Adolescents

• Adolescence


  Begins with puberty & ends with the transition to emerging adulthood
• Adolescence


  • Period of physical, cognitive, & social-relational change
  • Individual timetable for puberty is different primarily due to heredity
  • Environmental factors—such as diet and exercise—exert some influence
• Adolescence


  Period of "storm and stress"
• Adolescence is a period of inevitable turmoil that takes place during the transition from childhood to adulthood
• Storm


  Decreased level of self-control
• Stress


  Increased level of sensitivity
• Adolescence is a period of rapid growth & sexual maturation
• Puberty


  1. Adrenarche (increased production of adrenal androgens)

  2. Gonadarche (major rush of estrogen for girls & testosterone for boys)
• Hormones


  Play an organizational role (priming the body to behave in a certain way once puberty begins) & an activational role (triggering certain behavioral and physical changes)
• Physical Development in Adolescence


  • Overall physical growth spurt
  • Average height and weight are also related somewhat to racial and ethnic background
• Physical Changes in Adolescence

  • Primary sexual characteristics (changes in the reproductive organs)
  • Secondary sexual characteristics (breast development, hips broadening, voice lowering, hair growth)
• Female gametes are present at birth but are immature
• Only 500 out of 400,000 gametes in each ovary will become mature eggs
• Acne


  Unpleasant consequence of hormonal changes due to overactive sebaceous (oil-producing) glands
• 5% of adolescents develop acne, with boys more affected than girls due to testosterone
• Girls' early puberty


  Associated with depression, substance use, eating disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, & early sexual behavior
• Early maturing girls


  Show more anxiety & less confidence in their relationships with family & friends, compare themselves more negatively to their peers
• Early & rapidly maturing boys


  Displayed decrements in the quality of their peer relationships
• Boys attaining early puberty

  Increased odds of cigarette, alcohol, or other drug use
• Mismatch

  Approximately 10 years separates the development of the prefrontal cortex & the limbic system, can result in risky behavior, poor decision making, weak emotional control
• Early adolescence is a time of rapid learning and brain development, including increases in sensation-seeking, motivation for social relation and sensitivity to social evaluation
• Puberty initiates intense learning and brain development, which lead to structural remodeling and neural re-configuration of key brain systems
• Piaget's Formal Operational Stage


  • Major changes in brain structure & functioning occur during, resulting in cognitive & behavioral developments
  • Formal Operational Thought: Adolescents can now think abstractly & hypothetically
  • Greater introspection & Idealism: Imagine how the world could be
  • Pretend to be what they are not; Recognize what others expect of them & conform to those expectations
  • Pseudostupidity: appear not-knowing when they are in fact bright, just inexperienced
• Egocentrism & imaginary audience


  Adolescents believe that others are as concerned & focused on their behavior & appearance as they themselves are
• Adolescent influencers


  • Parents
  • Peers
  • Romantic Relationships
  • Social Media
• Renegotiation of parent-child relationships

  Adolescents strive for more independence and autonomy
• Psychological control


  Manipulation, & intrusion into adolescent's world, invalidating adolescents' feelings, pressuring them to think in particular ways
• Peer relationships


  • Influence can be both positive & negative as adolescents experiment together with identity formation & new experiences
  • Homophily: adolescents who are similar to one another choose to spend time together
  • Deviant peer contagion: peers reinforce problem behavior
  • Negative peer pressure: lead to riskier decisions or engage in more problematic behavior
  • Source of social support & companionship
• Romantic relationships


  Important during adolescence, albeit short-lived, contribute to adolescents' identity formation
• Positive influence of social media


  • Education benefits, Increases skills, Increased creativity and innovative Ideas, Source of Income, Increased Mental Ability, Hobs offering, Confidence Boosting
• Negative influence of social media


  • Copying superheroes in Real Life,
  • Increased cases of crimes,
  • Women harassment,
  • Superiority and inferiority complex,
  • Influence of wrong personalities,
  • Fearless attitudes, Rude attitude with parents,
  • Lack of interest in family gathering,
  • Following unknown friendship,
  • Lack of interest in studies
• Self-concept


  Understanding of self is full of contradictions, personality & behavior change depending on who they are with or where they are
• Self-esteem


  • Dimensions: Academic, social, appearance, & physical/athletic, perceptions of competency in romantic relationships, on the job, & in close friendships
  • Drops when there is transition from one school setting to another, stressors such as parental conflict, or other family disruptions
  • Rises when there is feeling of competence in their peer relationships, their appearance, & athletic abilities
• Erikson's Psychosocial Stage: Adolescence


  Puberty to adulthood, Crisis - a turning point, a crucial period of increased vulnerability and heightened potential, Time for gaining a sense of ego identity & social latency
• Erikson's Psychosexual Mode: Adolescence

  • Genital Maturation
  • Identity vs. identity confusion
  • Fidelity - faith in some ideological view or vision of the future
  • Role repudiation (refusal to accept roles)
  • Diffidence - lack of self-trust or self-confidence
  • Defiance - open act of rebellion against authority
  • Significant Relations: Peer groups
• Psychological Problems in Adolescence

  • Aggression and Antisocial Behavior
  • Depression & Anxiety
  • Eating Disorders
• Adolescence is characterized by risky behavior, which is made more likely by changes in the brain in which reward-processing centers develop more rapidly than cognitive control systems, making adolescents more sensitive to rewards than to possible negative consequences
• Social changes are particularly notable as adolescents become more autonomous from their parents, spend more time with peers, and begin exploring romantic relationships and sexuality
• Adjustment during adolescence is reflected in identity formation, which often involves a period of exploration followed by commitments to particular identities
• What are secondary sexual characteristics for males?

  • Broader shoulders.
  • Lower voice.
  • Coarser and darker hair.
  • Hair growth in the pubic area, underarms, and face