exam 1 textbook terms Flashcards
endocrine system
the system of the body that produces, circulates, and regulates hormones
hormones
highly specialized substances secreted by one or more endocrine glands
glands
organs that stimulate particular parts of the body to respond in specific ways to particular hormones
GnRH neurons
specialized neurons that are activated by certain pubertal hormones
set point
a physiological level or setting that the body attempts to maintain through a self-regulating system
feedback loop
a cycle through which two or more bodily functions respond to and regulate each other, such as that formed by the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the gonads
pituitary gland
one of the chief glands responsible for regulating levels of hormones in the body
hypothalamus
a part of the brain that controls the functioning of the pituitary gland
gonads
the glands that secrete sex hormons, in males the testes in females the ovaries
androgens
a class of sex hormones secreted by the gonads, found in both sexes, but in higher levels among males than females following puberty
estrogens
a class of sex hormones secreted by the gonads, found in both sexes, but in higher levels among females than males following puberty
HPG axis
hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal - the neurophysical pathway that involves the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the gonads
adrenarche
the maturation of the adrenal glands that takes place during adolescence
cortisol
a hormone produced when a person is exposed to stress
kisspeptin
a brain chemical believed to trigger the onset of puberty
leptin
a protein produced by the fat cells that may play a role in the onset of puberty through its impact on kisspeptin
melatonin
a hormone secreted by the brain that contributes to sleepiness and that triggers the onset of puberty through its impact on kisspeptin
adolescent growth spurt
the dramatic increase in height and weight that occurs during pubety
peak height velocity
the point at which the adolescent is growing most rapidly
epiphysis
the closing of the ends of the bones, which terminates growth after adolescent growth spurt has been completed
secondary sex characteristics
the manifestations of sexual maturity at puberty, including the development of breasts, the growth of facial and body hair, and changes in the voice
tanner stages
a widely used system that describes the five stages of pubertal development
menarche
the time of first menstruation, one of the most important changes to occur among females during puberty
pheromones
a class of chemicals secreted by animals that stimulate certain behaviors in other members of the species
secular trend
the tendency, over the past two centuries, for individuals to be larger in status and to reach puberty earlier, primarily because of improvements in health and nutrition
cross-sectional study
a study that compares two or more groups of individuals at one point in time
longitudinal study
a study that follows the same group of individuals over time
delayed phase preference
a pattern of sleep charcterized by later sleep and wake times, which usually emerges during puberty
basal metabolism rate
the minimal amount of energy used by the body during the resting stage
body mass index (BMI)
a measure of an individuals body fat, the ratio of weight to height; used to gauge over-weight and obesity
disordered eating
mild, moderate, or severe disturbance in eating habits and attitudes
anorexia nervosa
an eating disorder found chiefly among young women, characterized by dramatic and severe self-induced weight loss
bullimia
an eating disorder found primarily among young women, characterized by a pattern of binge eating and extreme weight loss measures, including self-induced vomiting
binge eating disorder
an eating disorder characterized by a pattern of binge eating that is not accompanied by drastic attempts to lose weight
adolescent health care
a field of study and health care devoted to understanding the health care needs of individuals during the second decade of life
graduated driver licensing
a licensing system in which full adult driving privileges are not granted all at once to teen drivers, but phased over time
deductive reasoning
a type of logical reasoning in which one draws logically necessary conclusions from a general set of premises or givens
metacognition
the process of thinking about thinking itself
imaginary audience
the belief, often brought on by the heightened self consciousness of early adolescence, that everyone is watching and evaluating ones behavior
personal fable
an adolescents belief that he or she is unique and therefore not subject to the rules that govern other peoples behavior
cognitive-developmental view
a perspective on development based on the work of piaget, that takes a qualitative, stage-theory approach
sensorimotor period
the first stage of cognitive development, according to piaget, spanning the period roughyl between birth and age 2
preoperational period
the second stage of cognitive development, according to piaget, spanning roughly ages 2-5
concrete operations
the third stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, spanning the period roughly between age 6 and early adolescence
formal operations
the fourth stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, spanning the period from early adolescence through adulthood
information-processing perspective
a perspective on cognition that derives from the study of AI, and attempts to explain cognitive development in terms of growth of specific components of the thinking process (such as memory)
selective attention
the process by which we focus on one stimulus while tuning out another
divided attention
the process of paying attention to two or more stimuli at the same time
working memory
that aspect of memory in which information is held for a short time while a problem is being solved
long-term memory
