Chapter 9

Question 1

1. Describe how adolescence is generally perceived by adults

Answer 1

generally negative stereotypes

Question 2

How does life trajectory develop in adolesence

Answer 2

life trajectory is heavily influenced by ethnicity, cultures, gender, socioeconomic factors,
age and lifestyle

Question 3

How do adolescence test their parents values?

Answer 3

acting out and testing the boundaries = how adolescents accept their parents’ values

Question 4

Summarize the major events of puberty for boys and girls, including average
ages and how the sexes compare.

Answer 4

most noticeable changes for both boys and girls → increase in height and weight alongside
sexual maturation
- men: increase in body size, appearance of hair (pubic, armpit, facial, chest, etc.),
voice change
- women: marked weight and height gains, pubic hair growth, breast growth,
menstruation begins

Question 5

How has the average age of menarche changed in the U.S. over time?

Answer 5

the average age of menarche has decreased in the U.S over time from ~14 to 12.5

Question 6

Describe some consequences for body image and social relations based on
early or late maturation, for girls

Answer 6

girls: less happy with their bodies and have more negative perceptions
- early maturation = more confidence at a younger age, but make more bad decisions
lol. later maturation = less confidence → more comfortable with their body older

Question 7

Describe some consequences for body image and social relations based on
early or late maturation, for boys

Answer 7

boys: early maturation = positive perceptions on themselves and more successful peer
relations. late maturation = stronger sense of identity, could have spent their time with life
development rather than preoccupied with their appearance

Question 8

Use your knowledge of brain development during adolescence to explain the
emotional volatility characteristic of this stage.

Answer 8

corpus callosum: fibers connect the hemispheres → thicken
prefrontal cortex: involved in self-control, decision making, and reasoning, continues to
develop, but does not mature during adolescence
- HOWEVER, the amygdala (aka where big girl emotions are) matures earlier than
the prefrontal cortex
- thus why there is more emotional volatility. you feel more strong emotions but
cannot channel it in a healthy way / rationalize well
limbic system: where emotions and rewards are processed. almost completely developed

Question 9

Summarize research on how sexual identity develops for gay and lesbian
individuals.

Answer 9

common thought: quietly struggle with same-sex attractions in childhood → don’t become
involved in heterosexual dating → gradually recognize their sexual identity in their late
adolescence
sexual identity involves activities, interests, styles of behavior, and an indication of sexual
orientation
- emerges in the context of physical factors, social factors, cultural factors + societal
factors
some do not recall being attracted to people of the same-sex and have a more abrupt
sense of this identity in their late adolescence

Question 10

Discuss research on the timing of adolescent sexual behaviors, based on
ethnicity and activity.

Answer 10

57.3% of high school Seniors reported having experienced sexual intercourse vs. 30% of
high school Freshmen (??? what
male, African American + inner-city adolescents = more sexually active
Asian Americans = less sexually active RAH RAHHHHH

Question 11

Is teenage pregnancy in the U.S. trending up, or down? How do our numbers
compare to other industrialized nations?

Answer 11

one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing in the industrialized
world
- ex. teens are as sexually active in the Netherlands, but teenage pregnancy rates are
a lot lower

Question 12

risk factors for adolescent pregnancy,

Answer 12

risk factors: early sexual activity (which can be caused by alcohol use, early menarche, and
not using contraceptives properly

Question 13

health risks for adolescent pregnancy

Answer 13

risks: low birth weight, neurological problems, childhood illness (baby). the mother
drops out and usually never catches up economically

Question 14

abstinence-only programs (don’t have sex!!):

Answer 14

abstinence-only programs (don’t have sex!!): has not shown to delay the initiation of
sexual intercourse or reduce HIV risk behaviors

Question 15

What factors correlate to having sex earlier in life?

Answer 15

risk factors: early sexual activity (which can be caused by alcohol use, early menarche, and
not using contraceptives properly

Question 16

What factors correlate to having less risky sexual behavior

Answer 16

What factors correlate to having sex earlier in life?

Question 17

What is a protective factor in keeping boys and girls from engaging
in sexual intercourse?

