11. Adolescence Flashcards
Pruning
The process of ‘cutting’ synaptic connections
How does the wiring up of the brain of an adolescent compare to that of a child?
Young children tend to wire up everything. As you get older, wiring becomes more selective
The first 3 years of brain development is crucial for the development _____________________
of the brain’s emotion centres
How does the progression of brain development occur?
Bottom-top, inside-out
- Hindbrain/cerebellum (breathing etc)
- Midbrain (automatic things like emotion and memory)
- Cortex (controlled conscious processes)
2 important neural events in adolescence
- Myelination
- Pruning
According to Strauch (2003), how do frontal lobes develop?
- Peak at 11yo in girls
- Peak at 12yo in boys
- After peak, decreases and then continues to grow
What does myelination do?
increases brain efficiency, speed, connectivity up to 3000X
According to Nagel how do different regions of the brain develop over time?
- Limbic = v sudden developments and then asymptotes
- prefrontal = slow and steady asymptote
How does neural processing in adolescents explain their emotional outbursts?
According to Nagel
- adolescents have activation in the middle of their brain (gut reaction), where they cannot control
- adults process in prefrontal cortex / more control
secondary sex characteristics
characteristics that distinguish the sexes but are not sex organs
Impacts of early onset puberty on the sexes
Girls - more stress, high risk sexual behaviour
Boys - stressful
On average, the onset of puberty is much _____ than it used to be
younger (4 mths/decade)
What are some of the downsides of earlier puberty?
- needing to find a socially acceptable way to express sexuality
- social risks
- body changes outstrip emotional capacity and maturity
- sexualisation of children
Cognitive capacities in adolescences
Formal operations
- more abstract
- systematic
- mental manipulations
- hypothetico-deductive reasoning
- propositional thinking (if then)
- metacognitions (thinking about thinking)
- perspective taking
Describe emotional development in adolescents
They have a more differentiated range of emotions but regulating them is a challenge (prefrontal cortex)
Adolescent suicide trends
- rare under 14, rapid increase 15-19
- rates of attempted suicide higher in girls
- rates of completed suicide 4-5X greater in men
- men = firearms
- women = poisoning
Internalising disorders
disorders characterised by internalising
Externalising disorders
disorders characterised by maladaptive behaviour and conduct
How does Erikson’s psychosocial theory provide insight into this?
emphasises importance of identity formation and stability in different contexts
The ‘novice phase’
Period between 17-33 years about building a stable life structure.
- Dreaming
- Finding a mentor
- Jobs
- Intimate relationships
Transition into adulthood takes place
28-33 years
Why is adolescence described as a ‘moratorium’?
It is a period away from the safety of childhood but a moratorium from the responsibilities of adulthood
Inner/private self vs Public self
Inner - values and beliefs
Public - traits/characteristics by which one is recognised by others
What are the steps to resolving the identity vs role confusion stage?
- Autonomy
- Gender identity consolidation
- Internalised morality
- Career choice
- Fidelity (sustained values despite conflicts)
- Relationships
