Chapter 9: Adolescence: Body and Mind

Question 1

Puberty

Answer 1

The time at the end of childhood between the first onrush of growth hormones and full adult size. Puberty
usually lasts three to five years. Many more years are required to achieve psychosocial maturity.

Question 2

Pituitary

Answer 2

A gland in the brain that produces many hormones, including those that
regulate growth and that signal the adrenal and sex glands to produce
additional hormones.

Question 3

Adrenal Glands

Answer 3

Two glands, located above the kidneys, that produce hormones in
response to signals from the pituitary.

Question 4

Gonads

Answer 4

The sex glands (ovaries in females, testicles in males). The gonads produce hormones and gametes.

Question 5

Estradiol

Answer 5

A sex hormone, considered to be the chief estrogen (female hormone).
Females produce much more estradiol
than males do.

Question 6

Testosterone

Answer 6

A sex hormone, the best known of the
androgens (male hormones); secreted in far greater amounts by males than
by females.

Question 7

Circadian Rhythm

Answer 7

A day–night cycle of biological activity
that occurs approximately every
24 hours (circadian means “about a day”).

Question 8

Secular Trend

Answer 8

Advances in growth and maturation that result from modern nutrition.
For example, improved nutrition and medical care over the past 200 years
has led to earlier puberty and taller average height.

Question 9

Primary Sex Characteristics

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Secondary Sex characteristics

Answer 10

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 11

body image

Answer 11

A person’s idea of how his or her body
looks, especially related to size and
shape.

Question 12

Bulimia Nervosa

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Formal Operational Thought

Answer 13

In Piaget’s theory, the fourth and final stage of cognitive development,
characterized by systematic logical thinking and by understanding
abstractions.

Question 14

Adolescent Egocentrism

Answer 14

A characteristic of adolescent thinking that leads young people to believe in
their own uniqueness, and to imagine that other people are also focused on
them.

Question 15

Personal Fable

Answer 15

The belief that one’s own emotions, experiences, and destiny are unique, more wonderful or awful than anyone
else’s.

Question 16

Invincibility Fable

Answer 16

The fantasy that a person cannot be
harmed by anything that might defeat
a normal mortal, such as unprotected
sex, drug abuse, or high-speed driving.

Question 17

Imaginary Audience

Answer 17

The other people who, in an
adolescent’s egocentric belief, watch his
or her appearance, ideas, and behavior.

Question 18

Deductive reasoning

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Inductive Reasoning

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Dual- Process Model

Answer 20

The idea that two modes of thinking exist within the human brain, one for
intuitive emotional responses and one for analytical reasoning.

Question 21

Intuitive Thought

Answer 21

Thought that arises from an emotion or a hunch, a “gut feeling” influenced
by past experiences and cultural
assumptions.

Question 22

Analytic Thought

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Middle School

Answer 23

A school for children after elementary school and before high school, usually
grades 6 through 8.

Question 24

Entity Theory of Intelligence

Answer 24

The idea that intellectual ability is
innate, a fixed quantity present at
birth. Those who hold this view underrate the role of effort on
achievement.

Question 25

Incremental Theory of Intelligence

Answer 25

The idea that intelligence can be increased by effort, with attention and
practice, as in class participation and
homework.

Question 26

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)

Answer 26

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