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Monika Yadav
Growth & Development in Adolescence
1. Succession of events in development of secondary sexual characteristics during puberty is consistent.
2. There is individual variation in the age of onset, duration and tempo of Growth.
Adolescence
Adolescence is a time of considerable physical and psychological growth and change!
ADOLESCENCE is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood.
The age at which adolescence begins and ends is imprecise, partly because society is unclear about the roles of people in this stage (no longer children, not yet adults)
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 oldLate 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
changes… Rapid acceleration of physical growth
• Adolescent growth spurt• 3.5 (girls) to 4.0 (boys) inches/year• ½ 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 systemsEndocrine systemHPA axis
– Hypothalamus Pituitary gland Adrenals– Corticosteroids– Regulates body’s 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 adolescent’s 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 tempoEnvironmental 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 industrializationAcross 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
Nutrition, Food & Eating Disorders During Adolescence
Food and eating disorders become a focus during adolescence.
The adolescent growth spurt requires an increase in food (especially key nutrients such as calcium and iron).
Several key nutrients are essential during this period, especially calcium and iron
The major nutritional issue for many teens: eating a balance of appropriate foods
Nutrition, Food & Eating Disorders During Adolescence, continued
Obesity is a common concern during adolescence.
The psychological consequences of adolescent obesity are severe since while body image is a key focus.
Potential health consequences of obesity are also of concern
Cognitive Development increases markedly during adolescence
Teens begin to use formal operations to solve problems during this period of their growth.
Piaget’s approach to cognitive development has had a significant influence on developmental psychologists.
FORMAL OPERATIONS PERIOD is the stage during which people develop the ability to think abstractly. – Piaget asserted that children enter this
stage at the beginning of adolescence
Egocentrism in Adolescent Thinking
Developmental Psychologist David Elkind argues that
the adolescent period fosters adolescent egocentrism
ADOLESCENT EGOCENTRISM is a stage of self-absorption where the world is seen only from one's own perspective.
Thus adolescents are highly critical of authority figures, unwilling to accept criticism, and quick to find fault with others.
Adolescent egocentrism helps explain why teens often think they’re the focus of everyone’s attention!
Adolescent egocentrism leads to two distortions: – IMAGINARY AUDIENCE, where
adolescents think they are the focus of everyone else's attention. • Constructing elaborate scenarios
about other’s thoughts/intentions– PERSONAL FABLES, the belief that
the adolescent is unique and exceptional and shared by no one else• No one understands me• Risk taking behavior
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