Ch 2: Puberty

Question 1

Puberty

Answer 1

When a person become capable of sexual reproduction (usually occurs age 11-13)

Question 2

Early puberty (“precocious” puberty)

Answer 2

Age 8-9

Types:
—Central precocious puberty: brain signals pituitary gland too early
—Peripheral precocious puberty: when sex hormones are overproduced

Often stopped with medication, which delays it until the proper time

Question 3

Delayed (late) puberty

Answer 3

Will eventually go through normal puberty, often runs in families.
Causes:
—Hypogonadism: little hormone production
—Gland fails to signal hormones (can be caused by genetic disorders/brain trauma)

Question 4

What influences the timing of puberty?

Answer 4

• Genes
• Intensive weight training
• Weight
• Family conflict and father absence
• Living in a higher altitude
• Sexual abuse

Question 5

Early-maturing boys

Answer 5

–Positive self-evaluations (more confident)
–Better athletic skills
–More popular with girls
–Early onset of sexual activity
–Favoured by adults
–More is expected of them than they can often handle
–More likely to show behavioural problems (drugs, gangs)
–Benefits last into adulthood (confidence increases and remains)

Question 6

Late-maturing boys

Answer 6

–Socially-induced inferiority
–Develop negative self-perception
–Become very self-conscious
–Often withdraw
–May be overly eager for attention
–May delay adult commitments (marriage, jobs)

Question 7

Early-maturing girls

Answer 7

–Poor body image and negative self-evaluations (different from early guys)
–Vulnerable to peer pressure
–Lower grades
–More popular with boys
–Earlier sexual activity
–Often try to look older

Question 8

Late-maturing girls

Answer 8

–Distinct social disadvantages in high school
–Resent looking like/being treated like little girls
–Envious of peers
–Loss of social status
–Less attractive to boys

Question 9

The Secular Trend

Answer 9

For the last 150 years, each new generation of adolescents has been taller and heavier, has grown to maturity and has started puberty at a slightly earlier age.
–Taller by 1 cm per decade
–Heavier by .5 kgs per decade
–Age of puberty has decreased ~3 months per decade

Explanations:
–Improvements in nutrition
–Decline in growth-retarding illnesses during childhood
–Better medical care

Question 10

Why do AD feel negatively about their bodies?

Answer 10

–Exposure to “ideal” bodies on social media
–Bullying because of looks
–Appearance is important for dating
–Apps that allow you to alter appearance

Question 11

Bulimia

Answer 11

Eating disorder–bingeing and purging
Characteristics:
–Often starts after a period of regular dieting
–Weight is normal
–Binges and purges (massive amount of food consumed in a short time, then throw it all up)

Question 12

Anorexia

Answer 12

Eating disorder: self-starvation
Characteristics:
–Drive for thinness and morbid fear of being overweight
–Preoccupation with food
–Cognitive dysfunction

Question 13

Anorexia vs. Bulimia

Answer 13

Anorexia
–Slightly younger age of onset
–More significant medical complications
–Easier to spot (thinness)
Bulimia
–Much more likely to recognize behaviour is unusual
–Less obsessive about regular diet
–Less easy to spot (yellow teeth/scraped knuckles are visible signs)

Question 14

What are the causes of eating disorders?

Answer 14

–societal pressures to be thin
–family environment (AD wants to control something in their life)
–Cognitive disturbances (distorted view of their body)
–Mood problems (depression, sadness, low self-esteem)

Question 15

Muscle Dysmorphia

Answer 15

25% of AD males

Features:
–Compulsive exercise
–Specific dieting
–Use of steroids
–Disruptions to daily life

Question 16

Physical Activity

Answer 16

Decrease in physical activity during adolescence (especially for females)
Why?
–Driving instead of walking
–Too much screen time
–Time crunch
–Social factors (no one to exercise with)
–Fewer take PE classes

Question 17

Adolescents and Sleep

Answer 17

–Not getting enough!
–AD need MORE sleep but are getting much less
Consequences: school problems, depression, dangers (sleepy while driving)

Question 18

What is adrenarche and gonadarche?

Answer 18

They are hormonal changes–two phases of puberty

Adrenarche: hormonal changes, happens around ages 6-10
Gonadarche: physical changes, happens around two years after adrenarche.

Question 19

What is the relationship between weight, body fat, leptins, and kisspeptins, and the onset of puberty?

Answer 19

Some argue that children must reach a critical body mass before puberty.

Higher body weight, especially obesity, is linked to earlier pubertal development

Leptin: a hormone that may signal the beginning and progression of puberty. Leptin concentrates, which are higher in girls than in boys, are related to the amounts of fat in girls and androgens in boys. Thus a rise in leptin may indicate adequate fat stores for reproduction and the maintenance of pregnancy.

Question 20

Why do many adolescents get body art?

Answer 20

–To be different, to stamp their identity and be unique

–Markers for “risk-taking” — especially multiple body piercings

–Increasingly used to express individuality and self-expression, rather than rebellion.

Question 21

State two factors that increase the likelihood that an adolescent will get involved in risky behaviours and two factors that decrease the likelihood.

Answer 21

Increase:
-“Hanging out” with peers in unstructured contexts
-Risk taken by siblings increases the likelihood of an adolescent engaging in risk-taking.

Decrease:
-More resources (role models, youth activities)
-Parental monitoring and communication skills

Question 22

Discuss the neurobiological explanations of adolescent risk-taking behaviour, noting the importance of the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala

Answer 22

Basically, the prefrontal cortex (the logic center) develops later than the amygdala (emotions department), so this may explain why AD have a hard time stopping their risky adventures.

Question 23

What are the leading causes of death among ADs?

Answer 23

-Accidents
-Homicides
-Suicides

Question 24

Provide experimental evidence which shows that exercise might act as a buffer against the stress some adolescents experience.

Answer 24

Nine-month physical activity intervention with sedentary adolescent girls improved their self-image

Question 25

Provide experimental evidence which show that adolescents derive positive benefits from participating in organized sports.

Answer 25

Adolescents who participated in sports were less likely to engage in risk-taking activities.

Question 26

15. What is the female athlete triad? Is it common? Are coaches aware of the female athlete triad?

Answer 26

A combination of disordered eating (weight loss), amenorrhea (absent or irregular menstrual periods) and osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of bones).

Often goes unnoticed

Question 27

Provide some evidence which shows that a later start to the school day is beneficial to adolescents

Answer 27

Adolescents who slept 7 or less hours engaged in more delinquent acts than their counterparts who slept 8-10 hours/night.