Adolescence

Question 1

Name the phase of maturation that marks the beginnings of puberty and adolescence.

Answer 1

Gonadarche

Question 2

Name the three phases of puberty and give approximate age ranges for girls (boys are generally a year delayed)

Answer 2

Adrenarche (pre-puberty): 6-9
Gonadarche: 8-14
Growth: 12

Question 3

Define gonadarche.

Answer 3

Maturation of primary and secondary sex characteristics

Question 4

Define adrenarche.

Answer 4

Awakening of hormones in adrenal gland

Question 5

Which phase of puberty relates to HPA axis secretion?

Answer 5

Adrenarche

Question 6

Which phase of puberty relates to HPG axis reactivation?

Answer 6

Gonadarche

Question 7

Why is it important to study adolescence?

Answer 7

Adolescence is a long period of time, huge amount of the lifespan with a lot of important milestones.

Question 8

Define the adolescent dilemma.

Answer 8

Adolescents are cognitively mature but have extreme risk-taking behaviour.

Question 9

What are two examples of mortality due to adolescent risk-taking?

Answer 9

Car crashes, drowning

Question 10

In what context specifically is adolescent decision-making impaired?

Answer 10

When peers are around

Question 11

What kind of social influences increase risk-taking in adolescents? (two points)

Answer 11

Peers doing risky things, in person

Question 12

How does culture affect adolescent risk-taking? (two points)

Answer 12

Risk-taking is a global phenomenon, but the type of risk depends on cultural norms and taboos.

Question 13

Describe the methodology of the Chein et al. (2011) study.

Answer 13

Stoplight driving game in fMRI. Simulated car races down straight track with yellow traffic lights. Running yellow light means no delay but risk of crash (large delay).

Question 14

Describe the findings of the Chein et al. (2011) study.

Answer 14

When alone, adolescents run as many yellow lights as adults. When friend is watching, they run significantly more.

Question 15

What’s the rough (maximum) age range for adolescence?

Answer 15

10-25

Question 16

Name the four traits that characterise adolescence.

Answer 16

Risk-taking, cognitive maturity, emotional volatility, increased attention to others

Question 17

What do the corticolimbic and corticostriatal systems do?

Answer 17

Socio-emotional processing

Question 18

Subcortical and medial = ?

Answer 18

Socio-emotional

Question 19

Cortical and lateral = ?

Answer 19

Cognitive control

Question 20

In what spatial areas of the brain are the socio-emotional regions?

Answer 20

Subcortical and medial

Question 21

In what spatial areas of the brain are the cognitive control regions?

Answer 21

Cortical and lateral

Question 22

What are two examples of functional changes in the brain?

Answer 22

Communication between regions, activation of a region in response to a stimulus

Question 23

What are three examples of structural changes in the brain?

Answer 23

Grey matter thinning, white matter myelination, synaptogenesis

Question 24

Name the three models that explain the adolescence dilemma.

Answer 24

Dual-system model, triadic model, imbalance model

Question 25

Explain the dual-system model.

Answer 25

In adolescence, the motivational limbic system is more developed than the cognitive control system. They are unbalanced and the limbic system is activated more quickly and strongly than the prefrontal cortex.

Question 26

Explain the triadic model.

Answer 26

Similar to the dual-system model but incorporates the amygdala (involved in fear and emotion processing). Triadic model includes avoidance and rejection/ punishment as well as reward.

Question 27

Explain the imbalance model.

Answer 27

Emphasises developmental lag between limbic and prefrontal regions. Different rate of change - adolescents have adult reasoning skills by 16 but only psychosocial maturity at 25.

Question 28

Which brain region is the last to fully mature?

Answer 28

Prefrontal cortex

Question 29

What is the likely evolutionary reason for why adolescents don’t have a fully developed prefrontal cortex?

Answer 29

During development, brain regions are more malleable/ adaptable to optimise the brain to the environment.

Question 30

What is the likely evolutionary reason for why adolescents are more risk-taking and reward-seeking?

Answer 30

Learning, taking risks, being in novel situations are important for development. Adaptive to be reward-seeking, and typically not too damaging because parents can provide regulation and structure.

Question 31

Which brain region was most activated for adults during the Chein et al. stoplight game?

Answer 31

(Lateral) prefrontal cortex

Question 32

Which two brain regions were most activated for adolescents in the peer condition during the Chein et al. stoplight game?

Answer 32

Ventral striatum (limbic system, reward processing) and orbitofrontal cortex (socioemotional processing)

Question 33

Does cognitive capacity = cognitive control?

Answer 33

No

Question 34

How does adolescent risk taking relate to safety?

Answer 34

Caregiver supervision provides buffer against consequences of risky behaviour

Question 35

How does adolescent brain development relate to mental health?

Answer 35

Higher risk of affective disorders (depression and anxiety), partially due to under-developed regulatory systems

Question 36

What are three core needs of adolescents for healthy development?

Answer 36

Purpose, connectedness, opportunity to thrive