Chp 12.5: Development in Adolescence

Question 1

adolescence

Answer 1

the period of development and gradual transition between childhood and adulthood

Question 2

Peers tend to have greater influence over __________ whereas parents tend to have greater influence over ___________.

Answer 2

dress, hairstyles, and attitudes toward other people; politics, morality, and career decisions

Question 3

puberty

Answer 3

• Results in reproductive maturity
• Primarily caused by hormonal activity
• Primary & secondary sex characteristics
• Typically earlier for girls (11-13 years for first menarche) than for boys (12-14 years for production of sperm & first ejaculation).

Question 4

What are some consequences of puberty?

Answer 4

• Mood & behaviour
• Different treatment due to mature body
• Early developers
• Stand out
• More positive experience for boys than girls
• Engagement in risk behaviors – why?

Question 5

Brain Development in Adolescents

Answer 5

Brain is still developing, particularly frontal lobe
• Responsible for higher-level cognitive processes
• thinking, decision-making, planning
-
In frontal lobe…
• Myelination
• Synaptic pruning
-
Important outcome ->increased self-control

Question 6

Cognitive Development of Adolescents

Answer 6

Adolescence ->emergence of formal operational thinking (Piaget)
• E.g., abstract reasoning
• Development of prefrontal cortex
• Make more reasonable decisions

Question 7

Identity Development in Adolescents

Answer 7

Adolescence -> time of identity crisis
• Exploration & questioning

Question 8

Friendships in Adolescents

Answer 8

• Very salient during adolescence
• High quality friendships -> positive psychosocial adjustment
• Major influence on teens’ attitudes and behaviors

Question 9

Peer Groups in Adolescents

Answer 9

• Spend most of social time in groups
• Strong desire for peer acceptance (Opposite = peer rejection )
• Peer cliques -> small, interaction-based
• Peer crowds ->large, reputation-based

Question 10

Romantic/ Dating Relationships in Adolescents

Answer 10

•	Salient concern 
•	Positive benefits
E.g., support
-
•	Time of exploring sexuality
•	40-50% of 15-19 year olds = sexually active
•	More involved in other sexual acts
-
•	Also, heightened time of…
•	Sex-related risk 
•	Sexual and relational abuse

Question 11

Adolescent Risk Behaviours & Physical Development

Answer 11

•Well-developed reward centers in brain 
•	Sensitive to rewards
-
•Frontal lobe still developing
•	Including cognitive control systems
-
•Not great at…
•	Regulating emotions
•	Delaying gratification 
•	Implication for engagement in risk behaviours

Question 12

Adolescent Risk Behaviours and Identity Development

Answer 12

• Risk behaviours as part of identity exploration

* Engaging in adult-like behaviours

Question 13

Adolescent Risk Behaviours and Social Factors

Answer 13

• Peer influence

* Desire for acceptance

Question 14

adolescent egocentrism

Answer 14

highly self-focused thinking, particularly in the earlier teenage years

Question 15

post-formal thought

Answer 15

the ability to reason logically about opposing points of view and to accept contradictions and irreconcilable differences