Adolescence

What are the two stages of conventional morality?

1) Good Interpersonal Relationships 2) Maintaining Social Order

If someone indicates that they are thinking about suicide, three important follow up questions are...

1) How would you kill yourself (METHOD)? 2) When would you kill yourself (TIME)? 3) Have you taken any steps to secure the MEANS to carry out your plan?

What are the two stages of preconventional morality?

1) Obedience and Punishment Orientation 2) Individualism and Exchange

What are the three LEVELS of morality (each with two stages)?

1) Preconventional Morality 2) Conventional Morality 3) Postconventional Morality

What are the two stages of post-conventional morality?

1) Social Contract and Individual Rights 2) Universal Principles

What are the top three leading causes of death for young people ages 15-24 years?

1) accidents 2) homicide 3) suicide

Name six warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse.

1) aggressive behavior 2) lack of self control 3) poor classroom behavior 4) academic failure 5) poor social skills 6) sudden or uncharacteristic changes in mood or behavior patterns

Name five risk factors for drug and alcohol abuse.

1) association with drug abusing peers 2) lack of caregiver attachment or nurturing 3) ineffective caregivers 4) a caregiver who abuses drugs 5) going through transition and/or social or emotional challenges

Name seven reasons why young people may use drugs and alcohol.

1) escape 2) low self esteem 3) acceptance from peers 4) feel adult or sophisticated 5) curiosity 6) perception of low risk 7) availability

Name 7 things that hormones regulate other than puberty.

1) hunger 2) sleep 3) mood 4) stress 5) sexual desire 6) immunity 7) reproduction

What are the four points on the continuum of suicidal behavior?

1) ideation 2) gesture 3) attempt 4) completion

What are the four arenas of identity formation?

1) religious 2) political 3) vocational 4) sexual

According to James Marcia, what are four specific ways that teens cope with identity crises?

1) role confusion 2) foreclosure 3) moratorium 4) identity achievement

Most girls weigh at least _____ pounds before they experience their first period.

100

Moratorium is most common at age _____.

19

Research shows that brains do not fully develop until the early to mid _____.

20s

Puberty usually lasts _____ - _____ years.

3-5

African Americans reach puberty about _____ months earlier than European or Hispanic Americans while Asian Americans reach puberty _____ than all of these groups.

7; later

Puberty starts between ages _____ and _____.

8; 14

Normally, hormones increase between age _____ and _____ and visible signs of puberty appear one _____ after the hormone increases begin.

8; 14; year

_____ thought is formal, logical, hypothetical-deductive thinking (as described by Piaget) and involves rational analysis of many factors and calculated interactions.

Analytical

_____ _____ is a condition in which the person has a body mass index (BMI) of 18 or lower and/or loss of more than 10% of their body weight within 1-2 months.

Anorexia nervosa

_____ _____ _____ occurs when a person ignores the overall frequency of some behavior, characteristic, or phenomenon in making a decision.

Base rate neglect

_____ _____ disorder involves periodically and compulsively overeating but not purging.

Binge eating

_____ spectrum light interferes with normal nighttime sleepiness.

Blue

_____ _____ is a person's idea of how his or her body looks.

Body image

_____ _____ involves overeating then purging, keeping one's weight close to normal but putting one at risk for serious health problems.

Bulimia nervosa

In 1977 _____ _____ criticized Kohlberg's work as biased against _____ and reflecting a _____ orientation

Carol Gilligan; females; male

_____ reasoning is top-down, general principle reasoning.

Deductive

_____ disorders are rare in childhood but increase dramatically at puberty, accompanied by distorted body image, food obsession, and depression.

Eating

_____ makes base rate neglect more likely and more personal.

Egocentrism

_____ and role models influence the use of intuitive or analytical thought.

Experience

Myth or fact: Individuals who talk about attempting suicide are doing it for attention.

Fact: They NEED attention, whether they really mean what they say about suicide or not

_____-releasing hormone (GnRH) causes the gonads to enlarge and dramatically increase production of sex hormones, chiefly _____ in girls and _____ in boys.

