Biological Foundations Flashcards
What 3 things does puberty trigger?
- physical changes
- sexual changes
- brain changes
List some of the things that puberty influences.
- sleep needs
- mood
- nutrition
- activity
- personal responses
- social responses
- parental relationships
- cultural responses
What are some personal responses to puberty?
- feel more grown up
- feel more socially mature
- prestige in peer groups
Describe asynchronous growth.
Not all body parts grow at the same time and rate
- extremities first (hands, feed, head)
- followed by arms and legs
- torso, chest, shoulders last
- leads to a gangly look
What are some psychological responses to puberty?
- increased self-consciousness
- increased self-awareness
- increased awareness of others’ perceptions
- embarrassment
- stress
- more social comparison (media, peers)
- body image concerns
- heightened emotions/mood swings
What things change between a parent and a child during puberty?
- relationships become less close
- increased conflict
- less physical closeness
- navigating new roles
- trial and error period for both parent and child
What are some changes in sleep needs as puberty begins? (3)
- often struggle to fall asleep before 11am
- difficulty waking up/being alert before 8am
- social factors play into sleep schedules
What is a delayed phase preference?
late bedtime and late wake time
What negative health outcomes does reduced sleep lead to?
- increased obesity
- decreased physical activity
What negative psychosocial outcomes does reduced sleep lead to?
- increased depression, anxiety, withdrawal
- increased irritability, emotionality, emotional instability
- increased fearfulness, aggression and hyperactivity
- decreased self esteem
What negative school performance outcomes does reduced sleep lead to?
- decreased grades
- decreased cognitive functioning (memory, learning, attention, decision making)
- increased absences and tardiness
What negative behavioural outcomes does reduced sleep lead to?
- increased risky behaviours:
- unprotected sexual activity
- smoking, drinking, drugs
- risky driving behaviours
- drowsy driving
What are the 2 main areas of variation in puberty?
Onset and duration
True or false, puberty is influenced by your genetics.
TRUE
- genes are the major influence on the onset and the tempo of puberty
- not a single gene responsible
True or false, only the genes from your same-sex parent influence your experience with puberty.
FALSE
- genes from both parents influence onset of puberty
True or false, puberty onset is the same for boys and girls.
FALSE
- Girls: between 8-14 years
- Boys: between 10-16 years
What is the significance of of the 2 year difference between the onset of puberty in boys and girls?
Contributes to the overall height differences between males and females. Children grow steadily until they hit puberty, then they hit a spurt and stop growing. Boys have 2 extra years of this steady growing before they hit their spurt.
True or false, timing of puberty is associated with negative health outcomes.
TRUE
- earlier onset: associated with improved nutrition and health and increased obesity in females
- later onset: associated with malnutrition, chronic disease, increased exercise/activity
True or false, the number of older siblings you have influences the timing of your puberty.
FALSE
- no link between number of older siblings and puberty
True or false, the number of younger siblings you have influences the timing of your puberty.
FALSE
- no link between number of younger siblings and puberty
True or false, altitude has an influence on timing of puberty.
TRUE
- onset is later in higher altitudes (~3 months/100m increase)
- possible factors: poor nutrition, hypoxia, energy expenditure
True or false, exposure to toxins in the environment has an impact on puberty.
TRUE
- more toxins = early onset
- still need more studies
True or false, exposure to stressors in the environment has an impact on puberty.
TRUE
- earlier for girls living in high stress environments
- family stress, economic stress, abuse
True or false, social class has an impact on onset of puberty?
TRUE
- earlier in girls from higher income families and in urban centres
- earlier onset in lower SES as well
