Class 5 Flashcards
Adolescence
transitional time between childhood and adulthood where humans experience puberty and related transitions in emotional and personality development (roughly ages 12-18)
Adolescent growth spurt
period of rapid growth during which the size and proportions of adulthood are achieved
biological determinants of puberty
sexual maturation triggered by hypothalamus
early maturing runs in families
identical twins more likely hit puberty at same time
environmental factors
trend in industrial societies toward early maturation
larger girls hit puberty earlier
early adversity primes the system to hit sexual maturity earlier in order to achieve reproductive success
Fun fact of the day
Rapid dvelopment of reward centers (dopamine circuits), but prefrontal cortex not fully mature (until about 25 years)
addiction shit boiiii
Difference between early and late developers for girls
early: peer rejection, depression, anxiety, precocious involvement in older teen activities
late: some anxiety about impending change, tend to have better outcomes than early developers
effects of fast developers in boys
depression, social difficulties, substance use, tmeprijpfj
autonomy
normative shift away from parents
sense of belonging
identification of peer group as major developmental task
fun facts about peer pressure!
many processes involved in friends’ influence
social pressure is rare and ineffective
friends generall encourage socially desireable behaviors
friends’ influence makes path more similar (positive or negative)
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Some more peer pressure facts:
It is passive
social learning/modeling
works as mutual agreement (trying smoking)
motivation to resolve discrepancies (friend who recycles)
Perceived norms
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Developing identity
narrow down range of possible selves
experiment with different activities, moral beliefs, and peer groups
Erik Erikson’s 5th stage is adolescence (identity or role confusion)
Identity-diffusion status
individual does not have firm commitments regarding the issues in question and is not making progress toward them
foreclosure status
individual has not engaged in any identity experimentation and has established an identity based on the choices or values of others
moratorium status
individual is exploring various choices but has not yet made a clear commitment to any of them
identity-achievement status
individual has attained a coherent and committed identity based on personal dcisions
Why have 21 year olds changed?
birth control
change in women’s role
increase in years dedicated to education
misperceived norms
we misperceive norms
college students overestimate how much their peers drink
key traits of emerging adulthood
identity exploration instability self focused feeling in-between optimism
As the brain matures, one thing that happens is the pruning of the synapses. Synaptic pruning does not occur willy-nilly; it depends largely on how any one brain pathway is used. By cutting off unused pathways, the brain eventually settles into a structure that’s most efficient for the owner of that brain, creating well-worn grooves for the pathways that person uses most. Synaptic pruning intensifies after rapid brain-cell proliferation during childhood and again in the period that encompasses adolescence and the 20s. It is the mechanism of “use it or lose it”: the brains we have are shaped largely in response to the demands made of them.
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