Gonadotropin; estradiol; testosterone

Many hormones that regulate puberty follow the _____-_____-_____ (HPA) Axis.

Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal

The _____-_____-_____ (HPG) Axis regulates the production of eggs and sperm.

Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonad

_____ _____ involves reasoning about if-then propositions that do not reflect reality and leads to a growing awareness of differences.

Hypothetical thought

_____ _____ is when an adolescent reconsiders the goals and values of their parents and culture, accepting some and discarding others, forging their own _____.

Identity achievement; identity

_____ _____ manifests as being unfocused and unconcerned about one's future.

Identity diffusion

_____ reasoning is bottom-up, general conclusion reasoning.

Inductive

_____ thought begins with a belief, assumption, or general rule rather than logic, is quick and powerful, and "feels right".

Intuitive

_____ _____ was interested in and impressed by Piaget's work on moral judgment, but considered it incomplete.

Lawrence Kohlberg

_____ is a hormone naturally produced by the body that regulates appetite and energy and also affects the onset of puberty.

Leptin

_____ is more difficult than intuition, so emotions often overwhelm it.

Logic

Myth or fact: Improvement immediately following a suicidal crisis means that the suicide risk is over.

Myth

Myth or fact: Once suicidal, individuals are suicidal forever.

Myth

Myth or fact: Talking about suicide will cause an individual to attempt suicide.

Myth

_____ is an important factor in growth spurts.

Nutrition

_____ is the time between the first onrush of hormones and full adult physical development.

Puberty

_____ _____ involves a lack of commitment to any goals or values and leads to identity diffusion.

Role confusion

_____ in the timing of puberty is normal.

Variation

Formal operational thought involves considering _____ including hypothetical thought, deductive reasoning, and inductive reasoning.

abstracts

Teenage substance use increases the risk of drug and/or alcohol _____.

addiction

Kohlberg believed that thinking about moral issues should continue to develop throughout _____ and into _____.

adolescence; adulthood

Early maturing boys may be more _____, lawbreaking, and _____ abusing.

aggressive; alcohol

Girls are, on average, less than a year _____ of boys in reaching puberty.

ahead

Risk factors for suicide include ____ and _____ abuse.

alcohol; drug

In the Social Contract and Individual Rights stage, one believes that a good society is best when people work toward the benefit of _____.

all

Weighing _____ and thinking of possibilities takes time and is thus more difficult for teens, who tend to want to act.

alternatives

Pubertal hormones target the _____ and other crucial parts of the HPA axis.

amygdala

As people gain experience in making decisions and thinking things through, they become better at knowing when _____ is needed.

analysis

The parts of the brain dedicated to _____ are immature until years after the first hormonal rushes and sexual urges.

analysis

"Suicide is a conscious act of self-induced _____, best understood as a multidimensional _____ in a _____ individual who defines an issue for which the suicide is perceived as the best _____." -Dr. Ed Shneidman, Co-founder and Co-director at the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center

annihilation; malaise; needful; solution

By mid-adolescence, sexual fantasies typically settle on _____ _____.

another teenager

Late puberty in boys can lead to _____ and _____.

anxiety; depression

Adolescents are generally more _____ than any other age group.

anxious

Warning signs for suicide include neglecting physical _____ and personal _____.

appearance; hygeine

A suicide _____ is an action taken with the intent to die.

attempt

Females have a higher rate of _____ suicides than males, while males have a higher rate of _____ suicides than females.

attempted; completed

The peak growth spurt in girls occurs _____ menarche and the peak growth spurt in boys occurs _____ spermarche.

before; after

One reason for non-suicidal self-injurious behavior is to change the _____ of others and/or _____ _____ at them.

behavior; get back

Warning signs for suicide include giving away _____.

belongings

Puberty affects both seasonal and daily _____.

biorhythms

Kohlberg's core sample was comprised of 72 _____ ages _____, _____, and _____ from middle- and lower- class families in Chicago.

boys; 10; 13; 16

Hormones are produced and regulated deep within the _____.

brain

The adolescent cognitive experience includes a rapidly changing _____, uneven maturation of mental functions, new and more complex _____, and the lack of an adult _____-term view of experience.

