Adolescence

DR. EVANGELENE E. SANA

Master Teacher II
Bilad High School

definition of puberty
Pubertas Latin word for adult
Narrow definition: The process
by which an individual becomes
capable of reproduction.
The activation of the HPG/HPA axis

Broad definition: The physical,

psychological, and cultural
changes that occur as the
growing child transitions into
adulthood.

time periods of adolescent

Adolescence is a unique developmental
period
it keeps changing!

Early adolescence 11 to 13 years old

Continues to be pushed earlier (9-10)

Middle adolescence 14 to 17 years old

Late adolescence (early adulthood) 18
to 20 years old
Continues to be pushed later (21-24)

physical changes
Primary sex characteristics
The body organs and reproductive structures and
functions that differ between women and men.
Gonads (testes and ovaries)

Secondary sex characteristics

Characteristics of the body that are caused by
hormones, develop during puberty, and last
through adult life.
Changes in genitals/breasts/voice
Pubic/body/facial hair

Tanner Stages

Tanner Stages

changes
Rapid acceleration of physical growth
Adolescent growth spurt
3.5 (girls) to 4.0 (boys) inches/year
adult weight gained during adolescence

Changes in body composition

3:1 muscle to body fat ratio for boys
5:4 for girls
Emergence of sex differences in physical
performance

Changes in circulatory and respiratory

systems
Increase in size/capacity of heart and lungs

two roles of hormones

Organizational role (life-long):
Modification of the organism early in life
primarily influencing its anatomy

Organization/structure of CNS
Feminine vs. masculan-ized brain and body

Activational role (specific to puberty):

Structural remodeling of brain
Increase in salience of sexual stimuli, sexual
motivation
Development of secondary sex characteristics

hormone regulatory
systems

Endocrine system
HPA axis

Hypothalamus Pituitary gland

Adrenals
Corticosteroids
Regulates bodys response to stress

HPG axis
Hypothalamus Pituitary gland Gonads
(Testes/Ovaries)
Sex Hormones (Androgens/Estrogens)
Regulates sexual maturation

The hormonal changes brought on by

puberty can affect the adolescents
behavior in at least three ways.

impacts of puberty
Sleep patterns
Delayed phase preference
9 hours: 1 am to 10 am

Family relations
Transformation of parent-child bond

Peer relations
Transformation of friendships, romantic
relationships

impacts of puberty
Self-esteem
Changing body image
Changing sense of self

Moods
Increased stress + Increased sensitivity
Fluctuation of moods

Due to hormones or environment?

Storm and stress: myth or fact?

moods

timing - individual factors

Genetic factors
Timing and tempo

Environmental factors

Nutrition
Body weight
Exposure to hormones/chemicals
Family conflict
Stepfathers

timing - group factors

Comparisons
Across socioeconomic groups
Impact of poverty
Dietary intake, health care, exposure to
disease

Across countries
Impact of industrialization

Across time periods

Secular trend

early maturation
Boys
Early maturation positives
Popularity, higher self-esteem

Early maturation negatives

Deviant, risk behaviors; more rigidity later

Girls
Early maturation positives
Popularity (cultural dependence)

Early maturation negatives

Lower self-esteem, eating disorders, emotions,
deviant behaviors

late maturation
Boys
Late maturation positives
Higher levels of creativity, inventiveness

Late maturation negatives

Low self-esteem, low social competence

Girls
Late maturation positives
Thinner build

Late maturation negatives

Social withdrawal

the second wave.

Longitudinal fMRI studies reveal:
Period of rapid synaptogenesis and
pruning
Increased myelination (back to
front)
Opportunity for massive cognitive
growth and learning
Shift into Piagets formal operations

Among the
most
important
changes to
take place in
the
adolescence
brain are
those in the
prefrontal
cortex and
limbic

(pre) frontal development

Final development of executive
function
Planning/problem-solving
Impulse control
Seat of sober 2nd thought

Full maturation sometime between

adolescence and early adulthood
Coincides with child-onset
schizophrenia
Failure in executive functioning

heightened arousal
Increased hormone activity
estrogen & testosterone
Sexual stimulation
Social status conflict

Increased neurotransmitter activity

heightened emotional sensitivity/reactivity
Limbic system (norepinephrine)

increased risk, stimulation-seeking behaviors

Punishment/reward system (dopamine)

increased fluctuations in mood

Serotonin

timing of brain maturation

Limbic system matures early in puberty
Prefrontal cortex matures several years
later
Heightened need for reward/stimulation

leads to increased risk-taking, stimulation-seeking

behaviors

Higher level of emotional volatility

Underdeveloped sober assessment of risks
Increased cognitive/social demands
Creates cognitive overload
Difficulty with impulse control

timing of brain maturation

Time gap may explain why
adolescence is a period of
heightened experimentation with
risky behaviors.
Increased risk of
violence/criminal activity
kids under 18 account for 25 of violent crime in
US

drug & alcohol experimentation

unsafe sexual activities

conduct problems
Adolescents whose
prefrontal cortical
development is less
mature than normal
are even more likely
to have conduct
problems.
Populations most at
risk?

teen pregnancy

teen pregnancy in US
750-850,000 teens between 15-19 years old
become pregnant every year.
2/3rds between 18-19 years old.
25,000 under 15 years old.

