Physical Cognitive Development of Adolescence

Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence

THE NATURE OF ADOLESCENCE

* Stanley Hall’s “storm and stress” – turbulent time charged with conflict and mood swings * Daniel Offer – healthy self images of adolescents were displayed * Personal experience + medial portrayals = public attitudes * Acting out and boundary testing are an adolescent’s way of accepting rather than rejecting parents’ values * Life course is influenced by ethnic, cultural, gender, socioeconomic age, and lifestyle differences

Physical Changes 1. Puberty * Period of rapid physical maturation * Hormonal and bodily changes in early adolescence * Ends long before adolescence does * Signs of sexual maturation and increase in height and weight

2. Sexual maturation, height and weight * Male pubertal changes * Increase in penis and testicle size, straight pubic hair, minor voice change, first ejaculation (masturbation), kinky * Pubic hair, maximum growth in height and weight, armpit hair growth, detectable voice changes, facial hair growth * Female pubertal changes * Enlarged breasts, pubic hair, armpit hair, increase in height, wider hips than shoulders, no voice change * Menarche – first menstruation (late in pubertal cycle) * May be irregular and not ovulate until after a year or two * Breasts are rounder * Weight * Girls overweight boys until age 14 when boys surpass them * Height * Girls are the same height until middle school years * Growth spurt (beginning) – girls: 9; boys: 11 * Growth spurt (peak) – girls: 11 ½; boys: 13 ½ * Increase in height – girls: 3 ½; boys: 4

3. Hormonal changes * Hormones – powerful chemical substances secreted by the endocrine gland via bloodstream * Testosterone – development of genitals, height and a change in voice * Estradiol – breast, uterine, and skeletal development * Hormone-behavior link is complex

4. Timing and variations in puberty * Pubertal sequences * Boys: 10-13 ½ until 13-17 * Girls: 9-15 * Precocious puberty – very early and onset of puberty * Before 8 years (girls) and before 9 years (boys) * 10 times more in girls * Treated by medically suppressive gonadotropic secretions * Short stature, early sexual capability, and engaging in age-inappropriate behavior

5. Body image * Preoccupied with bodies – especially in early adolescents (dissatisfaction) * Gender differences * Girls: less happy and have more negative body images – body fat increases * Boys: more happy – muscle mass increases

6. Early and late maturation * Boys * Early: self-views are positive; successful peer relations * Late: (at 30) stronger sense of identity * Girls * Early: greater satisfaction with figures; more age-inappropriate behavior * Late: (10th grade) are more satisfied than early-maturing girls; taller and thinner

The Brain * Connections that are used are strengthened while those are not are replaced by other pathways – “pruning” * Fewer, more selective effective neuronal connections * Activities of the adolescent affects the neural connections to be strengthened or destroyed * Corpus callosum (fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres) thickens – improves ability to process information * Prefrontal cortex (highest level of frontal lobes) – ends 18-25 years of age * Amygdala (seat of emotions) matures earlier
ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY

1. Developing a sexual identity * Learning to manage sexual feelings and skills to regulate sexual behavior to avoid undesirable consequences * Sexual identity – physical, social and cultural factors * Activities, interests, styles of behaviors, orientation * Recognition of sexual orientation (mid-late adolescence)

2. Risk factors in adolescent sexual behavior * Still not emotionally prepared to handle sexual experiences * Linked with: drug use, delinquency, and school related problems * Factors: alcohol use, early menarche, poor parent-child communication, socioeconomic status, low level of parent monitoring, peers * Prevention: better academic achievement, maternal communication

3. Contraceptive use * Risks: unwanted pregnancy and STDs – prevented with contraceptives * Increase contraceptive use but many still do not use/ inconsistent use

4. Sexually transmitted infections * Contracted through sexual contact – oral-genital and anal-genital * Gonorrhea and chlamydia

5. Adolescent pregnancy * Perpetual intergenerational cycle – daughters of teenage mothers were 66% more likely to become teenage mothers themselves * Outcomes * Health risks: low birth weights, neurological and childhood illness * Mothers drop out of school, never catch up economically with women who postpone childbearing, come from SES backgrounds, low achievement * Benefits: age-appropriate family-life education (life skills)

