescents require 8-10 hours of sleep but often do not achieve this, leading to issues like irritability, poor academic performance, and increased risk-taking behaviors, including unsafe sexual practices.
Biological Changes:
- Puberty alters circadian rhythms, causing a natural tendency to stay awake later and struggle to wake up early, impacting daily functioning and decision-making abilities.

Eating Disorders:
- These disorders are prevalent during adolescence, affecting both genders, but are more common in females.
- Risk Factors: Genetics, psychological issues, social dynamics, and family history.
- Major eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.
Health Consequences:
- Eating disorders lead to severe health issues, including heart problems, nutritional deficiencies, and psychological stress, with anorexia having the highest mortality rate of psychiatric disorders.
- Treatment typically involves nutrition education, therapy (like CBT), and parental involvement in care strategies.

Prevalence and Trends:
- Despite a decrease in sexual activity among adolescents, socioeconomic status and family dynamics significantly impact rates of pregnancy.
Risk Factors:
- Factors which raise pregnancy risks include poor parental supervision, single-parent households, and socioeconomic challenges.
- Consequences for teen mothers include lower educational attainment and increased likelihood of poverty and reliance on public assistance.

Characteristics:
- Adolescents develop the ability to think abstractly and logically, moving beyond concrete reasoning.
- They can engage in hypothetical-deductive reasoning and understand complex concepts like transitivity.
- Not all individuals will utilize formal operational thought in all areas, as interest plays a role in the application of this cognitive skill.

Concepts: Explore the imaginary audience and personal fable.
Implications: This period of self-reflection is crucial for identity formation, impacting self-concept.

Cognitive Control: Executive functions, including attention and impulse control, improve during adolescence. However, self-regulation can falter under stress.
Intuitive vs. Analytic Thinking: Adolescents often use intuitive thought patterns, while analytic thinking develops with maturity and is more deliberate and rational.