Lifespan Development Unit 10 Lecture 3

Question 1

Adolescence

Answer 1

• The signature achievement of adolescence is reproductive maturity
• Girls begin adolescence at age 11 and boys begin adolescence at age 13
• The changes that occur during adolescence are controlled by the release of the hormones, testosterone and estrogen, stimulated by the brain’s hypothalamus
• Release of these hormones control the development of two sets of characteristics

Question 2

Primary Sex Traits

Answer 2

Physical changes that relate directly to reproduction
In girls, the first menstruation or menarche signals the beginning of primary sex traits. The age at which menarche occurs varies and depends on genetic and environmental influences. Menarche will occur later for girls that have less body fat and who exercise more.
In boys, the first ejaculation of sperm Arche signals the onset of primary sex traits. This capacity tends to occur by age 14.

Question 3

Secondary Sex Traits

Answer 3

Changes that are not directly related to reproductive ability
Ex) Growth of pubic hair, depending of voices, increased muscles mass in males and breast growth in females

Question 4

Adolescence comes earlier now a days

Answer 4

• 100 years ago, the average age of puberty was 16 and 17

- Because of child obesity, puberty now occurs as early as age 9

Question 5

Early development of sexual maturity can be problematic

Answer 5

• Physical objectification of young girls seems to be occurring earlier and earlier
• Early developing girls are more likely to participate in intimate relationships before they are emotionally ready, engage in substance abuse or become pregnant
• Early developing boys are also more likely to engage in substance abuse

Question 6

Important brain development processes are still underway during adolescence

Answer 6

• The frontal lobes- part of the brain that controls impulses and emotional reactions and reasoning and logical decision making- is being wired up and myelinated during the adolescent years
• Underdeveloped frontal lobe wiring accounts for risky adolescent behaviour
  Presence of other adolescents also helps to stimulate those risky behaviours

Question 7

Emotional Reframing

Answer 7

The tendency to interpret setbacks and disappointments from a positive perspective. Such tendencies greatly help at smoothing out the roughest aspects of adolescence

Question 8

Delaying Gratification

Answer 8

• Getting aside short term pleasures in the interest of achieving longer term goals.
• Across multiple domains, this capacity distinguishes adolescents who succeed from those who struggle
  Ex) Put marshmallow in front of kids. They either eat one now, or wait 15 min and get 2 marshmallows. Young children often can’t resist more than 1 min before grabbing the marshmallow in front of them. The children who were able to wait longer at age 4 were psychologically healthier at age 15 and had higher SAT scores when they graduated high school.

Question 9

Moral Development:

Answer 9

Morality is often up for considerable debate

Question 10

Lawrence Kohlberg

Answer 10

• Developed a framework for understanding how the capacity for moral reasoning develops gradually across the lifespan
• Strategy - Provide people at different ages with descriptions of hypothetical moral dilemmas. Have then describe the most moral course of action and justification for their choice.
  Ex) The Trolley Problem: A trolley is hurling down the tracks toward a group of 5 unsuspecting people. You are standing next to a lever that, if pulled, would direct the trolley onto another track, thereby saving the 5 individuals. However, on the second track stands a single unsuspecting person, who would be struck by the diverted trolley.

Question 11

Stage Theory of Moral Development

Answer 11

• Preconventional Mortality

- Conventional Mortality

Question 12

Preconventional Mortality

Answer 12

Selfish motives guide moral decision making. People select actions that maximize rewards/ benefits and minimize costs / punishments

Question 13

Conventional Mortality

Answer 13

• Society’s laws and conventional attitudes guide moral decision making. In this case morality isn’t selfish, but it isn’t based on careful personal reflection either
• If it isn’t against the law, it’s legal, good and moral. This doesn’t take into account that the people who make laws also make mistakes and have bias’s and self interests which can result in activities which are not violations of morality but end up as illegal. And some activities which are clear violations of morality which remain legal.
  Ex) Some pornography is legal in Canada, but whether it is a violation of morality is a entirely different question.

Question 14

Post Conventional Mortality

Answer 14

• Moral decision making is based on concerns about human rights and justice, independent of laws

Question 15

Biggest problem with Kohlberg’s Model

Answer 15

• What people say they would do doesn’t have much to do with what they would actually do in real moral dilemmas
• Kohlberg’s theories of moral development might not have much to do with how people make REAL LIFE moral decisions

Question 16

Jonathan Haidt’s Social Intuitionist Model

Answer 16

• Moral behaviour depends on people’s intuitions and emotions, rather than their deep reflections and reasoning abilities. He suggests that we do what feels right and use our reasoning abilities to justify our behaviour after the fact. Morality isn’t based on logic
• The reasons people provide for making moral decisions gets more sophisticated as adolescents develop into adults, but the emotional reactions that guide actual moral decisions should be as active for adolescents as any other age group

Question 17

Social Isolation in Adolescence

Answer 17

• Adolescents harsh reliance on emotional bases for making moral judgements about others is one cause of bullying and social exclusion.
• Harsh treatment and rejections by members of their peer group is a major contributor to adolescent mental health problems and suicide

Question 18

Personal Identity and Acceptance:

Answer 18

Settling on a personal identity is a major challenge of adolescents

Question 19

Identity Crisis

Answer 19

• Quite common, in which adolescents try on a number of different identities before they get to the one that suits them
• Confusing and frightening for parents as they try to impose constraints on theirs child’s explorations of identity

Question 20

Cliques

Answer 20

Members of small groups of friends. Adolescents do this as they try to seek independence

Question 21

Adolescent Crowds

Answer 21

• Larger groups that are defined by common interests or characteristics
• Adolescents benefit from membership in groups and they receive mental help and developmental advantages from having a number of different friendships

Question 22

Adolescence and Sexuality

Answer 22

About 40-50% of Canadians between ages 15-19 report having sex with yet a higher percent of people in that age range having engaged in lesser sexual acts