Ch. 9 - Body and Mind

Question 1

Puberty

Answer 1

The period of rapid growth and sexual development that begins adolescence.

Question 2

Menarche

Answer 2

A girl’s first menstrual period, signaling that she has begun ovulation. Pregnancy is biologically possible, but ovulation and menstruation are often irregular for years after menarche.

Question 3

Spermarche

Answer 3

A boy’s first ejaculation of sperm. Erections can occur as early as infancy, but ejaculation signals sperm production. Spermarche may occur during sleep (in a “wet dream”) or via direct stimulation.

Question 4

Leptin

Answer 4

A hormone that affects appetite and is believed to affect the onset of puberty. Leptin levels increase during childhood and peak at around age 12.

Question 5

Growth Spurt

Answer 5

The relatively sudden and rapid physical growth that occurs during puberty. Each body part increases in size on a schedule: Weight usually precedes height, and growth of the limbs precedes growth of the torso.

Question 6

Body Image

Answer 6

A person’s idea of how his or her body looks.

Question 7

Anorexia Nervosa

Answer 7

An eating disorder characterized by self-starvation. Affected individuals voluntarily undereat and often overexercise, depriving their vital organs of nutrition. Anorexia can be fatal.

Question 8

Bulimia Nervosa

Answer 8

An eating disorder characterized by binge eating and subsequent purging, usually by induced vomiting and/or use of laxatives.

Question 9

Binge Eating Disorder

Answer 9

Eating much more in a short time period than is typical, to the point of feeling overfull and in pain. In this disorder, bingeing happens more than once a week for several months, and sufferers feel out of control—they can’t stop. This disorder begins as bulimia does, but does not involve purging.

Question 10

Primary sex characteristics

Answer 10

The parts of the body that are directly involved in reproduction, including the vagina, uterus, ovaries, testicles, and penis.

Question 11

Secondary sex characteristics

Answer 11

Physical traits that are not directly involved in reproduction but that indicate sexual maturity, such as a man’s beard and a woman’s breasts.

Question 12

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Answer 12

Diseases that are spread by sexual contact, including syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, chlamydia, and HIV/ AIDS.

Question 13

Child Sexual Abuse

Answer 13

Any erotic activity that arouses an adult and excites, shames, or confuses a child, whether or not the victim protests and whether or not genital contact is involved.

Question 14

Adolescence Egocentrism

Answer 14

A characteristic of adolescent thinking that leads young people (ages 10 to 13) to focus on themselves to the exclusion of others.

Question 15

Imaginary Audience

Answer 15

The other people who, in an adolescent’s egocentric belief, are watching and taking note of his or her appearance, ideas, and behavior. This belief makes many teenagers very self-conscious.

Question 16

Personal Fable

Answer 16

An aspect of adolescent egocentrism characterized by an adolescent’s belief that their thoughts, feelings, and experiences are unique, more wonderful, or more awful than anyone else’s.

Question 17

Invincibility Fable

Answer 17

An adolescent’s egocentric conviction that he or she cannot be overcome or even harmed by anything that might defeat a normal mortal, such as unprotected sex, drug abuse, or high-speed driving.

Question 18

Formal Operational thought

Answer 18

In Piaget’s theory, the fourth and final stage of cognitive development, characterized by more systematic logical thinking and by the ability to understand and systematically manipulate abstract concepts.

Question 19

Hypothetical thought

Answer 19

Reasoning that includes propositions and possibilities that may not reflect reality.

Question 20

Deductive reasoning

Answer 20

Reasoning from a general statement, premise, or principle, through logical steps, to figure out (deduce) specifics. (Also called top-down reasoning .)

Question 21

Inductive reasoning

Answer 21

Reasoning from one or more specific experiences or facts to reach (induce) a general conclusion. (Also called bottom-up reasoning .)

Question 22

Dual Processing

Answer 22

The notion that two networks exist within the human brain, one for emotional processing of stimuli and one for analytical reasoning.

Question 23

Intuitive thought

Answer 23

Thought that arises from an emotion or a hunch beyond rational explanation, and is influenced by past experiences and cultural assumptions.

Question 24

Analytic thought

Answer 24

Thought that results from analysis, such as a systematic ranking of pros and cons, risks and consequences, possibilities and facts. Analytic thought depends on logic and rationality.

Question 25

Secondary education

Answer 25

Literally, the period after primary education (elementary or grade school) and before tertiary education (college). It usually occurs from about ages 12 to 18, although there is some variation by school and by nation.

Question 26

Middle school

Answer 26

A school for children in the grades between elementary school and high school. Middle school usually begins with grade 6 and ends with grade 8.

Question 27

Cyberbullying

Answer 27

Bullying that occurs when one person spreads insults or rumors about another by means of social media posts, e-mails, text messages, or cell phone videos.

Question 28

Sexting

Answer 28

Sending sexual content, particularly photos or videos, via cell phones or social media.

Question 29

High-stakes test

Answer 29

An evaluation that is critical in determining success or failure. If a single test determines whether a student will graduate or be promoted, it is a high-stakes test.

Question 30

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Answer 30

An international test taken by 15-year-olds in 50 nations that is designed to measure problem solving and cognition in daily life.