Lecture 4 - Adolescence (11-20)

Question 1

Define adolescence? What is the main task of this time period?

Answer 1

Ages 12-20 ish years, means to “grow up” or “grow to maturity”

Figuring out who you are and going to be as an adult.

Question 2

What are the early, middle, and late stages of adolescent age?

Answer 2

Early - 11-13 “junior high”
Middle - 14-17 “high school”
Late - 18-20 “high school - more school/job”

Question 3

What are the four major developmental tasks of adolescence?

Answer 3

1. Constructing emancipated identity
2. Constructing realistic ambitions and ideals
3. Development of sexual identity
4. Development of social identity

Question 4

What physical development occurs during early adolescence (11-13 yrs) - particularly for girls?

Answer 4

Puberty:

• girls ages 8-13 with breast and bud development that continues through menarche
• first menstruation in girls around ages 11-14

Question 5

What physical development occurs during the end of early adolescence (11-13 yrs) - particularly for boys?

Answer 5

Puberty - begins around age 14 and is marked by testicular enlargement followed by growth of the penis.

First ejaculation ~12-15

Question 6

What is spermarche? When does it start?

Answer 6

The start of sperm development in boys at puberty.

Starts with the development of secondary sexual characteristics - facial hair, voice deepening, body growth

Question 7

Other than puberty, what occurs for physical development during early adolescence?

Answer 7

Rapid gains in height and weight. (girls can experience growth spurt 2yrs before boys)

Acne due to increased sebaceous gland activity.

Question 8

What are the Tanner stages of sexual development?

Answer 8

Physical changes that occur during puberty are marked by distinct stages.

Named after James Mourilyan Tanner.

Question 9

At what Tanner stage does the growth spurt and menarche occur? Which usually occurs first?

Answer 9

Tanner stage 3.

Growth spurt usually occurs before menarche.

Menarche typically starts around Tanner stage 3-4.

Question 10

What stages of cognitive development, according to Piaget, are children during early adolescence? Describe this?

Answer 10

Between concrete operations and formal operational.

They can verbalize what is the best action, but may not be able to make the decision in the heat of the moment.

Question 11

What are characteristics of social and emotional development during the early stages of development?

Answer 11

Strong sensitivity to opinion of peers - conform to norms of group (group identity forms identity outside of home).

Unlikely to seriously challenge parental authority.

Moody.

Question 12

Describe the moral development of children in early adolescence (11-13)?

Answer 12

Mirror the task of separating oneself from dependence on caregivers.

Moving towards autonomous moral code. Often “test” parents moral code.

Choose realistic role models.

Question 13

Describe the sexual development of children in early adolescence (11-13)?

Answer 13

Girls ahead of boys.

Prefer same-sex friends.

Shyness, blushing, modesty (greater interest in privacy)

Experiment with body (masturbation)

Sexually curious

Question 14

What type of cognitive abilities do children have during middle adolescence (14-17)?

Answer 14

Capacity for abstract thinking - formal operations.

Hallmark of this stage is the ability to consider an idea in a hypothetical, “what if” manner.

Question 15

What does children in middle adolescence (14-17) have more interest in socially?

Answer 15

Gender roles, body image, popularity, fashion.

Dating may begin, romantic relationships lasting an avg of 4 months.

Question 16

What do teens in middle development (14-17) have fully developed (morally)?

Answer 16

Formed conscience and well-developed sense of right and wrong.

Question 17

What results in risk-taking behavior for teens in middle adolescence (14-17)?

Answer 17

Readiness to challenge parental rules and feelings of omnipotence.

Question 18

What can help mitigate risk-taking behavior in teens during middle adolescence (14-17)?

Answer 18

Education about obvious short-term benefits rather than long-term consequences of behavior.

Question 19

What can interfere with moral development during middle adolescence (14-17)?

Answer 19

Despite sound reasoning, they are influenced by peer pressure and have limited impulse control.

Question 20

What do teens in middle adolescence (14-17) have to manage sexually?

Answer 20

Strong sexual drive with peer and cultural expectations.

