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adolescent psychology > lesson 3 > Flashcards

lesson 3 Flashcards

The adolescent brain and mind: challenges and oppurtunities

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1
Q

data

A

-adolescence is a time of great vulnerability
-teens are 4 times more likely then adults to get in a car crash
-self inflicted injuries peak at age 16
-teens are 6 times more likely than adults to commit crimes
-unintentional drowning peaks at 17
-teens have 5 times more sexually transmitted diseases than adults

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2
Q

what part of the brain develops first?

A

subcortical regions

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3
Q

what is the function of the hypothalamus?

A

-regulates body function
-involved in producing hormones
- homeostasis, body temp, thirst, hunger, fatigue, sleep, parenting behavior

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4
Q

what is the primary function of the amygdala?

A

to process emotions
- lots of sex hormone receptors

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5
Q

what is the primary function of the hippocampus?

A

memory
- sensitive to stressors (can be flooded with stressors)
- develops 3 years after birth
- lots of sex hormone receptors

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6
Q

what is the primary function of the thalamus?

A

sensory gateway
-helps communication

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7
Q

what is the primary function of the basal ganglia?

A

movement, reward
- way we process rewards
- very active

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8
Q

Limbic system is made of..

A

subcortical structures and is most developed in women

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9
Q

limbic system includes..

A

hypothalamus (learning/body functions)
amygdala (motion)
hippocampus (memory)

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10
Q

the reward system

A
  • the striatum and dopaminergic pathways
  • dopamine is released in most parts of the brain
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11
Q

cortical regions

A
  • frontal lobe
  • parietal lobe
  • occipital lobe
  • temporal lobe
  • prefrontal cortex
  • cerebellum
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12
Q

frontal lobe functions

A

high-order cognitive functioning + motor cortex (prefrontal cortex)

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13
Q

parietal lobe functions

A

touch sensation and spatial thinking

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14
Q

temporal lobe functions

A
  • auditory
  • info processing, language
  • memory
  • social cognitive function
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15
Q

occipital lobe functions

A

visual info processing

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16
Q

cerebellum functions

A
  • muscle control (balance, movement)
17
Q

prefrontal cortex functions

A
  • decision making
  • reasoning
  • personality expressions
  • impulse control
  • decision making
  • working memory
  • organizing thoughts and problem-solving
18
Q

brain maturation in the nucleus accumbens
(highly active in adolescence)

A
  • pleasure center
  • active during pleasurable activities (feeding, sex, and drug use
  • plays a major role in addiction
19
Q

brain maturation in the pfc (matures late adolescence or early adulthood)

A
  • impulse control
  • decision-making
  • organize & planning
  • abstract thought, rational thinking
  • attention focus
  • working memory
20
Q

the imbalance (or dual) model of adolescent brain development

A
  • cognitive control system (thinking brain) and the socio-emotional system (emotional brain) develop at different rates throughout adolescence
  • pre-frontal cortex (high-order thinking, decision-making, planning, and self-regulation) and limbic system (emotional processing, reward sensitivity, and social influence)
  • socioemotional system develops earlier while the cognitive control system slowly develops
  • explains why adolescents are more likely to engage in behaviors like experimentation with drugs, reckless driving, and risky sexual behavior, especially when they are in emotionally charged or socially pressured situations
21
Q

Pruning

A
  • process in the brain where unnecessary or weak connections between brain cells (neurons) are removed. This happens to make the brain more efficient.
  • Early in life, the brain makes lots of connections as it learns new things. This makes the brain very flexible and able to absorb new information quickly.
  • During adolescence, the brain starts pruning or trimming down the extra connections that aren’t being used. It keeps the strongest, most important ones.
  • This process helps to refine brain functions and improve skills like decision-making, problem-solving, and self-control.
  • Pruning allows the brain to become more specialized and efficient as it matures.
  • It mainly happens in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for complex thinking and planning. This is why adolescents often experience changes in their thinking and behavior as their brains develop.
22
Q

triadic systems model

A
  • explains how the interaction of these three systems—reward, threat, and control—can shape adolescent behavior, often resulting in a higher tendency for risk-taking and emotional reactivity
  • The approach (reward-seeking) and avoidance (threat-detection) systems push adolescents toward different behaviors—either seeking excitement or avoiding danger.
  • The regulatory system is still developing, so teens may struggle to balance these competing urges, leading to impulsive or risky behavior.
23
Q

the biological basis for the maturation of behavior

A

the shifting of the balance towards more frontal lobe control (through its increased connectivity to other brain areas)

24
Q

biological changes lead to…

A

increased tendencies to behave in particular ways
- actual behaviors depend to a large extent upon particular social context

25
Q

example of a positive spiral

A
  • at age 9-14: Biological changes increase tendencies to explore, take risks. adolescents can explore healthy versions of risk taking
  • at age 15-18: support from adults for healthy learning opportunities. taking on guided responsibilities
  • at age 18-20s: improved self confidence, supported risk taking in learning contexts
26
Q

negative spirals

A
  • at age 9-14: biological changes at puberty lead to a tendency to prefer staying up later
  • at age 15-18: intensified through social interaction and technology, late bedtimes & erratic sleep provoke social jet-lag
  • at age 18-20s: problematic patterns of behavior can affect emotions, attention and health
27
Q

increasing executive functions

A
  • the ability to stop an impulsive behavior (inhibitory control like choosing a healthy snack over candy)
  • the ability to retain and process information to guide behavior (working memory, like remembering cell phone number)
  • ability to flexibly switch between cognitive processes in service of changing task demands
  • ability to follow rules and execute optimal reasoning
28
Q

what continues to strengthen the brain?

A

The ability for the prefrontal cortex to network with other brain regions

29
Q

abstract thinking

A

concrete vs abstract concepts
- concrete vs religion
- ex. friendship, love, faith, freedom, justice
- see adolescents high engagements in discussions about politics, religion, morality

30
Q

what is complex thinking?

A

adolescents see things in greater complexity and perceive multiple aspects of a situation or an idea
- ex. metaphors (poems, sayings), sarcasm
- media that employs sarcasm, like mad magazine and the Simpsons are more popular among adolescents than other age groups

31
Q

what is adolescent egocentrism?

A

imaginary audience
tendency of thinking everyone talks about you and you’re the center of attention
- the personal fable (unique)

32
Q

what is perspective taking?

A

the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others

33
Q

perspective taking in adolescents

A
  • it increases in adolescence and implies the ability to make a distinction between oneself and empathy
  • plays an important role in social relationships, especially peer relationship and predicts prosocial behavior and empathy
  • wide range if individual differences, and people of any given age vary a great deal in their cognitive skills
34
Q

teens are..

A

curious social beings, who are motivated to learn about themselves and their place in the social world and are very sensitive to social cues and information

35
Q
A
  • Heightened feelings, strong emotions experiences
  • Sensation-seeking and risk taking behaviors
  • Sensitivity to rewards (especially if they’re immediate) rather then consequences
  • sensitivity to social cues/info (ex. Social hierarchies, social roles, peer expectations and pressure.)

-Increasing (and more flexible) cognitive skills
-More and more abstract and complex thinking
-Egocentrism alongside developing perceptive talking skills

36
Q

potential interventions for teens in highschool

A
  • Bring emotional support animals
  • Upperclassman write letters to incoming students
    -Heightened feelings
    -Sensitivities to social cues/info
  • Group counseling services
    -Helps social support and egocentrism

adolescent psychology (5 decks)

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