Quiz 1 Flashcards
adolescence
The stage of development that begins with puberty and ends when individuals make the transition into adult roles, roughly speaking, from about 10 until the early 20s.
early adolescence
The period spanning roughly ages 10–13, corresponding roughly to the junior high or middle school years.
middle adolescence
The period spanning roughly ages 14–17, corresponding to the high school years.
late adolescence
The period spanning roughly ages 18–21, corresponding approximately to the college years.
emerging adulthood
The period spanning roughly ages 18–25, during which individuals make the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
puberty
The biological changes of adolescence.
rite of passage
A ceremony or ritual marking an individual’s transition from one social status to another, especially marking the young person’s transition to adulthood.
ecological perspective on human development
A perspective on development that emphasizes the broader context in which development occurs.
psychosocial
Referring to aspects of development that are both psychological and social in nature, such as developing a sense of identity or sexuality.
identity
The domain of psychosocial development involving self-conceptions, self-esteem, and the sense of who one is
autonomy
The psychosocial domain concerning the development and expression of independence.
intimacy
The psychosocial domain concerning the formation, maintenance, and termination of close relationships.
sexuality
The psychosocial domain concerning the development and expression of sexual feelings.
achievement
The psychosocial domain concerning behaviors and feelings in evaluative situations.
biosocial theories
Theories of adolescence that emphasize the biological changes of the period.
organismic theories
Theories of adolescence that emphasize the interaction between the biological changes of the period and the contexts in which they take place.
learning theories
Theories of adolescence that emphasize the ways in which patterns of behavior are acquired through reinforcement and punishment or through observation and imitation.
sociological theories
Theories of adolescence that emphasize the ways in which adolescents, as a group, are treated by society.
endocrine system
The system of the body that produces, circulates, and regulates hormones.
hormones
Highly specialized substances secreted by one or more endocrine glands.
glands
Organs that stimulate particular parts of the body to respond in specific ways to particular hormones.
gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons
Specialized neurons that are activated by certain pubertal hormones.
set point
A physiological level or setting (e.g., of a specific hormone) that the body attempts to maintain through a self-regulating system.
feedback loop
A cycle through which two or more bodily functions respond to and regulate each other, such as that formed by the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the gonads.
pituitary gland
One of the chief glands responsible for regulating levels of hormones in the body.
hypothalamus
A part of the brain that controls the functioning of the pituitary gland.
gonads
The glands that secrete sex hormones: in males, the testes; in females, the ovaries.
testes
The male gonads.
ovaries
The female gonads.
androgens
A class of sex hormones secreted by the gonads, found in both sexes, but in higher levels among males than females following puberty.