adolescence- lecture 8 Flashcards
adolescence
The period of transition from childhood to adulthood,
encompassing both development to sexual maturity and development to psychological and relative economic independence
puberty
- the process of attaining an adult-sized body and the capability to produce offspring
- Rapid physical growth
- Primary sexual characteristics
- Secondary sexual characteristics
- Typically lasts about 4 years (can be shorter or longer)
puberty in boys
Primary sexual characteristics start to change first (testes enlarge,scrotum changes in texture and colour)
- Secondary sexual characteristics start changing (pubic hair)
- Spermarche = first ejaculation (initially semen contains few living sperm so fertility is low)
Growth spurt later in age for boys than girls - Voice changes (deepens)
- Adult stature reached relatively late in the process
puberty in girls
usually begins with breast buds and a growth spurt
- Growth of pubic hair follows
- Menarche is the first menstruation and occurs relatively late in puberty
- Average age 12.5 years
- Happens after the peak of the height spurt
- Initially may not release ova during menstrual cycle (so fertility may be low)
- Growth of underarm hair
- Adult stature reached relatively late in the process
precocious puberty
- In rare cases (<1%), children may start puberty very young (too early)
- Precocious puberty: when it starts before age 8 in girls and age 9 in boys
- Puberty blockers (hormones) often prescribed to stop the physical changes until more typical pubertal age (if puberty continues, these children may end up shorter than they would have been)
pubertal timing
- onset of puberty partially due to increased fat in diet
- gils who eat little or are highly athletic experience it later
-no link with body fat and puberty in boys
-link with early family experiences in girls - anyone with early puberty more likely to be risky
early puberty risks subside for boys but not girls
health paradox of adolescence
- the healthiest and most resilient period of the lifespan
- Yet: overall morbidity and mortality rates increase 200-300% from childhood to late adolescence
- Onset of problems like poor health habits, drug use, disorders like depression
formal operational stage
- Abstract thinking
- Complex and scientific problem solving
- Long since learned conservation, moved away from the egocentric thinking of childhood
- BUT egocentrism returns
personal fable
aspect of adolescent egocentrism- one is unique, or destined to have a heroic life
invincibility fable
one wont get harmed by fast driving, uprotected sex or drug use
optimistic bias
it wont happen to me
general moodiness in adolescence
- often due to hormonal and neurological changes (buchanan et al 1992)
- negtive moods related to negative events which happen more in adolescence
authoritive parenting
- linked to social maturity and high self esteem
high involvment in childs life
warm acceptance of child
balanced behavioural control
appropriate granting of autonomy
authoritarian parenting
- leads to rebellious behaviour
lower involvemnet in childs life
lower acceptance of child
strict rules
low autonomy granting
permissive parenting
- leads to rebllion
low involvement in childs life
warm acceptance of child
little behavioural control
too much autonomy granting
uninvolved parenting
low involvement in childs life
absent acceptance of child
little behavioural control
to much autonomy granting
family meals
eisenberg et all 2004
mealtimes provided structure stability and communication
protective factor which enhances health and well being
identity in adolescents
time to think of who you are and where youre going
examine goals and values of parents and culture