brain; emotions; long

During puberty, girls experience nipple growth, _____ maturation, their peak growth spurt, and _____ of the hips.

breast; widening

Puberty marks the end of _____.

childhood

To help prevent suicide, contact the appropriate _____ personnel to ensure safety.

clinical

During adolescence, teens move from _____ operational thinking to _____ operational thinking.

concrete; formal

Most young adolescents would rather not stand out from their peers and prefer blending in or _____.

conformity

In the Obedience and Punishment Orientation stage, the child focuses on _____ and wanting to avoid _____ based on what authorities permit and punish.

consequences; punishment

In the Social Contract and Individual Rights stage one does NOT generally favor breaking laws because they are social _____ that we agree to uphold until we can change them by _____ means.

contracts; democratic

During adolescence, it is the balance and _____ between the various parts of the brain that is off-kilter, not the brain itself.

coordination

One reason for non-suicidal self-injurious behavior is to _____ with unbearable and distressing emotional ______.

cope; pain

The phase delay in the circadian sleep-wake cycles during puberty leads to a delay in the body's reaction to _____ and _____, leading many teens to be wide awake and hungry at _____ and half asleep with minimal appetite or energy in the _____.

daylight; darkness; midnight; morning

Warning signs for suicide include engaging in risky, dangerous behaviors where _____ is more likely.

death

One reason for non-suicidal self-injurious behavior is to show _____ to others and/or seek _____.

desperation; help

Anorexia nervosa can permanently damage normal _____ in teens and have lifelong consequences.

development

To help prevent suicide, do NOT shy away from asking _____ questions.

direct

Self injury is usually a symptom of serious psychological _____ and should be discussed calmly without negative reactions or _____ and with honesty about the need to notify significant others.

distress; judgments

Kohlberg's seventh stage involves periods of _____ and _____ in the pursuit of justice, which can be answered with a _____ attitude.

doubt; despair; spiritual

Early maturing girls may seek older boyfriends which may increase risk of _____ and _____ use, relational _____, and physical _____.

drug; alcohol; bullying; violence

The _____-_____ model involves intuitive thought and analytical thought interacting and overlapping, but always remaining independent of each other.

dual-process

The discrepancy between the maturation of the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex reflects this _____.

duality

Abnormalities in the HPA axis are associated with _____ disorders, _____, and depression; this connection should be noted when psychopathology presents for the first time or worsen at _____.

eating; anxiety; puberty

Adolescent ______ involves thinking intensely about themselves to the exclusion of others, including regarding themselves as more unique, special , and admired or disliked than they actually are.

egocentrism

Rational judgment is especially difficult when _____ dominates.

egocentrism

If you believe a client NEEDS to go to the hospital but they refuse, you can fill out an _____ _____ to temporarily suspend their right of refusal and force them to go to the hospital.

emergency petition

Once people of any age reach an _____ conclusion it is harder to change their minds.

emotional

To help prevent suicide, seek to _____ by expressing your concerns and asking questions.

engage

Female hormones are known as _____ and include estradiol while male hormones are known as _____ and include testosterone.

estrogens; androgens

The Good Interpersonal Relationships stage is characterized by the belief that people should live up to the _____ of the family and community and behave in "good" ways with good _____ and interpersonal _____.

expectations; motives; feelings

In the Obedience and Punishment Orientation stage, morality is seen as _____ and something authorities say children must do.

external

For boys, puberty involves the appearance of _____ hair, their peak growth spurt, and a _____ of the voice.

facial; deepening

Formal operational thought involves understanding of logical _____ including the sunk cost and the base rate neglect.

fallacies

Risk factors for suicide include a _____ _____ of suicide and previous _____ _____.

family history; suicide attempts

Body _____ percentage is especially important in influencing the onset of puberty in girls.

fat

In the Individualism and Exchange stage there is a notion of fair exchange or fair deals in which individuals exchange _____, but there is still NO identification with the _____ of the family or community.

favors; values

Teens grapple with conflicting _____, which may lead to _____.