Answer 17

better academic achievement

Question 18

10.How do adolescents’ nutrition, exercise, differ from
childhood? How do these impact health?

Answer 18

health + exercise: 20% of 12-19 year olds are overweight, adolescents generally have
either good or poor health habits that continue until adolescence

Question 19

10.How do adolescents’ sleep patterns, differ from
childhood? How do these impact health?

Answer 19

sleep patterns: incredibly poor. only 25% of U.S adolescents get 8 or more hours of sleep
on an average day
- low amounts of sleep + inconsistent sleep patterns = inattention, emotional and
peer-related problems, higher anxiety + levels of suicidal ideation
- factors: social media, electronics, caffeine, changes in the brain where melatonin is
released significantly later than childhood called “sleep phase delay”

Question 20

11.What are the leading causes of death in adolescence? How does substance use
relate?

Answer 20

1. unintentional injuries (almost half of all deaths)
2. suicide
3. homicide
   drinking + driving = contributor to the leading causes of death in adolescence
   vaping = gateway effect for cigarette smoking + marijuana use
   - plays important role in preventing adolescent drug abuse

Question 21

anorexia nervosa:

Answer 21

relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation
- includes restricted energy intake, presence of intense fear of gaining weight,
disturbance in how body weight is experienced
- ten times more likely in females

Question 22

bulimia nervosa:

Answer 22

eating disorder where individuals binge eat before purging the food they
intake

• includes preoccupation with food, having an intense fear of gaining weight or
  becoming overweight, depression / anxiety, distortion of body image despite
  typically falling within a normal weight range

Question 23

13.Discuss hallmarks of Piaget’s formal operational stage, and evaluate research
on its accuracy.

Answer 23

begins around age 11

formal operational thought: more abstract than concrete operational thought. includes
verbal problem-solving abilities, tendencies to think about thought, idealism +
possibilities, alongside more logical thought processes

hypothetical-deductive reasoning: the cognitive ability to develop hypotheses / best
guesses about ways to solve problems

research indicates that there is more individual variation than Piaget’s ideas + that culture
and education have stronger influences on cognitive development

Question 24

14.Explain what is meant by “adolescent egocentrism,” and describe some features
of this phenomenon.

Answer 24

“adolescent egocentrism” = heightened self- consciousness of adolescents. basically main
character syndrome where they believe that everyone has their eyes on them at all times
- imaginary audience: belief that others are interested in them as they are, as well as
attention-getting behavior motivated by a desire to be noticed
- personal fable: involves a sense of uniqueness and invincibility

Question 25

15.Describe the improvements in executive function that occur during
adolescence, and discuss how these impact decision making.

Answer 25

cool executive function: psychological processes involving conscious control driven by
logical thinking and critical analysis (being able to step back and make decisions logically)
- this increases with age

hot executive function: psychological processes that drive by emotion, with emotion
regulation being an especially important process (making decisions purely based on the
moment / your emotions)
- peaks at 14 to 15 years of age before declining.

Question 26

16.How does a school satisfaction change when they transition from
elementary to middle school, or middle to high school

Answer 26

It declines

Question 27

Top Dog Phenomenon

Answer 27

moving from benign the oldest, biggest, and most powerful in
elementary school to becoming the youngest, smallest, and least powerful in junior high

Question 28

Positives for students as they change from elementary to middle or from middle to high school

Answer 28

feeling more grown up, having more subjects to choose from, spending more
time with peers, increased independence, and intellectually challenging academic work

Question 29

What do students place the most importance on when it comes to school?

Answer 29

school is more about navigating the social worlds of peer relationships for students rather
than academics / extracurriculars

Question 30

How effective are schools at preparing kids for college/workplace?

Answer 30

research indicated that many high school graduates are unfit / poorly prepared for college
+ the workplace

Question 31

17.Discuss trends in dropout rates in the U.S. over the current and past century.

Answer 31

almost 50% of students who drop out in high school cite school-related problems
20% cite economic reasons
1⁄3 of female students drop out for personal reasons, such as pregnancy or marriage