Adolescent Development Flashcards
What are the primary sex characteristics?
Body structure that make sexual reproduction.
What are the secondary sex characteristics?
Non-reproductive sexual characteristics. Female = breast and hips, male = voice and body hair.
What is menarche?
The first menstrual period.
What are the 3 environmental factors that impact variations in pubertal development?
- Adiposity (amount of body fat)
- Chemicals mimicking hormones (BPA in plastics)
- Family stress
What are the psychological consequences of early maturation in males?
- Opportunities for leadership
- Higher social status with peers
- Academic, emotional, and behavioural problems (may only be short-lived)
What are the psychological consequences of late maturation in males?
- Negative impact on esteem is short-lived
- Develop positive qualities such as insight
- Less pressure to engage in risk behaviours
What are the psychological consequences of early maturation in females?
- Negative long and short term effects
- Premature dating and sexual encounters
- Vulnerable to STIs, ED, smoking, drinking, depressions, anxiety, and poor academic achievement
- Related to family environment
What are the psychological consequences of late maturation in females?
- Lower peer status
- Generally more positive outcomes
Grey matter in the brain is called…
Synapses
At what age does grey matter increase to be the most connections you’ll ever have?
3-15 months
When grey matter decreases, this is called…
Pruning: of less active synapses
Which part of the brain is most active?
Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)
Which part of the brain continues to grow throughout development?
White matter: neurons become more myelinated (enhanced conductivity/connectivity).
What is the Prefrontal Cortex important for?
Executive functions: planning, emotional regulation, and response inhibition.
What type of development explains adolescent risking decision making?
Neuro-cognitive development of reward and control regions.
According to Piaget, an adolescent in the formal operational stage is able to…
Think abstractly
What are the 2 concepts in Piaget’s formal operational stage?
- Hypothetico-deductive reasoning
- Propositional thought
What are the 3 reasons why older adolescents don’t consistently use formal operational thinking?
- Cognitively lazy, relying on intuition and mental shortcuts
- Easier to use formal operational thinking on tasks where we have considerable experience
- Cultural differences
Abstract reasoning + formal operational thinking =
Increased questioning of standards and reasons (more conflict with parents and authority figures).
What are the 3 consequences of formal operational thought in adolescence?
- Greater idealism
- More argumentative
- More indecisive
Who posed moral dilemmas to different age groups, such as ‘is it okay to steal medicine to save someone’s life’?
Lawrence Kohlberg, 1980s
What are the 3 levels of Kohlberg’s moral ladder?
- Pre-conventional
- Conventional
- Post-conventional
What occurs as moral development progresses?
The focus of concern moves from the self to the wider social world.
What morality is present during the pre-conventional level?
Self-interest
