Lecture 2

Question 1

What is sex?

Answer 1

Something you are assigned at birth. Generally refers to biological and physiological characteristics

Question 2

What is gender?

Answer 2

Roles and behaviours that are considered socially appropriate for the social categories of “men” and “women”.

Question 3

What are some of the key features of puberty?

Answer 3

Development of primary and secondary sex characteristics, growth spurt

Question 4

What is the negative feedback loop that starts during puberty?

Answer 4

The sex hormones (androgen and estrogen) let the hypothalamus know when to turn on the pituitary gland and when to turn it off (depending on how much hormone is in the system). The pituitary gland stimulates the gonads.

Question 5

What hormone is the biological driver of puberty?

Answer 5

Kisspeptin

Question 6

What is kisspeptin stimulated by and turned off by?

Answer 6

Leptin and melatonin.

Question 7

What is the typical pathway of male development during puberty?

Answer 7

Growth of testes and scrotum (first appearance of pubic hair), Growth spurt in height (growth of penis, further pubic hair dev), emergence of facial and body hair (voice change)

Question 8

What is the typical pathway of female development during puberty?

Answer 8

Breast growth, pubic hair growth, body growth, menarche, underarm hair growth (however, females development is not as straightforward as male).

Question 9

When does puberty start and stop for males?

Answer 9

Typically aged 10-13 (earliest is 6.5 years, latest at 13.5) and stops at 16

Question 10

When does puberty typically start for females?

Answer 10

Can start at 7 (earliest, 5.5) and end at 16.

Question 11

Which sex appears developed before they are fertile?

Answer 11

Females

Question 12

What factors other than time can affect puberty?

Answer 12

Tempo and sociohistorical context

Question 13

What is early development a risk for?

Answer 13

Psychosocial well-being

Question 14

What is tempo?

Answer 14

The rate of how things happen. Puberty usually lasts 1-4 years, but can go up to 7 years.

Question 15

What is rapid tempo associated with?

Answer 15

More maladjustment

Question 16

What is the maturation compression hypothesis?

Answer 16

The idea that if you’re developing faster, then you have to adapt faster which is stressful.

Question 17

What is pubertal synchrony?

Answer 17

The variation between different pubertal indicators. High synchrony means that the development in one area of puberty is well-matched to another. MIGHT mean better adjustment.

Question 18

What are some secular changes that have happened over the past century?

Answer 18

Average age of puberty has declined, whereas time spent in puberty has increased. Coincides with delayed social transitions (independence happens later).

Question 19

What is the accident hump?

Answer 19

An increase in mortality for males at the end of puberty. If puberty starts earlier, then the accident hump is earlier

Question 20

What age did the accident hump happen in 1750 versus 2000?

Answer 20

22.5 years versus 18 years

Question 21

Why is self-report measures important in puberty?

Answer 21

Because we need to understand the lived experiences of adolescents rather than just the physiological changes

Question 22

What can play a role in pubertal differences in timing?

Answer 22

Genetics (chromosome 6), but also the environment such as nutrition and health (macrosystem)

Question 23

What kinds of things play a role at the microsystem of pubertal timing?

Answer 23

Infant-caregiver attachment (mesosystem), family structure and conflict, sexual abuse

Question 24

What kinds of things play a role at the exosystem in pubertal timing?

Answer 24

Neighbourhood, community factors etc

Question 25

What kinds of things play a role at the macrosystem in pubertal timing?

Answer 25

Poverty, racism, policies of adequate nutrition, universal healthcare, safe housing etc.

Question 26

What aspects of psychosocial well-being are affected during puberty?

Answer 26

Self-esteem, moodiness, sleep, family and peer relations

Question 27

Why does moodiness happen?

Answer 27

Might be due to hormones, but more likely due to social aspects

Question 28

What is the delay phase preference?

Answer 28

Teenagers go to sleep late and wake up late. Driven by an increase in melatonin later at night, and also the fact that teens have more to do at night.