Most engage in sexual activity.

Question 21

Describe sexual orientation during middle adolescence (14-17) ?

Answer 21

Some are clear about sexual orientation, for others sexual attraction and identity may be fluid into adulthood.

Some experience sax-sex activity but may not necessarily mean they are gay.

Question 22

What stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, are children in during late adolescence (18-20)? What occurs in this stage?

Answer 22

Formal operations.

Ability to think abstractly, delay gratification, be future oriented, improved impulse control, and ability to think about thinking.

Maturation of pre-frontal cortex into 20s.

Question 23

During late adolescence (18-20), what happens to the security found in groups?

Answer 23

It has evolved into finding security as an independent young person.

Question 24

What problem can arise when teens in late adolescence (18-20) are learning to become independent young people?

Answer 24

Doubts about identity.

If not handled, this can result in role confusion in which they don’t know where they belong in the world.

Question 25

What can result from role confusion during late adolescence (18-20)?

Answer 25

Behavioral problems such as criminality or an interest in cults.

Question 26

What effects the moral development of teens in late adolescence (18-20)?

Answer 26

Their collective experiences with family, peers, teachers, role models, and the community.

Question 27

What is established in terms of sexual development during late adolescence?

Answer 27

Concern with serious relationships, sexual identity, and capacity for tender and sensual love.

Question 28

When does first sexual intercourse typically occur on average?

Answer 28

16 years of age.

Question 29

A teen who uses tobacco for more than a year has more than an ______% change of becoming dependent on it.

Answer 29

80%

Question 30

About ____% of high school students have tried alcohol and about ___% of teens have tried marijuana one or more times.

Answer 30

75%

40%

Question 31

What factors put teenagers at risk for developing serious alcohol and drug problems?

Answer 31

Family history of substance abuse

Depression

Low self-esteem

If they feel like they don’t fit in

Question 32

How do our brains remodel during late adolescence (18-20)?

Answer 32

Axons become more myelinated, dendrites extend, synaptic pruning occurs.

Question 33

In what order does brain remodeling occur?

Answer 33

From rear to front, corpus collosum thickens, hippocampus links to frontal areas.

Question 34

How does the frontal lobe develop during late adolescence(18-20)? What is the frontal important for?

Answer 34

Myelination completion improves the speed of processing and shortens reaction time.

Judgement, insight, planning, motor function.

Question 35

When does risk taking peak? Why do teens take more risks than adults despite knowing the risks just as well?

Answer 35

During adolescence.

Teens value the reward more than adults.

Question 36

Adolescents brings a peak in brain sensitivity to what? What does this explain?

Answer 36

Dopamine.

This explains why teens respond strongly to social rewards and to success/failures.

Question 37

Similarly to the way the teen’s brain reacts to dopamine, it also reacts to _______. This makes _____ in particular more rewarding.

Answer 37

Oxytocin.

Social connections.

Question 38

What chemically helps explain why teens prefer the company of those their own age more than every before?

Answer 38

Neural networks and dynamics associated with general reward and social interactions overlap heavily.

It feels good for them to interact with others.

Question 39

At a neural level, teens perceive social rejection as a _______?

Answer 39

Threat to existence.

Question 40

What is the benefit of slow maturation of frontal areas?

Answer 40

Prolonged plasticity - this delayed completion heightens flexibility just as teens confront and enter the world.

If myelination occurs too quickly, axon branching would be inhibited.

Question 41

How do you talk to my teen?

Answer 41

Acknowledge their feelings, engage their cooperation, think about alternatives to punishment, and hear their point of view and brainstorm with them.

Question 42

How should you talk to your teen if they have done something wrong? What about on the big lecture of sex and drugs?

Answer 42

State your feelings and expectations instead of accusing or name calling.

Instead of having one big talk, look for small opportunities to get a conversation going (tv commercials, radio programs, movies).

Question 43

What two things do teens need to accomplish?

Answer 43

Identity formation - the need to explore and answer questions about themselves

Separation - the process of creating a distance between teens and their caregivers and moving on to be responsible for themselves