feelings; rumination

The most common method of suicide is by ______.

firearm

In the Obedience and Punishment Orientation stage, the child assumes that powerful authorities hand down a _____ set of rules that the child must _____ obey.

fixed; unquestionably

In order to avoid the confusion of not knowing who they are, teens accept traditional roles and values without exploring alternatives, also known as _____.

foreclosure

Adolescents value social warmth and _____ and their hormones and brains are more attuned to those values than to long-term _____.

friendship; consequences

Variations in age of puberty is affected by _____.

genetics

A suicidal _____ is a representative action of the completed suicidal act.

gesture

A _____ _____ is a sudden, uneven jump in size of almost every body part.

growth spurt

Puberty includes rapid physical _____, heightened _____, and sexual _____.

growth; emotions; maturation

Stress _____ the hormonal onset of puberty.

hastens

The _____ the level of planning of the suicide, the greater the risk.

higher

Warning signs for suicide include feelings of _____lessness, _____lessness, or having no reason or desire to _____.

hope; help; live

Adolescent behaviors like flirting, crying, and slamming doors are affected by _____.

hormones

Puberty starts with the release of body chemicals called _____.

hormones

Adolescents are _____-aware of other's evaluations and feel that they are under constant _____.

hyper; scrutiny

Biochemical signals from the _____ signal the _____ glands to go into action producing hormones that stimulate the _____ glands located above the kidneys to produce more hormones.

hypothalamus; pituitary; adrenal

Biochemical signals from the ____ signal the ____ gland to go in to action producing hormones that stimulate the ____ to produce hormones and ____ (eggs and sperm).

hypothalamus; pituitary; gonads; gametes

The Eriksonian crisis of adolescence is _____ vs. _____ _____ and is resolved with _____ _____.

identity; role confusion; identity achievement

A teen's _____ _____ is their belief that they are at center stage, with all eyes on them.

imaginary audience

In the Universal Principles stage principles of justice require us to treat claims of all parties in an _____ manner, respecting the basic _____ of all people as _____.

impartial; dignity; individuals

Adolescents tend to focus on and exaggerate _____.

imperfections

Cortical regions involved in _____ control and _____ continue to mature through early adulthood.

impulse; planning

Risk factors for suicide include _____ and _____, especially in the context of mental disorders.

impulsivity; aggression

Logic _____ from adolescence to adulthood.

increases

Risk-taking and adventure-seeking help teens achieve adult levels of _____ and _____ competence.

independence; social

Myelination and maturation occur in the sequences of _____ to _____ and _____ to _____.

inner to outer; back to front

Warning signs for suicide include losing _____ and the ability to feel _____.

interest; pleasure

Carol Gilligan theorized that, for women, morality centers not on rights and rules but on _____ _____ and the ethics of _____ and _____.

interpersonal relationships; compassion; care

A teen's _____ _____ is their belief that death will not occur unless destiny allows it.

invincibility fable

Warning signs for suicide include acting _____ or agitated or becoming _____ and socially _____ from friends and family.

irritable; withdrawn; isolated

Teens may interpret everyone else's behavior as if it were a _____ on them.

judgment

In the Universal Principles stage principles are defined by how we achieve _____.

justice

In the Maintaining Social Order stage there is an emphasis on obeying _____, respecting _____, and performing one's _____ so that social order is maintained.

laws; authority; duties

To help prevent suicide, do NOT argue, plead, preach, or _____ the person.

lecture

As knowledge base increases and brain matures, impulses become _____ insistent and past experiences _____, leading both intuitive and analytical thought to become more forceful.

less; accumulate

Risk factors for suicide include access to _____ _____ during a time of increased risk.

lethal methods

Identity achievement is a _____ process.

lifelong

The _____ system is the site of intense fear and excitement and it matures _____ the prefrontal cortex, which is the site of planning, _____ regulation, risk assessment, and _____ control.

limbic; before; emotional; impulse

Because the instinctual and emotional _____ areas of the adolescent brain develop ahead of the reflective, analytic _____ areas, puberty can lead to emotional rushes allowing emotions to rule _____ for years.

