Chapter 10: Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence

Question 1

adolescence

Answer 1

the life stage that begins with the biological changes of puberty and ends when young people are recognized as adults

Question 2

puberty

Answer 2

the process that transforms children into adults who are typically able to reproduce and have children of their own

Question 3

HPG axis

Answer 3

a set of glands that trigger puberty, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and gonads

Question 4

testosterone

Answer 4

hormone produced by the gonads that is linked to reproduction, maturation, brain development, and sexual function

Question 5

estrogen

Answer 5

a hormone that is linked to reproduction, maturation, brain development, and sexual function in both males and females

Question 6

growth spurt

Answer 6

a very rapid increase in height and size that begins at about age 10 in girls and age 12 in boys

Question 7

menarche

Answer 7

the term for the first menstrual period

Question 8

spermarche

Answer 8

the first ejaculation of sperm

Question 9

secular trend

Answer 9

the gradual, long-term progression toward earlier puberty

Question 10

sexually transmitted infection (STI)

Answer 10

the term health care providers use to describe diseases that can be passed from one person to another through intimate contact

Question 11

eating disorders

Answer 11

Psychological conditions that are marked by long-term, unhealthy patterns of eating, obsessions with food, and poor body image cause problems with the ability to function

Question 12

binge-eating disorder

Answer 12

The most prevalent eating disorder in adolescents, marked by episodes of compulsive, excessive eating that make you feel out of control, ashamed, or upset

Question 13

bulimia nervosa

Answer 13

A consistent pattern of disordered eating that involves overeating compensated by throwing up, excessive exercise, or abusing laxatives

Question 14

anorexia nervosa

Answer 14

A consistent pattern of disordered eating that may involve extreme calorie restriction, purging, excessive exercise, and a distorted belief that one’s body is overly heavy

Question 15

exploratory learning

Answer 15

trying out different ways to solve a problem before deciding on the best solution

Question 16

concussion

Answer 16

a form of traumatic brain injury caused by a blow to the head

Question 17

Piaget’s FORMAL OPERATIONAL THOUGHT

Answer 17

begins in early adolescence and lasts into adulthood and is both logical and abstract

Question 18

brain maturation involves three interconnected processes

Answer 18

1- synaptogenesis
2- synaptic pruning
3- myelination

Question 19

analytic thinking

Answer 19

a type of thinking that is logical, weighing evidence and making a decision that requires conscious thought

Question 20

heuristic thinking

Answer 20

a type of advanced reasoning, which is automatic thinking that you do outside of consciousness

Question 21

comprehensive high schools

Answer 21

a form of secondary education that serves a broad range of adolescents, regardless of their academic ability and future plans

Question 22

tracking

Answer 22

the practice of grouping together students with similar achievement and test scores and offering them a more customized school curriculum

Question 23

stereotype threat

Answer 23

occurs when you feel judged in an area where there are common stereotypes about your group and the resulting anxiety negatively affects your performance

Question 24

stage-environment fit

Answer 24

the idea we do better when the world matches our developmental needs