the ability to recall something from a long time ago
autobiographical memory
the recall of personally meaningful past events
reminiscence bump
the fact that experiences from adolescence are generally recalled more than experiences from other stages of life
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
a technique used to produce images of the brain, often while subject is performing some sort of mental task
diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
a technique used to produce images of the brain that shows connections among different regions
brain structure
the physical form and organization of the brain
brain function
patterns of brain activity
electroencephalography EEG
a technique for measuring electrical activity at different locations on the scalp
event-related potentials (ERPs)
changes in electrical activity in areas of the brain in response to specific stimuli or events
neurons
nerve cells
synapse
the gap in space between neurons, across which neurotransmitters carry electrical impulses
neurotransmitters
specialized chemicals that carry electrical impulses between neurons
synaptic pruning
the process through which unnecessary connections between neurons are eliminated, improving the efficiency of information processing
myelination
the process through which brain circuits are insulated with myelin, which improves the efficiency of information processing
plasticity
the capacity of the brain to change in response to experience
developmental plasticity
extensive remodeling of the brains circuitry in response to experiences during childhood and adolescence while the brain is still maturing
adult plasticity
relatively minor changes in brain circuits as a result of experiences during childhood, after the brain has matured
prefrontal cortex
the region of the brain most important for sophisticated thinking abilities, such as planning, thinking ahead, weighing risks, rewards, and controlling impulses
limbic system
an area of the brain that plays an important role in the processing of emotional experience, social information, and reward and punishment
response inhibition
the suppression of a behavior that is inappropriate or no longer required
executive function
more advanced thinking abilities, enabled chiefly by the maturation of the prefrontal cortex, escpecially in early adolescence
functional connectivity
the extent to which multiple brain regions function at the same time, which improves during adolescence
dopamine
a neurotransmitter especially important in the brain circuits that regulate the experience of reward
serotonin
a neurotransmitter that is especially important for the experience of different moods
zone of proximal development
in Vygotskys theory, the level of challenge that is still within the individuals reach but that forces an individual to develop more advanced skills
scaffolding
structuring a learning situation so that it is just within the react of the student
social cognition
the aspect of cognition that concerns people about interpersonal relations and about social institutions
mentalizing
the ability to understand someone elses mental state
theory of mind
the ability to understand that others have beliefs, intentions, and knowledge that may be different from ones own
social conventions
the norms that govern everyday behavior in social situations
behavioral decision theory
an approach to understanding adolescent risk-taking, in which behaviors are seen as the out-come of systematic decision making processes
sensation-seeking
the pursuit of experiences that are novel or exciting
social redefinition
the process through which an individuals position or status is redefined by society
age of majority
the designated age at which an individual is recognized as an adult
statutory rape
sex between two individuals, even when it is consensual, when at least one of the persons is below the legal age of consent in the United States the specific age of consent may vary
inventionists
theorists who argue that the period of adolescence is mainly a social invention
child protectionists
individuals who argued, early in the twentieth century, that adolescents needed to be kept out of the labor force in order to protect them from the hazards of the workplace
teenager
a term popularized about 50 years ago, to refer to young people; it connotated a more frivolous and lighthearted image than did adolescent
youth
today, a term used to refer to individuals ages 18 to 22, it once referred to individuals ages 12 to 24
initiation ceremony
the formal induction of a young person into adulthood
status offense
a violation of the law that pertains to minors but not adults
juvenile justice system
a seperate system of courts and related institutions developed to handle juvenile crime and delinquency
criminal justice system
the system of courts and related institutions developed to handle adult crime
cohort
a group of individuals born during the same general historical era
quinceanera
an elaborate sort of coming out celebration for adolescent girls that is practiced in many latino communities
Bar (Bas) Mitzvah
in judaism, the religious ceremony marking the young persons transition into adulthood
scarification
the intentional creation of scars on some parts or parts of the body, often done as part of an initiation ceremony
circumcision
a procedure in which some part of the genitals is cut and permanently altered
female genital mutilation
the cutting or removing of the clitoris, performed in some cultures as part of the initiation of female adolescents
baby boom
the period following WWII, during which the number of infants born was extremely large
continuous transitions
passages into adulthood which adult roles and statuses are entered into gradually
discontinuous transitions
passages into adulthood in which adult roles and statuses are entered into abruptly
collective efficacy
a communitys social capital, derived from its members common values and goals
