Adolescences Flashcards
Cultural Trauma
occurs when members of a groups feel they’ve experienced a horrendous event that leaves a mark upon the consciousness.
Adolescences
The stage of development that begins with puberty and ends when individuals make the transition into adulthood
Puberty
period during which an individual becomes capable of reproduction
What are some manifestations of puberty?
primary and secondary sex characteristics; body hair, breasts, period, etc.
endocrine system
system of glands that produce, circulate, and regulate hormones
Gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH)
the key regulator of the reproductive axis
neurons role in puberty
Neurons (gray matter) and synapses (junctions between neurons) proliferate in the cerebral cortex and are then gradually pruned throughout adolescence
Hypothalamus
regulates levels of sex hormones (thermostat metaphor)
steps to release of androgens and estrogens
hypothalamus–> pituitary glad–> gonads–> sex hormones
Adrenarche
the maturation of the adrenal gland (during puberty)
What are the role of gonads?
gonadal steroids exert a strong influence on memory for social info and on social bonding
what causes puberty to happen?
you are born with everything you need to set off puberty- generally accepted that genetics determine when the HPG axis is awakened and signals body to start puberty
somatic development
growth in multiple different aspects- effective of hormonal changes of puberty are remarkable
secular trend
the trend that overtime people are maturing faster and growing bigger
what are examples of elements that effect onset of puberty
environment, genetics, nutrition levels, etc
what are examples of the immediate impact of puberty
physical changes affect self-image, mood, and relationships with parents
cognition
the processes involved in thinking and mental activity, such as attention, memory, and problem solving
what’s an example of cognitive ability adolescence have that kids don’t?
metacognition, grasping abstract concepts, thinking about possibilities, deductive reasoning, theory of mind (perspective taking), speed of processing, organization, selective attention, impulse control
adolescence egocentrism
extreme self- absorption
imaginary audience
a psychological state where an individual imagines and believes that multitudes of people are listening to or watching them
personal fable
an adolescence’s belief that they are unique and therefore not subject to rules that govern everyone- vaping, reckless driving, etc.
adolescent relativism
adolescents shift from viewing things as absolute to seeing things in multiple dimensions
cognitive- developmental view
perspective based on piaget’s work- takes a qualitative, stage theory approach (sensorimotor period, preoperational period, concrete operations, formal operational)
info-processing perspective
derives from the study of artificial intelligence
working memory
aspect of memory in which info is held for a short time while a problem is being solved
long- term memory
the ability to recall something from long ago
at what age are adolescents proficient as adults in basic cognitive abilities
15
Brain structure
The physical form and organization of the brain
Brain function
Patterns of brain activity
MRI
magnetic resonance imaging - makes pictures of organs using magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy
fMRI
functional MRI- measures activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow
Neurons
nerve cells- there are about 1 billion
Synapse
gap in space b/t neurons, across neurotransmitters carry electrical
neurotransmitters
endogenous chemicals that allow neurons to communicate with each other throughout the body
synaptic pruning
process of eliminating unnecessary connections b/t neurons- this improves connectivity
plasticity
the capacity of the brain to change in response to experience
developmental plasticity
extensive remodeling of the brain’s circuitry in response to experiences during childhood and adolescence, while brain is still maturing
Adult plasticity
relatively minor changes
prefrontal cortex
region of the brain most important for sophisticated thinking abilities, such as planning, thinking ahead, weighing risks
Dopamine
important for brain circuits regulating renewal
serotonin
important for the experience of different moods
social redefinition
the process through which an individual’s position or status is redefined
how do we measure adolescence
time of puberty to time of marriage
Inventionists
Theorists who argue that the period of adolescence is mainly a social invention
how did industrialization effect how children were viewed
individualism was introduced and so children are seen as separate from there families and are encouraged to pursue careers diverting from the family
child protectionists
individuals who argued, early in the twentieth century
Teenager
A term popularized about 70 years ago to refer to young people; connotes young people having finical freedom and becoming their own demographic (to be sold to)
Youth
Today, a term referring to individuals aged 18-22
Emerging Adulthood
a new stage of life or luxury of the middle class?
what are the 5 characteristics or emerging adulthood?
- Exploration of possible identities
- instability in work, romantic, living arrangement
- a focus on oneself
- feeling of limbo
- life holds lots of possibilities
what are the two important dimensions involved in the process of social redefinition?
- Clarity
- Continuity
Transition to adulthood in the U.S. is…
discontinuous
What does it mean for a societies transition into adulthood to be continuous?
The transition into adulthood is abrupt and there is little to no preparation.