limbic; cortex; behavior

In growth spurts, growth of _____ precedes growth of the _____, which is a distalproximal growth pattern.

limbs; torso

Some scholars note _____ lapses at every age and much more _____ in adolescent thought than Piaget's description implies.

logical; variation

In the Universal Principles stage one reaches just decisions and agreements by...

looking at situations through one another's eyes

Early maturing girls tend to have _____ self-esteem, _____ depression, and _____ body image.

lower; more; poorer

According to Kohlberg, his proposed stages are NOT the product of _____ or _____, but emerge from one's own discussion, debate, and deep thinking about moral _____.

maturation; socialization; problems

In the Maintaining Social Order moral decisions are made as a _____ of society thinking about the _____ of laws for society as a whole.

member; function

A girl's first menstrual period is known as _____ and, for normal weight girls, occurs at the average age of _____ years and 8 months.

menarche; 12

Morality research indicates that gender differences are _____, but Gilligan did provide greater awareness of justice and care orientation based on gender and _____ influences.

minimal; cultural

To help prevent suicide, do NOT ignore or _____ the seriousness of the potential warning signs.

minimize

Risk factors for suicide include mental health disorders, especially _____ disorders and _____-related disorders.

mood; trauma

Piaget posited that children under 10 make _____ judgments based on consequences, and children over 10 make them based on intentions.

moral

Synaptic growth in teen brains enhances _____ development.

moral

Kohlberg's study involved a basic interview consisting of a series of _____ _____, and Kohlberg was interested in the _____ behind the answers.

moral dilemmas; reasoning

Kohlberg's seventh stage involves asking "Why should I act _____ when no one else seems to?" and finding the answers in a sense of being part of something much _____ than oneself.

morally; larger

In the Social Contract and Individual Rights stage there are _____ and _____ that take some priority over particular laws.

morals; rights

A time-out that includes some exploration, either in breadth (trying many things) or depth (following one path after a tentative, temporary commitment) is also known as a _____.

moratorium

Subcortical regions that respond to emotional _____ and reward are more responsive in middle adolescence.

novelty

To help prevent suicide, be _____ in order to notice warning signs and take them seriously.

observant

In the Social Contract and Individual Rights stage, one considers what rights and values a society _____ to uphold.

ought

Activated gonads eventually produce mature ____ released during menarche or _____ released during spermarche thus making _____ possible.

ova; sperm; conception

The HPG axis stimulates the _____ in females to produce high levels of _____ and the _____ in males to produce high levels of _____.

ovaries; estrogens; testes; androgens

A teen's _____ _____ is their belief that they are unique and/or destined to have a heroic, legendary life.

personal fable

Hormones at puberty cause a _____ _____ in the circadian sleep-wake cycles.

phase delay

Throughout adolescence, hormone levels correlate with _____ changes and self-reported _____.

physiological; developments

The _____ gland activates the gonads/sex glands which are _____ in females and _____ in males.

pituitary; ovaries; testes

Warning signs for suicide include talking about a specific _____ and/or obtaining the _____ to kill oneself.

plan; means

In time, experiences, memories, emotions, and the _____ _____ help us choose to avoid some actions and perform others.

prefrontal cortex

In general, disordered eating is carried out in _____, feels out of _____, and leads to _____, depression, and shame.

private; control; distress

Risk factors for suicide include _____ stress including ongoing trauma, abuse, and neglect, serious relationship/familial conflict or instability, harassment or bullying, and financial hardships.

prolonged

Because the limbic system is activated by _____, but the prefrontal cortex matures more gradually over time, adolescents are more swayed by their _____ than by analysis.

puberty; intuition

Adolescents are _____ and _____ thinkers.

quick; intuitive

Like the body, the various parts of the brain grow and develop at different _____.

rates

With increased myelination and slower inhibitions, teenage _____ time is more rapid, and this speed can be a valuable asset.

reaction

By about age 13 or 14 adolescents can hypothesize about the _____ relationship of weights and develop a weight placement formula in Piaget's _____-_____ test of formal reasoning.

