Adolescent Physical And Cognitive Development

Question 1

Menarche

Answer 1

◦ 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.

Question 2

Spermatogenesis

Answer 2

◦ 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.

Question 3

Primary sex characteristics

Answer 3

• The characteristics needed to reproduce appear or are completely developed
‣ Genital organs develop and mature (M/F)
‣ Menstrual cycle starts (F)

Question 4

Secondary sex characteristics

Answer 4

‣ 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)

Question 5

Hormones most prevalent in women

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

What estrogen effects

Answer 6

◦ 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.

Question 7

What progesterone effects

Answer 7

◦ 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

Question 8

When estrogen and progesterone get out of sync what happens

Answer 8

When the two get out of sync you may get: ovarian cyst, irregular periods, pain and many other things

Question 9

Hormones that are more prevalent in men

Answer 9

• 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.

Question 10

The concrete operational stage

Answer 10

◦ 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.

Question 11

The formal operational stage -> purely abstract reasoning

Answer 11

• 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.

Question 12

The formal operational stage -> hypothetical-deductive reasoning

Answer 12

◦ What do I think is going to happen and how can my hypothesis be disproven
◦ Algebraic proofs, calculus proofs

Question 13

The formal operational stage -> systematic thinking

Answer 13

◦ Trying every possible combination of something. The ability to think through how to try every possible combination.

Question 14

The formal operational stage -> multiple perspectives

Answer 14

◦ 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.

Question 15

The formal operational stage -> metaphorical thinking

Answer 15

◦ Thinking metaphorical, in abstract terms, understanding parables, and other concepts.

Question 16

In order to be fully formal operational what do we need?

Answer 16

Purely abstract reasoning, hypothetical deductive reasoning, systematic thinking, multiple perspectives, metaphorical thinking
- turns out he only tested a range of really smart people

Question 17

Piaget - adolescent egocentrism

Answer 17

‣ Things are starting to happen in new different ways. people tend to notice things differently.
◦ Not about narcissism
‣ Not narcissism but insecurity about who is looking at me? Who is talking about me? What is going on?
‣ Is a heightened sense about thing happening to them
◦ Not about selfishness
◦ An advances version of preoperational egocentrism (literal)

Question 18

Emergent formal operational thought

Answer 18

• can formulate contrary to fact hypotheses
‣ When they start imagining a different world
◦ Idealistic rebellion
‣ When you start imagining the world to be better.
• Ex: what if the popular kids weren’t so mean?
◦ Hypocrisy
‣ the tendency for adolescents to appear to hold certain moral standards or beliefs while not always acting in accordance with them
• Pretending to be what they are not
• Ability to reason about one’s own thoughts
◦ Metacognition
- thinking about thinking; when we accidentally blow our own minds and think about our own thoughts.
◦ Metamemory
- something like when we dream about going to class, then when actually in class not knowing if we are there.
- the developing ability of an adolescent to understand and reflect on their own cognitive processes, particularly when thinking about abstract concepts and hypothetical situations, allowing them to monitor their own learning and problem-solving strategies with greater awareness and self-regulation; essentially, it’s the “thinking about thinking” aspect within the context of advanced abstract reasoning abilities that emerge during this stage
• Recognition of the perspective of others

Question 19

• The imaginary audience

Answer 19

‣ Typically more so in females than males, when they start to really care about their body and appearance.
◦Being on stage -> posing
‣ A sense of being on stage for others. The “I think I look so hot”, but then they may find something they think is wrong with them and then fear that all eyes are on them.
◦Topic of others conversations
◦Being afraid as you walk by people that they are talking about you.
‣ Sense of shame
* A sense of embarrassment for; not getting their period, which may lead to a girl thinking they got their period and being afraid that they will stand up and everyone will be able to tell.
* With boys is spontaneous erection. During puberty years this can happen, can be very sudden and embarrassing.
◦A fear that people may realize you are masterbating

‣ Desire for privacy

Question 20

the personal fable

Answer 20

‣ We are the greatest character in our own story.
◦Belief in own uniqueness
‣ We tend to exaggerate how unique we are.
* We are the greatest friend group, we will be together forever, we will defy all.

• The hurried child

Question 21

the personal fable sense of isolation

Answer 21

◦Sense of isolation
‣ “My sadness is so sad that no one will understand, especially my mom.”
* Teen love is the worst part, the worst thing you can do to teenagers is watch
Romeo and Juliet or Titanic. This may cause them to compare their relationship to
this.
‣ In some people their sense of uniqueness leads to a sense of isolation.

Question 22

the personal fable - formal operational thought and risk taking

Answer 22

◦Risk taking

• Moving beyond egocentrism
  ◦Formal operational thought
  ‣ This stage is marked by being able to move away from living where everything revolves
  around yourself

Question 23

the personal fable - belief in immortality

Answer 23

◦Belief in immortality
‣ The belief of being the “main” character and never being able to die or get hurt will lead
to a lot of bad behaviors
* Drinking/drunk driving, drugs, thinking you can’t get someone pregnant because it
only happens to bad kids, belief of this immortality.

Question 24

the personal fable - identity and intimate relationships

Answer 24

◦Identity development
‣ The more we become comfortable with ourselves the less things said about us matter
◦Intimate relationships
‣ Friendships are often best for this, because you can talk to someone and realize you are
not alone.
* Realization that you are not alone