Adolescent Development 4 23 14 Wednesday April 23 2014 4 58 PM Adolescence starts at puberty when does it end 18 25 Delayed maturity Other species are born grow rapidly to maturity and are sexually mature adults Humans and primates have quick growth then delay until puberty have long adolescence then adulthood Must be possibility evolutionary advantage to delayed sexual maturity Gives opportunity to build physical strength Intellectual maturing Learn social skills child rearing Acquire resources Life history theory Tradeoff btw having as many offspring as possible or investing in parenting with fewer children to increase likelihood of survival to adulthood We can grade all species on continuum Each species has it s own strategy for reproduction mating or parentin Parenting Delayed maturity bigger bodies longer lifespans lower fertility bigger brains more complex social structures parenting Mating faster maturity smaller bodies shorter lifespans higher fertility smaller brains less complex social structures no parenting Environmental stability Prey species or species in unstable environments have better chances of continuation of species with mating strategy Predators or non prey species in stable environment with opportunity for stable social structures Puberty Sexual bimaturation Sexual dimorphism most mammal species have one sex that is larger than the other Prior to puberty sexes are relatively equal in size then males are 17 20 bigger than females Individual differences in puberal timing due to Genetic Nutrition malnutrition delays puberty Family constellation family situation Possible reasons Critical Fat hypothesis body doesn t reach puberty until a critical level of fat has been reached Especially for girls but also for boys Children with a father absent reach sexual maturity faster Life history theory serves cue to stable or unstable environment and initiate mating effort Life as a spectrum from parent al patterns to mating patterns Increase in stress hormone cortisol quickens onset of puberty Lack of male figure incites need for new male in household sexual interest Increase in white matter volume in adolescence increase in mylenization myelin sheath for axon Could indicate that the brain is becoming more efficient Decrease in gray matter volume Synaptic pruning less active synapses are eliminated Occurs in the pre frontal cortex Believed to be the last part of the brain undergoing development Executive functioning Cognitive skills Planning attention response inhibition organizing Pituitary gland controls metabolic hormones that initiate puberty change Girls begin puberty sooner boys puberty lasts longer Changes During Puberty 1 2 3 Reproductively capable Become more attractive to opposite sex Enable us to complete with same sex peers 1 These should explain every change during puberty Boys changes during puberty Testosterone production increases Increase in muscle mass Brow ridge becomes pronounced Lower jaw becomes thicker more prominent Secondary sex characteristics develop pubertal hair etc Menarche beginnings of menstrual cycle Development of breasts as secondary sex characteristic Larger orbital holes eye sockets Both boys and girls Girls Sensation seeking showing off risk seeking possibly boys engage in more frequently because boys need to be chosen for mating Increased cognitive capacity reasoning problem solving logical thinking skills Self awareness Greater knowledge about strengths weaknesses etc Ego centricity persists from childhood Erik Erikson Developmental psychologist Major conflicts throughout life Large conflict in adolescence Identity vs Identity Confusion Healthy to exit adolescence with a solid sense of identity Pubertal timing Early puberty Late puberty Male positive and negative Male negative Female positive and negative Female extra negative If you exit adolescence without an established sense of identity it leads to confusion and troubled adulthood Unstable identity is not a healthy sense of identity Identity will give you a path in life Psychology Page 1 Female positive and negative Female extra negative Associated with social benefits Delinquent behavior Academic problems Early sexual behavior Lack of interest from opposite sex Subject to bullying Childish interests mental immaturity Psychology Page 2