Adolescent Physical And Cognitive Development Flashcards
Menarche
◦ The way of the saying the first period or menstrual cycle
‣ The average age is 12 in the U.S. (11.5 -14 is the normative range)
‣ We need to be careful because it is possible for girls to get pregnant before having their first period. what would have been their first period may not ever come because of sexual contact that ends in her being pregnant
◦ Sometimes people may not be fertile for their first few periods, but that is not always the case.
Spermatogenesis
◦ The ability to create and ejaculate lifesperm. It typically happens about a year and a half later than females. (Largely and assumption)
‣ Women are born with all of their ovaries for life. Men reproduce sperm for life.
Primary sex characteristics
• The characteristics needed to reproduce appear or are completely developed
‣ Genital organs develop and mature (M/F)
‣ Menstrual cycle starts (F)
Secondary sex characteristics
‣ Breasts develop (F) -> one of the major things that attention is focused on in this stage.
‣ Pelvis widens (F)
‣ Fatty tissue accumulates (F)
‣ Larynx enlarges (M) -> The Adam’s apple
‣ Facial hair appears (M) -> gets a lot of attention
‣ Muscles grow (M)
‣ Bone density increases (M)
‣ Both have a growth spurt but it appears to be more drastic in men
‣ Pubic hair and underarm hair appears (BOTH)
‣ Psychological changes occur (BOTH)
Hormones most prevalent in women
• estrogen and progesterone appear in both men and women. Women tend to have higher rates of estrogen following puberty and men tend to have lower levels
What estrogen effects
◦ Estrogen effects: builds up uterine lining, increases body fat, increases blood clotting, interferes with the thyroid hormone, impairs blood sugar control, decreases libido, decreases risks of endometrial and breast cancer.
‣ Before a woman can get pregnant the body insists on storing up body fat in the areas that are best to be supporting the baby. This is in areas that are hard to burn the fat. The hip, butt, and thighs especially.
What progesterone effects
◦ progesterone effects: maintains uterine lining, anti-depressant, restores libido, regulates blood sugar levels, helps use fat for energy, facilitates thyroid hormone action, normalizes blood clotting, protects from endometrial cancer, probable prevention of breast cancer.
‣ Often is the overlooked hormone in women.
‣ Highest desire to socialize, breasts and butt may be at their perkiest, women most likely to get pregnant, most interested in sex, most looking her best. -> is ovulating
When estrogen and progesterone get out of sync what happens
When the two get out of sync you may get: ovarian cyst, irregular periods, pain and many other things
Hormones that are more prevalent in men
• androgens
◦ Testosterone is the most prevalent androgens
‣ Accounts for the higher mass of muscle density, on average more muscular than women.
‣ A lot of the bone density and length can be compared to the testosterone levels.
• Unless there are extremely high levels of testosterone then there won’t be issues
◦ A lot of this is Correlational
‣ Change in the skin appearance. This skin will roughen up, and more hair and oil will be produces. The skin roughens up enough that the pores sort of close up and the same time that more oil is trying to get it so more clogs happen. this is where bacteria can fester and you may start to see acne.
The concrete operational stage
◦ Must work with concrete ideas
◦ Most adolescents and 1/2 of adults are in this stage
‣ This is where physical or occupational therapy may come into play. These are easier to understand especially with examples. However, more advanced topics may be harder to understand.
The formal operational stage -> purely abstract reasoning
• purely abstract reasoning
◦ Einstein and his theory of relativity
‣ Is a way of taking abstract things and turning them more concrete by comparing it to a train.
The formal operational stage -> hypothetical-deductive reasoning
◦ What do I think is going to happen and how can my hypothesis be disproven
◦ Algebraic proofs, calculus proofs
The formal operational stage -> systematic thinking
◦ Trying every possible combination of something. The ability to think through how to try every possible combination.
The formal operational stage -> multiple perspectives
◦ Doing this at a high level.
‣ Example: understanding multiple perspectives is knowing that I like blue but someone else does not.
‣ The mediators of drama and typically pretty good at thinking in multiple perspectives. Can find what all sides see and think, then taking it an putting it together to find the whole part together.
The formal operational stage -> metaphorical thinking
◦ Thinking metaphorical, in abstract terms, understanding parables, and other concepts.