Adolescence Life between childhood and adulthood
The “Natural Order” of Adolescence
What is happening in Adolescence?
Physical Changes • Puberty • Process toward attaining sexual maturity and reproductive ability
Physical development • Puberty • Hormone release (Ages 6-9 & 2-4 years later) • DHEA secreted by adrenal glands • Estrogen (more in female -ovaries) • Androgen-Testosterone (more in male – testes) • Primary sex characteristics • Reproductive organs • Secondary sex characteristics • Nonreproductive traits
Timing of Onset • Critical weight • Secular trend – spanning generations: earlier onset • Changes in health and nutritional • Presence and relationship with Biological father • Pheromones theory
Signs of sexual maturity • Spermarche • First ejaculation • Nocturnal emission (wet dream) • Average at age 13 • Menarche • First menstruation (first period) • Average at age 12 ½
Adolescent Brain • They do have one… • Growth and pruning of grey matter • Frontal lobes not fully mature till young adulthood • Planning • Reasoning • Judgment • Emotional regulation • Impulse control
A rapid increase in height and weight Typically lasts about 2 years Results in common ‘gawkiness’ Teens become more concerned about their appearance Growth Spurt
Sleep needs • Average sleep declines to less than 8 hours at age 16 • Many adolescents do not get enough sleep • Changes in circadian timing and melatonin - stay up late • School schedules are out of sync with biological rhythms • Tendency to be sleepy during the day and ‘sleep in’ on weekends to make up for loss
Anorexia Nervosa • Self-starvation • Distorted body image • Constantly dieting and believe they are fat • May cause irregularity or cessation of menstruation • Often good students and ‘perfectionists
Bulimia Nervosa • Binging and undoing of caloric intake on regular basis • ‘Undo’ calories by: • Self-induced vomiting • Excessive exercise • Laxatives or enemas • Diuretics • Dieting or fasting
Treatment • Immediate goal is to get patient to eat and gain weight • Patients may be hospitalized if severely malnourished • Behavior Therapy – reward eating • Cognitive Therapy – change body image • SSRI medications
Alcohol and Drug use • Substance Use • Harmful use of alcohol or other drugs • Dependence or Addiction • Can be psychological or physiological • Especially dangerous for adolescents because of changing brain structures
Causes of Death • Vehicular Accidents • Leading cause of death among US teens • Firearms • Homicide, suicide, and accidental deaths • One-third of all injury deaths • Suicide • Almost ¼ of US high school students have seriously considered suicide
Piaget – Cognitive advances • A capacity for abstract thought • A more flexible way to manipulate information • Usually develops around age 11 • Also has emotional implications • “I hate exploitation”
Hypothetical-deductive reasoning • Problem solving skills • Developing a hypothesis and an experiment to test it • Imagining relationships systematically • Piaget attributed acquiring this new skill to: • Brain maturation • Expanding environmental opportunities
Evaluating Piaget • Many late adolescents and adults (around1/3) are incapable of abstract thought • Fails to capture the role or context of the situation • The theory does not fully consider the role of metacognition
Elkind: Immature thought • Idealism and Criticalness • Argumentativeness • Indecisiveness • Apparent Hypocrisy • Self-Consciousness • Imaginary Audience • Specialness and Invulnerability • Personal Fable
Language Development • Adolescents can discuss abstractions: • Love • Freedom • Justice • Frequently use such terms as: • However • Otherwise • Therefore
Kohlberg’s levels of moral reasoning
Adolescent “identity crisis” • What is it?
Components of identity Adolescents attempt to resolve three issues: 1. Choice of occupation 2. Adoption of values 3. Development of sexual identity
Social Development • Erikson’s psychosocial stages • Identity verses role confusion • Struggle to become an adult with unique sense of self and role in society • Adolescence provides psychosocial moratorium or ‘time out’ period to explore identity • However, seldom fully resolved in adolescence
Erikson’s identity crisis • Successful resolution leads to ‘fidelity’ • Feeling of belongingness to friends or family • Identification with a set of values • The danger is identity confusion • Although some degree of confusion is normal
Marcia Identity Status • Identity Achievement • Crisis leading to commitment • Foreclosure • Commitment without crisis • Moratorium • Crisis with no commitment yet • Identity Confusion • No commitment, No crisis
Sexual behavior • Average age at first intercourse • Females: 17 years • Males: 16 years • Top reasons for NOT having sex: • Religion or morals • Not wanting to get (or get a girl) pregnant
Factors associated with early sex • Early puberty • Poverty • Poor school performance • History of sexual abuse • Neglect • Cultural or family patterns • Perception of peer norms
What works in Sex Education? • Works • Programs that encourage abstinence AND discuss STD prevention and safe-sex practices • Delay initiation & increases contraception use • Does Not Work • Abstinence Only/Virginity Pledges • Do not delay initiation
