Puberty Flashcards
Puberty
- Where sexual maturation is evident
- Helps prepare bodies for kids
- It’s the greatest period of sexual differentiation
- Puberty has different onsets for both girls and boys
Puberty Onset for Girls
- Begin growth spurt at about 10.5 years, which is made out of weight and height
- They get taller and fat at different parts of the body due to being able to maintain a pregnancy and be able to nurse, provide milk for babies
Puberty Onset for Boys
Begin growth spurt at about 12.5 years, see muscle development (upper body muscle)
Puberty in Female Sex Traits
- Range of start 8 to 13 years old (typically)
- Early signs: Breast development, pubic hair development, growth spurt
- First period (known as menarche) occurs at age 12.8 and no mature ova are produced
- Menarche varies by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and by other demographic variables
- Girls tend to remember when there first period occurs and how it occur
Puberty in Male Sex Trait
- Range of start 9.5 to 13.5 age
- Early signs: Growth spurt, pubic hair development, enlargement testes
- Spermarche occurs around average 13. It is the first ejaculation, although semen has few living sperm and it tend to happen during a wet dream
- They don’t really remember or know how/when their first ejaculation occur
Precocious Puberty
Where puberty occurs before the typical years
Psychological Timing on Period
- It is not necessary a period of storm and stress, yet can be if there are multiple transitions at the same time
- It is best if it’s on time with peers (brings conformity)
- There are gender difference with timing on period
Psychological Impact of Early Puberty on Boys and Girls
Girls:
- Below average in popularity
- Withdrawn
- Lack in self - confidence
- Stress
- Poor body image
- High risk of eating disorder
- High risk for sexual debut
Boys:
- Seen as: Relaxed, Independent, Self - confident, Popular, Attractive
- Tend to be leaders (often athletes)
Psychological Impact of Late Puberty on Boys & Girls
Girls:
- Regarded as: Physical attractive, Lively, Sociable, Leaders
- Good body image
Boys:
- Viewed as: Anxious, Overly talkative, Attention seeking
- Poor body image
Causes of Early Puberty
- Changes in diet
- Related to food desserts which leads to obesity, overweight and body fat containing estrogen - Possible environmental toxin
- Things like BPAS often used in the food containers, things in plastic, etc., - Changes in sleep
- Linked to more blue screen exposure - Changes in medical care
- Many people don’t have access to it. There is also changes in the vaccination schedule - Changes in environmental context such as family structure and media
- Divorce can be an impact. Media being more opened in a more sexualized way, especially for kids. Media has progressed that more kids watch sex and consuming sex media can change cortical level and adult body development (based on studies)
Why do we care about Early Puberty?
- Due to psychological consequences. During life-span, it tends to prolonged exposure to estrogen and longterm it can increase reproductive cancer rates
- Also, due to psychological consequences. They tend together judged by appearance. Get teased because others say that the older you look, the mature you are, which is not true (no link)
Actions Parents Can Do
- Breastfeed
- Tend to have a later puberty
- Baby will learn to regulate their own food, since they breastfeed at their own time - Push for earlier puberty education ins school before fifth grade
- Female relatives have to be careful to what is called “fat talk” (slam the girls)
Consequences of Early Puberty Based on Ellis & Garner (2000)
- Landmark studies on early puberty on girls and it’s impact
- A longitudinal study
Consequences Found:
1. Physical: High breast cancer, High rate of reproductive cancer, Obesity, Linked to teenage pregnancy
2. Psychosocial: More body image disturbance, More emotional problems, More “problems” behavior
* No Positive Association*
Past Literature Explores Biological Explanations (Ellis & Garner, 2000)
They reviewed the past literature and noticed …
- Monozygotic twins average difference in months: Reared together 2.8 months and reared apart 9.3 months
- Dizygotic twins average differences in months: Reared together 12 months
The findings tells us about nature and nurture that there environment matters (something is going on environmentally that made an impact on the difference between together and apart)
Influence on Timing (Ellis & Garner, 2000)
Found that the influences on the timing is physical and psychosocial
- Physical: Weight, Nutrition, Exercise
- Psychosocial: Family environment, Child behavioral problems
Belsky, Steinberg & Draper Study
- Proposed an evolutionary model or reproductive effort to look at an explanation of early puberty with girls
- It was model that rests on child biology that assesses available and predictability or resources, trustworthiness of others and enduringness of close personal relationships
Evolutionary Theory
If environment is adverse (acting against), it may be adaptive to reproduce early
Girls and Environmental Relationships (Belsky, Steinberg & Draper)
The finding that adds up the theory:
- Causes: Family stress, Lack of resources, Father of absence, Coercive relationships, Lack of family support
- Effects: Accelerates puberty, Accelerates sexual behavior, Orient towards unstable relationships
Hypothesis:
1. History of mood disorders in mother will predict early puberty
2. Higher family stress will predict early puberty
3. Girls from father absent homes will experience earlier puberty than those from father present homes
4. Amount of time with unrelated males will be account for early puberty
5. Stress and father absence/stepfather presence will constitute separate paths to early puberty
Method: Short longitudinal study, mothers completes questionaries, daughters completes survey of pubertal status, 97 families, 47 father absent homes (had stepfathers presents or boyfriends)
Results:
- All of the hypothesis was supported
- This was such a controversy because not many people did not want to think about evolution and biology and puberty + girls
James, Ellis Schlomer & Garber, 2012
- Study on both girls and boys age 12 - 18
- Longitudinal study
- Looked at the perceive mate value, risk taking and family stress
- Predicted earlier puberty and father absence in boys and girls
Found:
- Father absence led to early puberty in girls and not boys
- Earlier sex debate and increase sexual risk taking
Ellis and Del Guidice, 2019
Found:
- Stress in girls will lead to early puberty
- Low stress, comfortable childhood, higher perceive nurturance is associated with delayed puberty
Verianet at al., 2021
- Looked at girls with their medical referrals
- Looking for precocious period
Found:
- Changes in diet
- Changes in sleep pattern
- Changes in stress level
- Increase level of anxiety
Life History Theory
Organisms face trade off facing developmental constraints (adapt to those constraints)
- This has been applied to pubertal timing (particularly in girls, Ellis 2004)
