The Impact of Puberty Flashcards
What are the different ways to study the impact of puberty?
- Cross-sectional design
- Longitudinal design
- Cross-Sequential design
What is a Cross-sectional design?
Compares two or more groups of individuals at one point in time to ask questions about Group Differences
What are the advantages of a Cross-sectional design?
Can identify differences related to sex, age, or period studied
What are the disadvantages of a Cross-sectional design?
- Provides no information about individuals
- No understanding of change over time
- Can’t examine Cohort Effects: the effects of being born in a certain time, having the same experiences, etc.
What is a Longitudinal Design?
Studies the same individuals repeatedly over time to ask questions about changes in individuals over time
What are the advantages of a Longitudinal Design?
- Can examine changes within an individual over time
- Can give a glimpse of development
What are the disadvantages of a Longitudinal Design?
- Expensive
- Time-consuming
- Participant Attrition
- Practice Effects are possible
- Can’t examine Cohort Effects
What is a Cross Sequential Design?
Studies two or more groups of individuals over time to ask questions about group differences over time
What are the advantages of a Cross Sequential Design?
Can examine change within Individuals over time (Longitudinal)
Can examine group changes at same point in time (Cross-sectional)
Can examine Cohort Effects
What are the disadvantages of a Cross Sequential Design?
- Expensive
- Time-consuming
- Practice effects are possible
True or False: There has been a steady decline in the age at onset of puberty over time
And what kind of development is this known as?
True; Secular Trend
What is the current state of puberty?
Puberty is starting a lot earlier for boys and girls now than it did a hundred years ago
How does the current state of puberty pose a significant health consequences for girls?
The end of puberty has leveled off somewhat, but the beginning of puberty (i.e. adrenarche) is still getting earlier, especially for girls
Along with the physical changes, what else does puberty affect in the social, behavioral and psychological processes?
- Self-esteem
- Mood
- Relationships with parents
- Sleep behavior
- Physical activity
True or False: Adolescents are not aware of whether they are early or late relative to classmates
False; they are aware
True or False: Their feelings about themselves are not influenced by comparisons to their peers
False: they are influenced
Early maturers are likely to be “pseudomature”. What is Pseudomaturity?
wishing they were older, hanging out with older peers, engaging in “older” patterns of behavior)
How does perception play in maturity?
Perception of being an early or late maturer is more important in affecting one’s feelings than the reality
Thus, behavior is more closely related to how old the adolescent feels, not necessarily how physically mature they are
How does early onset vs late onset of maturation affect girls?
Early maturing girls have more difficulties than late onset females
What are some of the issues faced by early onset of maturation in girls?
- Poorer self-image
- Higsher rates of depression, eating disorders, and panic attacks
- More often victims of rumors, gossip, and sexual harassment