ISSUES IN ADOLESCENT HEALTH

Adolescent Health 1. Nutrition and exercise * Living on fast food meals contributes to high fat levels * Individuals become less active – risk of depression, drug use * Television, computers * Good eating habits: regular family meals * Regular exercise (9-16 years) has a positive effect on the weight status, reduced triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes, 2. Sleep patterns * Older adolescents get inadequate sleep (less than 8 hours) than younger adolescents * More tired, cranky, sleepy, and irritable * Sleeps in class, be in depressive mood, drink caffeinated drinks * Not due to work or social pressures – biological clock undergoes a shift (pineal gland and melatonin) * Sleep deficit: making up for loss sleep in the weekends * Average of 9 hours and 25 mins (if given the chance)

3. Leading causes of death in adolescence * Accidents, homicides, suicides * 15-24 years of age: unintentional injuries – motor vehicle accidents * Risky driving habits and DUI of alcohol or drugs

Substance Use and Abuse – alcohol, cigarette, drugs

1. The roles of development, parents, peers and education * 8-42 years: early onset of drinking is linked to binge-drinking in middle age * Parental monitoring, eating dinner with family, more peers, educational success

Eating Disorders 1. Anorexia nervosa – eating disorder involving relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation * Can lead to death * Weight less than 85% of BMI, intense fear of gaining weight, distorted image of their body shape * Never feel thin enough – weight self frequently: taking body measurements and looking critically self in the mirror * Early-middle adolescent after dieting and type of life stress * 10 x in females than males * Distorted body images, family conflict * Set high standards, stressed if not met and have insecurity issues * Turn to something they can control: weight * Factors: media, family, genetics * Treatment: family therapy

2. Bulimia nervosa – individual consistently follows a binge-purge pattern (using laxative/ self-induced vomiting) * Twice a week for three months * Pre-occupied with food, strong fear of being overweight, depressed/ anxious, have a distorted body images * Difficult to detect * Factors: being overweight before, dieting * Late adolescent-early adulthood

ADOLESCENT COGNITION

Piaget’s Theory 1. Formal operational stage * More abstract * Not limited to actual, concrete experiences for thought * Make believe situations, abstract propositions and events, purely hypothetical, logical reasoning * Verbal problem solving activity * Logical inferences can be solved through verbal presentation * Increased tendency to think about thought itself * Enhanced focus on thought and its abstract qualities * Idealistic thoughts * Extended speculation of ideal characteristics – qualities they desire, social comparisons * Thoughts are fantasy flights into future possibilities

* Logical thoughts * Hypothetical-deductive reasoning – creating a hypothesis and deducing its implications * Steps, trial and error, devising plans

2. Adolescent egocentrism – heightened self-consciousness * Elkind: (2) key components 1) Imaginary audience – belief that others are as interested in them 2) Personal fable – sense of uniqueness and invulnerability

3. Information processing * Kuhn: Executive functioning – higher order cognitive activities * More effective learning * Variation in cognitive functioning 4. Decision making – which friends to choose, which person to date, etc * Generate different options, examine a situation, anticipate consequences, consider the credibility of sources * Emotions play a role in decision making * Social context – substances and temptations are available * Dual process model * Decision making is influenced by two cognitive systems: 1) Analytical 2) Experiential – monitoring and managing actual experiences

5. Critical thinking – mature when fundamental skills have developed

SCHOOLS

The Transition to Middle or Junior High School * Top dog phenomenon – moving from oldest & most powerful to being the youngest and least powerful * Less stressful with positive relationships with peers, more committed to school, have team-oriented schools * Feel more grown up, have more subjects to select, have more opportunities with peers, enjoy independence

High School * Higher expectations and better support * Effective programs to discourage drop-outs: early reading programs, tutoring, counseling, and mentoring * Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: keep students at risk with the same teachers throughout their high school years * Programs: I have a Dream (IHAD) – comprehensive dropout prevention program

Extracurricular Activities * Wide array of activities – after school hours sponsored by the school/ community * Promotes positive adolescent development – competent, supportive adult mentors, opportunities for increasing school connectedness, etc

Service Learning * Form of education that promotes social responsibility and service to the community * Tutoring, helping older adults, working in a hospital, etc * Adolescents become less self-centered, more motivated to help others * Education out in the community * Effects: Higher grades in academics, increased goal setting, higher self-esteem, improved sense of being able to make a difference for others

Socioemotional Development in Adolescence

SELF, IDENTITY, AND RELIGIOUS SPRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

Self Esteem * Self-esteem – overall way we evaluate ourselves * Drops in adolescence – negative body images in girls * Lack of self-esteem: poorer mental and physical health, worse economic prospects, higher levels of criminal behavior * Perceptions do not always match reality * Justified perceptions of one’s worth and successes * Indicate arrogance, grandiose,, unwanted sense of superiority * Low self esteem: Insecurity and inferiority * Narcissism – excessively self centered and self concerned approach towards others * Unaware of actual self and how they are perceived * Contributes to adjustment problems

