Lecture 24: Adolescent Development

Question 1

What is adolescence?

Answer 1

Period from 10-20

Question 2

What are the developmental tasks of adolescence?

Answer 2

1. Understand pubertal changes
2. Search for self definition
3. Search for a personal set of value
4. Gain competencies to assume social role (e.g. problem solving, decision making, examining alternatives)
5. acquire social skills
6. Achieve emotional independence from parents
7. gain ability to negotiate between pressures to achieve
8. Experiment with behaviors, attitudes and activities to prepare for adulthood

Question 3

What is better for boys? Early maturing and late maturing?

Answer 3

Early maturing boys are more confident and attractive and excel in athletics
Late maturing boys get fucked over because they do not have the same traits/confidence…late bloomers
Early maturing = myself so more confident/attractive/athletic

Question 4

What is better for girls? Early maturing or late maturing?

Answer 4

Late maturing because they are subjected to sexual pressure a LOT later

Question 5

What are the three types of development routes through adolescence?

Answer 5

1. Continuous growth (40%, best outcome)
2. Surgent growth (40%)
3. Tumultuous growth (20%)

Question 6

What is the definition of the continuous growth development route? Significance?

Answer 6

Growth is like a ramp
Smooth continuous change
Self-assurance, steady increase in competence, confidence and maturity
-result of solid families without major stressful events

Question 7

What is surgent growth? Significance?

Answer 7

Like a stair case
Developmental spurts and uneven change
-periods of emotional conflict and turmoil alternate with periods of steady progress
From mixed families and more likely to have stressors

Question 8

What is tumultuous growth? Significance?

Answer 8

Turmoil and conflict
Frequent identity crises, intense emotional outbursts and/or misbehavior
-deeper reactions to personal failure, dependent on peer culture
Example: most vulnerable group…most likely to kill self when you break up with SO
From troubled families where SEPARATION is a major unresolved issue

Question 9

What are the most important dimensions of self-concept for adolescents?

Answer 9

1. physical appearance
2. academics
3. athletics
4. friendships
5. romance

Question 10

How does your brain mature?

Answer 10

From posterior to anterior
Frontal lobe is LAST to develop
-frontal lobe maturation went from M1 to prefrontal cortex

Question 11

What are the trends of brain development in adolescents?

Answer 11

Linear increases in white matter in all four lobes
Inverted U shape changes in gray matter of all cortices with differential peaks of change in different lobes
(as in some lobes actually lose grey matter from age 12 to age 22)

Question 12

What is the point of adolescence?

Answer 12

Allows for risk taking behavior…allows them for experimentation

Question 13

What are the two steps in cortical maturation?

Answer 13

1. Increasing size due to arborization in which the cells grow extra branches
2. Decreasing amount of gray matter may reflect the process of PRUNING where certain connections are eliminated due to lack of use

Question 14

What is the key feature of adolescence that could lead to pathology?

Answer 14

1. Relative immaturity of frontal lobes implies less executive functional capacity
   
   • less inhibition, restraint, thinking out consequences in face of increased drives
2. Behavioral risk factors such as substance use, sleep deprivation, excessive inactivity may cause lasting brain injury or dysfunction

Question 15

What are the characteristics of adolescent thinking?

Answer 15

Goes from concrete to abstract
	-uni to multidimensional
	-absolute to relativistic
	Reactive to self-reflective/self-aware
Egocentric tendencies
	-myth of invulnerability
	-self-focused
	-heightened self-consciousness
Trying on different identities

Question 16

What is the goal of adolescent development?

Answer 16

The ability to develop executive functions such as

- long-term planning
- self-regulation (coordinate emotional state)
- self evaluation

Question 17

What are the leading causes of death among adolescents (15-19)?

Answer 17

1. Unintentional injury
   Example: cars, motor vehicular accidents
2. Homicide

Question 18

Why does risk taking increase between childhood and adolescence?

Answer 18

Due to increased reward seeking WITHOUT an equivalent degree of self-regulatoin
Influenced by peers

Question 19

Why does risk taking decline between adolescence and adulthood?

Answer 19

Not as easily influenced by peers

Question 20

What is Internal locus of control?

Answer 20

Individuals who believe that they are in control of own destiny

Question 21

What is External locus of control?

Answer 21

Individuals who believe that they are NOT in control of own destiny

Question 22

Why do peers increase adolescent risk taking?

Answer 22

Because the brain’s reward circuitry is enhanced
Ventral Striatum is in overdrive
Example: kids crash more when they are playing video game with friends

Question 23

What area of brain is activated in adolescence in presence of peers?

Answer 23

Ventra Striatum
Orbital Frontal Cortex
Reward circuitry that lead to risk taking

Question 24

What is the peak incidence induction?

Answer 24

16 years for cigarettes
18 years for alcohol
18 years for marijuana
21 year for cocaine

Question 25

What causes violent death in adolescence?

Answer 25

Alcohol | Motor vehicular crashes

Question 26

Among 11-12 year old mothers, how old are the fathers?

Answer 26

Fathers ages averaged nearly 10 years older

Question 27

How many teenage girls report having intercourse involuntarily if they have had first sexual encounter prior to 14?

Answer 27

75% So when you are taking a sexual history, and she says virginity lost at 13, then you need to suspect abuse Younger the first time of intercourse, the greater the number of partners

Question 28

What is the takehome message?

Answer 28

Adolescence is an exciting time in our lives but despite the potential opportunities, there is a sizable part of the adolescence population that are struggling with a disorder