African American teens have highest rate

134/1,000 vs. 48/1,1000 Caucasian teenagers

57% end in birth (11% of all births in US)

14% end in miscarriage
29% end in abortion

82% of those pregnancies were unintended

86% of teen mothers remain unmarried
35% have a 2nd child within two years

risk factors
Physical
Sexual maturation
4-5 years before psychological/emotional
maturation
Becoming longer as puberty starts earlier

Brain development
Heightened activation of limbic system
Increased attraction to risky behaviors
Pre-frontal development incomplete

Why is teenage pregnancy higher in the US?

consequences
SES factors
50% of pregnancies occur in most impoverished
populations

Less opportunity for education

Less access to birth control
Reduced internal locus of control
Exposure to other risk factors
drugs, alcohol, abuse, lack of parental monitoring

Desire for family/stability

consequences
Should we be concerned about this?
For teenage parents
mother in particular

For baby
For families
For community
Methods of prevention?

adolescent substance use

Have tried, by grade
10:

cigarettes 40%
alcohol 63%
illegal drugs 38%

By end of high school:

17% smoke regularly

28% recent heavy drinking
40%+ tried illegal drugs

Figure 11.7

impact of substance abuse

Alcohol/drug abuse
Greater potential impairment in learning
More widespread brain damage
Repeated exposure may effect path and
quality of development
Due to reduction in plasticity, this damage
cannot be corrected later!

So, does this mean all experimentation

with drugs/alcohol bad?

adolescent substance
abusers
Compared to experimenters:

more antisocial, impulsive acts

start earlier
more likely to be affected by
genetic and environmental factors

low SES
family drug use
family difficulties
physical, sexual abuse
poor school performance

 Should we be worried about exposure

to graphic violence through media?
Why or why not?

What reasons might we have for

thinking adolescents are particularly
vulnerable to aggression/violence?

social implications
What should the social attitudes
be about adolescent exposure to
and involvement in highstimulation/high-risk activities?
Sexual Activity
Drugs & Alcohol
Violence

identity development
Adolescence Erickson stage of
identity crisis
Identity
Sense of individual self
Selection of commitments, beliefs, values

Interpersonal process
Taking their place in the adult community

cognitive changes
Importance of conceptual structure of
thinking
Propositional logic: thinking constrained by logical

relations

Emphasis on rationality and scientific methodology

Importance of conceptual resources

employed in thinking
Five process: Attention, working memory,

processing speed, organization, meta-cognition

cognitive changes
Piagets Formal Operational
Thought
Logical, abstract thinking

Thinking about possibilities

If-then thinking
Connection between how things are and
how they might have been or could be.

Thinking about thinking

Understanding knowledge (how/when

gained)
Monitoring ones own mental states

relativism
Not everything is black and white
Recognition of importance of perspective
Death of childish realism/absolutism

Can result in extreme skepticism

Rejection of authority
Rejection of cultural/social norms
Everything is ok no right/wrong
Tolerance for different beliefs
Though less tolerance for actual
interaction/helping

adolescent egocentrism
Increased introspection, selfconsciousness, rationalization
Responsible for adolescent version of
egocentrism.
Imaginary audience
Personal fable
Importance of personal individuality

Crisis never begins: diffusion

Crisis begins > ends with foreclosure
Crisis begins > ends with achievement
Psychosocial moratorium
Period of exploration

Importance in contemporary society?

 What are some of the grounds of

identity?
Gender
Ethnicity/culture
Age group
Vocation
Political ideology
Religious/moral values

 What is gender identity?

Function of gender roles

Adolescence adulthood
Gender intensification
Social/cultural pressures
Peer pressures
Parental pressures
Biological pressures

 What is ethnic identity?

Identification
Physical/psychological characteristics
Cultural practices/beliefs

Racial socialization
Majority vs. minority status
Dislocation from native lands
Cultural heritage

Positive vs. negative identity

Assimilation vs. marginality
Bi-culturalism

 Vocational identity

Aspect of identity associated with career.

Being a lawyer
Being a janitor

Religious identity

Aspect of identity associated with religious

belief system.
Being a Christian or Buddhist
Being an atheist

Age identity

Aspects of identity associated with age group.

Being a teenager
Being an elderly person

Identity and stereotypes

Identities commonly incorporate/activate
stereotypes
Common characteristics associated with

Being
Being
Being
Being

female
Native American
a plumber
a liberal

Some characteristics positive, others negative.

Stereotype activation makes these
characteristics salient.
This can have incredibly powerful effects on
behavior.

 Gender and ethnicity stereotypes

Influence on academic performance

When gender made salient

Females under-perform on math exams

When ethnicity made salient

Blacks under-perform on academic tests
Whites over-perform on academic tests
Can be activated by something as simple as
asking ethnicity on demographic form!

 Clash of multiple identities

Asian females
Baseline math performance
When gender made salient, perform less
well
When ethnicity made salient, perform
better

Other effects
When primed with racial stereotypes people were
more likely to perceive a power tool as a gun.
People primed with elderly stereotype will
perceive hills to be steeper and distances longer.
People primed with stereotype of obesity
perceived people to be less intelligent, more lazy.
Priming with gender influences perception of
artistic pieces and writing.
Priming of identity stereotypes facilitate specific
interpretations of behavior.

 Positive identity stereotypes create uplift

Negative identity stereotypes create
threat
A person can have a mixture of both in
their identity.
Subtle and powerful influence of our
identity on our perception, attitudes, and
behaviors.