Identity 1. What is an identity? * Self-portrait of oneself including vocational, political, religious, relationship, intellectual, sexual, cultural, interests, personality and physical identity * Development is gradual, not neat

2. Erikson’s view * First to correlate identity to adolescent development * Identity versus identity confusion – deciding who they are, what they are, and where they are going life * Psychosocial moratorium – gap between childhood security and adult autonomy * Free of responsibilities and free to try out different identities * Experiment with different roles and personalities * Identity confusion – withdrawal, isolation, or immersion (into the crowd)

3. Developmental changes * James Marcia – four statuses of identity or ways to resolve identity crisis * Crisis – exploring alternatives * Commitment – personal investment in identity * Four statuses of identity: 1) Identity diffusion – neither experienced a crisis nor made any commitments * Undecided about choices, no direction 2) Identity foreclosure – already made a commitment but have not experienced a crisis * Parents dictate future 3) Identity moratorium – midst of a crisis but commitments are either absent or vaguely defined * Know what they want, no idea how to attain * No means of attaining 4) Identity achievement – undergone a crisis and made a commitment

4. Emerging adulthood and beyond * Emerging adulthood: 18-25 years old * Develop “MAMA” cycles – identity status changes from moratorium to achievement to moratorium to achievement * College produce key changes in identity – new experiences between the home, peers, school

5. Ethnic identity – enduring aspect of the self; sense of membership along with attitudes, feelings * Bicultural identity – identify in some ways with their ethnic group and in other ways with the majority culture

Religious and Spiritual Development 1. Religion and identity development * Logical questioning regarding religion

2. Cognitive development and religion in adolescence * Piaget’s theory influences religion development * Think more abstractly, idealistically, logically – ability to develop hypotheses and systematically sort through answers regarding spirituality

3. The positive role of religion in adolescent’s life * Adopt religion’s message about caring and concern for people * Positive outcomes – less likely to smoke, do drugs, and drink

FAMILIES

Autonomy and Attachment 1. The push for autonomy * To show who is responsible for successes and failures * Predicts how strong an adolescent’s desires are * Acquired through appropriate adult reactions to their desire for control * Parent relinquishes control but guides the adolescent to make reasonable decisions * Gradually acquire the ability to make mature decisions

2. The role of attachment * Securely attached at 14 years are more likely to stay in an exclusive relationship with intimacy, has financial independence (21 years)

3. Balancing freedom and control * Staying connected with families – having dinner five or more days a week

Parent-Adolescent Conflict * Escalates in early adolescence until high school years * Lessens at 17-20 years * Positive developmental function – minor disputes and negotiations facilitate adolescent’s transition from being dependent on their parents to become an autonomous individual

PEERS

Friendships * Important in meeting social needs * No close friendships, experience loneliness and reduce sense of self-worth * Early adolescence – need of intimacy * Dependent more on friends than families (companionship, reassurance of worth, and intimacy) * Gossips – negative comments about others * Relational aggression – spreading disparaging rumors to harm someone

Peer Groups 1. Peer pressure – young adolescents conform more to peer standards 2. Cliques and crowds * Cliques – small groups (2-12 individuals), same-sex, about the same age * Crowds – larger than cliques and less personal; based on reputation

Dating and Romantic Relationships (Conolly and McIsaac) – development of romantic relationship in adolescence 1. Romantic attractions and affiliations (11-13) – triggered by puberty; intensely interested in romance, may conversations with same-sex friends

2. Exploring romantic relationships (14-16) – Casual (individuals mutually attracted) and Dating in groups (peer context, friends often as a third-party)

3. Consolidating dyadic romantic bonds (17-19) – more serious romantic relationships develop; strong, stable and enduring emotional bonds (1 or more years)

Dating in gay and lesbian youth * To clarify their sexual orientation or disguise it from others * Have had same-sex sexual experiences – “experimenting”

ADOLESCENT PROBLEMS

Juvenile Delinquency – adolescent who breaks the law or engages in behavior that is considered illegal

Interrelation of Problems and Successful Prevention and Intervention Programs 1. Intensive individualized attention – high risk adolescent is paired with a responsible adult, who gives him attention and addresses specific needs 2. Community wide multiagency collaborative approaches – 3. Early identification and intervention