CH11: Physical & Cognitive Development in Adolescence

Question 1

Puberty

Answer 1

rapid physical maturation (maturity) involving hormonal & bodily changes

Question 2

Hormones

Answer 2

• chemical substance that is carried throughout the body that tell cells & organs what to do
• increase in testosterone & estradiol

Question 3

Physical Changes: Boys

Answer 3

-early-maturing boys tend to be more confident in themselves (faster, stronger, taller)

-late-maturing gain confidence later in life (30s)

Question 4

Physical Changes: Girls

Answer 4

-early-maturing girls experience greater satisfaction early in life but less later in life
- more likely to have an ED, do drugs, engage in behaviors suited for older kids, etc.
- physical maturity =/= cognitive maturity

Question 5

Corpus callosum

Answer 5

location where fibers connect the left & right side of the brain/hemispheres

Question 6

Limbic system

Answer 6

part of brain where emotions and rewards are processed

Question 7

Amygdala

Answer 7

part of brain that is the “seat of emotions”

Question 8

Adolescent Sexuality

Answer 8

Majority of gay/lesbian/bisexual teens have successful development paths & experience same-sex attraction after teen years

Question 9

Timing of Adolescents Sexual Behaviors

Answer 9

-58% of 12th vs. 24% of 9th graders engage in sex
-77% of people by the age of 20 have had sex
-46% of 12th, 33.5% of 11th, 25.5% of 10th, & 16% of 9th graders have sex

Question 10

Piaget’s Theory: Formal operation stage

Answer 10

-more abstract thinking
-increased verbal problem-solving ability
-tendency to think about the idea of thoughts (ex. why did I think about this?)
-thoughts about idealisms
-more logical thinking

Question 11

Evaluating Piaget’s theory

Answer 11

-more individual variation than Piaget suggested (not every goes through the stages to a t)
-cultural influences strongly influence cognitive development, more so than Piaget thought
-cognitive development is not as structured