Psy 111 1st Edition Final Exam Study Guide Adolescence Blakemore adolescence brain video The prefrontal cortex is the brain area that changes the most during adolescence decision making planning and inhibiting inappropriate behaviors this part is very hyperactive in development MRI show that the grey matter volume peaks during adolescence but there is also a reduction in activity in the prefrontal cortex Adolescence use the limbic system the most Grey matter in brain develops later in boys than girls during adolescence Grey matter contains cell bodies Use fMRI to look at changes in brain activity across age Medial prefrontal cortex is the active part in decision making for adolescence Adolescence have a hard time taking on other people s perspective Nature of Development Transition between childhood and adulthood that prepares children for the pressures of adulthood o Starts around 10 13 and ends in the late teens o Two periods in adolescence development o Early adolescence marked mostly by physical changes o Late adolescence marked by changes in goals and activities Puberty transition from childhood to adolescence is known as puberty o Surge of hormones causes changes o Puberty has physical and psychological implications Physical earlier or later timing of puberty is associated with reproductive and metabolic disorders Psychological earlier timing of puberty is associated with mood eating and behavioral disorders Gender differences o Girls and boys differ how they perceive their gender o Boys more satisfired with being boys whiles girls less satisfied with their biology body and their genfer 25 US high school seniors have 3 or 4 sexual partners academic achievement is inversely related to sexual activity Asian American adolescents report lower involvement with sexual activity Identity Identitty versus Role confusion Adolescents must decide who they are where they are going in life A larger part of the process is examining how they fit into their culture What is the role that they will play in the indentites that their cultures offers Erikson s Ideas on Identity Two core indgredients in identity development are Personality adolescents try out several possibilities Role experimentationAdolescents have several roles tat they can tryout Adolescents explore many roles before settling into roles that provide a balance between and culture April 20th psych notes Review questions According to Erikson what stage do adolescents try to understand their identity identity versus role confusion Personality by trying out different personalities and role experimentation try out different roles before you settle on one THAT ALLOWS YOU TO FIT INTO YOUR SOCIETY OR CULTURE play a role in identity development What are the two stages in adolescents development early key feature physical changes and late key feature changes in goals and activities Gender differences associated with puberty boys are more satisfied with who they are than girls Adolescent problems forcible sexual behavior o Rape forcible sexual intercourse about 8 of 9 th 12th graders reported that they had been rapes o According to feminists theories male sexual aggression is socialized Mitigating circumstances illegal substances are often involved Date rape about 20 of 12th graders reported that they had been sexually victimized by a romantic partner o Consequences are both psychological and emotional distress along with lifestyle changes Emerging Adulthood o Transition from childhood to adolescence is associated with biological changes o Transition from adolescence to adulthood is driven by cultural experiences o This transition is form adolescence to adulthood is known as emerging adulthood o Key features Romantic Love Identity exploration Self focused Feeling in between Feeling optimistic o Aka passionate love or eros o Forms the basis of love relationships o Sexual attraction is an important aspect of romantic love o Insecurely attached infants are less likely to have positive romantic partnerships Avoidant expect their partners to be unresponsive and uncaring Ambivalent likely to be frustrated and disappointed with intimacy from their partners because they are a very demanding and dramatic partner High quality experiences with partners and peers is related to less intense but more positive romantic relationships adolescence Side note When a woman orgasms she releases Oxytocin associate with trust intimacy attachment April 22nd psych notes Who defined emerging adulthood Jeffery Arnett What is oxytocin How does attachment influence romantic relationships avoidant individuals often end up with un caring partners ambivalent individuals end up disappointed with their partners Human Development Later adulthood o Physical changes Steady decline in physical capabilities Sensory abilities less sharp Slow down in oxygen supply to the brain Menopause The cessation of menstruation o Marks end of a women s reproductive system Associated with lethargy Reduced libido Drop in estrogen is associated with drop in memory capacities Men experience a gradual decline in testosterone and semen production Associated with lethargy Reduced libido Aging effects o Primary aging effects Driven by genetics Bone loss Loss of muscular fiber Immune system reduces efficacy Sensory abilities are less sharp Secondary aging effects Driven by lifestyle Changes in circulatory system becomes sluggish Blood vessels become clogged makes you more prone to heart disease Lungs lose capacity Stiff joints Cognitive changes Crystallized intelligence up Verbal inability Accumulated knowledge Increase with times and age Fluid Intelligence down Abstract reasoning Mental flexibility Decreases slowly as people age Side note working memory capacity amount of info we can hold in mind varies across the lifespan improved by learning music and learning a new language Alzheimer s disease Dementia problems with memory and reduced cognitive abilities Alzheimer s Progressive and incurable disorder Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles Memory loss Decline in thinking abilities Major personality changes April 24th psych notes Motivation and Emotion Outline What is motivation Theories of motivation Instinct drive reduction and optimum arousal theories Human drives Hunger biology of hunger psychology of hunger What is emotion Brain and emotions Theories of emotion James Lange cannon bard and two factor theories Culture and emotions Emotion regulation Daniel Gilbert Stumbling on Happiness