Adolescence z Adolescence is transitional period z Not just a time of rebellion crisis pathology and deviance time of evaluation decision making commitment finding a place in the world Genetic biological environmental and social factors interact in adolescent development Relationships with parents take a different form Both continuity and discontinuity with childhood z Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence z Hamburg Hamburg 2004 1 3 4 2008 Today s Adolescent z z z z 2 3 4 2008 Formal Operational Thought Ethnic cultural gender socioeconomic age and lifestyle differences influence the actual life trajectory of every adolescent Adolescents are exposed to complex options through the media They face the temptations of drug use and sexual activity Too many adolescents are not provided with adequate opportunities and support to become competent adults z z z According to Piaget the fourth and final stage of cognitive development the formal operational stage begins in adolescence Formal operational thought is more abstract and logical full of idealism and possibilities Hypothetical deductive reasoning involves creating a hypothesis and deducing its implications Patterson Hastings 2007 Conger Dogan 2007 3 3 4 2008 Information Processing Adolescent Egocentrism z z z 4 3 4 2008 Adolescent egocentrism is the heightened selfconsciousness of adolescents David Elkind 1976 cited two key components imaginary audience personal fable Adolescents also often show a sense of invincibility or invulnerability z z Executive functioning involves higher order cognitive activities such as reasoning making decisions monitoring thinking critically and monitoring one s cognitive progress Improvements in executive functioning permit more effective learning making decisions and engaging in critical thinking Kuhn Franklin 2006 3 4 2008 Developmental Psychology 5 3 4 2008 6 1 Brain Development z Puberty Adolescents brains undergo significant structural changes z corpus callosum thickens and this improves ability to process information prefrontal cortex doesn t finish maturing until 18 to 25 years of age or later amygdala is the seat of emotions such as anger it matures earlier than the prefrontal cortex 3 4 2008 Eshel others 2006 Toga Thompson Sowell 2006 Giedd others 2006 z z 7 Male Pubertal Changes z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z 9 Weight and Height and the Growth Spurt z z z 8 3 4 2008 Female Pubertal Changes Increase in penis and testicle size Appearance of straight pubic hair Minor voice change First ejaculation which usually occurs through masturbation or a wet dream Appearance of kinky pubic hair Onset of maximum growth in height and weight Growth of hair in armpits More detectable voice changes Growth of facial hair 3 4 2008 Puberty is not the same as adolescence most important marker of the beginning of adolescence puberty ends before adolescence does Puberty period of rapid physical maturation involving hormonal and bodily changes Puberty is not a single sudden event the most noticeable changes are signs of sexual maturation and increases in height and weight Breasts enlarge Pubic hair appears Hair appears in the armpits Height increases and hips become wider than shoulders Menarche first menstruation irregular and anovulatory Voice changes not comparable to males By the end breasts become more fully rounded 10 3 4 2008 Gender Differences in Body Image Girls tend to outweigh boys early in adolescence At the beginning of adolescence girls tend to be as tall as or taller than boys of their age Mean age at beginning of the growth spurt z z 9 for girls 11 for boys z Adolescents are preoccupied with their bodies and develop images of what their bodies are like Girls are less happy with their bodies and have more negative body images than boys throughout puberty Boys become more satisfied as they move through puberty probably because their muscle mass increases Bearman others 2006 3 4 2008 Developmental Psychology 11 3 4 2008 12 2 Body Art z Eating Problems and Disorders z More adolescents are getting tattoos and parts of their body pierced do it to be different some research indicates tattoos and body piercings are markers for risk taking in adolescence other researchers argue that body art is increasingly used to express individuality rather than rebellion Research findings about eating disorders center around these variables Body image Parenting Sexual Activity Role Models and the Media z commercials with idealized thin female images increased adolescent girls dissatisfaction with their bodies Attie Brooks Gunn 1989 Pakpreo others 2005 Cauffman 1994 Hargreaves Tiggemann 2004 Armstrong Caliendo Roberts 2006 Deschesnes Fines Demers 2006 Armstrong others 2004 13 3 4 2008 Anorexia Nervosa 14 3 4 2008 Bulimia Nervosa z z z Anorexia nervosa eating disorder that involves the relentless pursuit of thinness Three main characteristics of anorexia nervosa are weighing less than 85 percent of what is considered normal for a person s age and height having an intense fear of gaining weight having a distorted image of one s body shape z Bulimia nervosa eating disorder in which the individual consistently follows a binge and purge pattern Bulimics go on an eating binge and then purge by self inducing vomiting or using laxatives Bulimics are preoccupied with food have a strong fear of becoming overweight and are depressed or anxious Speranza others 2005 Agras others 2004 Wiseman Sunday Becker 2005 Seidenfeld Sosin Rickert 2004 15 3 4 2008 Hormonal Change z z Endocrine Influences z Hormones powerful chemical substances secreted by the endocrine glands and carried through the body by the bloodstream Puberty is an interaction of the hypothalamus the pituitary gland and the gonads Gonads the testes and ovaries are particularly important 3 4 2008 Developmental Psychology 16 3 4 2008 The pituitary sends a signal via gonadotropins hormones that stimulate the testes or ovaries to manufacture hormones z Through interaction with the hypothalamus the pituitary gland also secretes hormones that directly lead to growth and skeletal maturation or that produce growth effects through interaction with the thyroid gland located at the base of the throat 17 3 4 2008 18 3 Hormones z Age of Puberty z Testosterone hormone associated in boys with the development of genitals an increase in height and a change in voice z Estradiol is a type of estrogen in girls it is associated with breast uterine and skeletal development z z z
View Full Document
Unlocking...