Adolescent development

Question 1

Continuous Growth

Answer 1

• 40%
• smooth, continuous change; self-assurance, steady increase in competence, confidence, maturity
• solid families w/o major stresses
• connected w/ family and interpersonal relationships
• Considered more “resilient” – bounce back when they do have periods of uncertainty

Question 2

Surgent Growth

Answer 2

• 40%
• developmental spurts, uneven change,
• periods of emotional conflict and turmoil alternate w/ periods of steady progress
• mixed families w/ more stress
• not as confident/capable of dealing w/ crisis
• parents may be more fearful of letting adolescent go

Question 3

Tumultuous growth

Answer 3

• 20%
• Turmoil and conflict
• frequent identity crises, intense emotional outbursts and/or misbehavior
• more troubled families, separated parents
• personal insecurity
• deep reactions to failure, loss, crises

Question 4

Brain development

Answer 4

• increases in white matter + myelination (more connectivity)
• changes gray matter in frontal, temporal, parietal regions
  
  • follow changes w/ puberty
  • inverted U shape (largest volume in pre-teen years then declines slightly into the 20s)
  • timing: Frontal, parietal, temporal
• arborization – increasing size = extra branches
• pruning – use it or lose it, eliminate connections due to lack of use

Question 5

Consequences of brain development

Answer 5

• explains risk behaviors
• less executive functioning (inhibition, restraint, judgement)
• substance use, sleep deprivation, inactivity may cause lasting injury to developing brain
• increased risk for:
  
  • alcohol use
  • substance use, attempting substances
  • suicide – most often impulsive (not pre-meditated)
  • eating disorders

Question 6

Adolescent thinking

Answer 6

• concrete to abstract
• uni to multi-dimensional
• absolute to relativistic
• reactive to self-reflective/aware
• better executive functions over time (planning, cognition, self-evaluation…)
• egocentric tendencies: self-focused, heightened self-consciousness, “invulnerability”

Question 7

Basis for risk taking behaviors

Answer 7

• increased reward seeking w/o equivalent self-regulation
• increased sensitivity and efficiency of DA pathways w/ reduced buffering
  
  • dopaminergic remodeling occurs during puberty
• puberty increases oxytocin receptors
• these changes make indiv more attentive to social stimuli –> greater influence of peers on behavior
  
  • presence of peers increases activity in reward circuitry –> more risky decisions
• perhaps evolutionary advantage