reciprocal; balance-scale

Teenage substance use can lead to legal, educational, and _____ problems.

relational

In the Individualism and Exchange stage everything is _____ and each person is free to pursue their individual interests in what's right for them.

relative

One reason for non-suicidal self-injurious behavior is to experience _____ from internal tension or _____.

relief; turmoil

To help prevent suicide, demonstrate value and _____, offer _____, and normalize.

respect; hope

Heightened arousal in the brains _____ centers involves the neurotransmitter _____ and leads teenagers to seek excitement and pleasure, especially the _____ pleasure of peer admiration.

reward; dopamine; social

During puberty, the _____ center of the brain is stronger than the _____ center.

reward; inhibitory

In the Social Contract and Individual Rights stage all rational people, despite differing values, agree that certain basic _____ should be protected and that some _____ procedures are needed for changing unfair laws and improving society.

right; democratic

In the Individualism and Exchange punishment is simply a ____ that one naturally wants to _____.

risk; avoid

Imaginary audience leads teens to imagine how others might react to their appearance and behaviors, thus heightening _____-_____.

self-consciousness

Maturation of the brain heightens _____-_____.

self-consciousness

The general trend for adolescents is a burst of _____ seeking at puberty followed by a slow decline in _____ over the course of adolescence.

sensation; impulsivity

The teenage brain often has heightened _____ to substances which can _____ the risk for serious health complications.

sensitivity; increase

When working with teenage clients, it's important to inquire about related behaviors in various _____, ask for their feedback and _____, and work together to create a _____ to address concerns.

settings; suggestions; plan

Hormones awaken and increase interest in _____ during puberty.

sex

Identity achievement includes _____ and _____ identity.

sexual; vocational

Estradiol and testosterone affect the body's _____ and ____ and produce additional hormones that regulate _____ and _____.

shape; function; stress; immunity

The age of menarche is influenced by both genes and family _____ indicating differential _____.

situation; sensitivity

Kohlberg proposed _____ stages of moral judgment.

six

Warning signs for suicide include changes in _____ and/or _____.

sleep; appetite

Egocentrism can be helpful in increasing sensitivity to _____ cues, which can speed up adjustment.

social

In the Social Contract and Individual Rights stage one asks, "What makes for a good _____?"

society

The Maintaining Social Order stage is concerned with _____ as a whole.

society

A boy's first ejaculation of seminal fluid is called _____ and occurs at the average age of just under _____ years.

spermarche; 13

Kohlberg proposed a seventh stage which was less a stage of moral reasoning and more a stage of _____ development growing out of personal experiences and _____.

spiritual; reflection

Anorexia nervosa involves voluntary _____ due to severely _____ body image.

starvation; distorted

The hormones of puberty make young adolescents more vulnerable to _____ ,which leads to heightened _____ that can then increase hormone levels.

stress; emotions

Risk factors for suicide include highly _____ life events including death of a loved one, divorce, legal trouble, life-stage stress, moving, and serious disappointments.

stressful

Risk factors for suicide include exposure to another person's _____ or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of ______. This is called the _____ effect.

suicide; suicide; contagion

The _____ _____ fallacy is the mistaken belief that if money, time, or effort that cannot be recovered has already been invested in some endeavor, then more should be invested in an effort to reach the goal.

sunk cost

A _____ of hormones affects the bodies, brains, and behaviors of adolescents _____ visible signs of puberty appear.

surge; BEFORE

In growth spurts, growth is not always _____.

symmetrical

Warning signs for suicide include _____ or _____ about suicide or death, including direct and indirect _____ cues.

talking; writing; verbal

Substance use can impair the development of the _____ _____.

teenage brain

The Good Interpersonal Relationships stage is usually seen in early _____.

teens

Kohlberg called stage 6, Universal Principles, a _____ stage.

theoretical

Bulimia nervosa is _____ times more common than anorexia nervosa.

three

Kohlberg's first _____ stages of moral judgment shared many features with Piaget's stages.

three

Warning signs for suicide include expressing feelings of being _____, desperate, or needing to _____ from an intolerable situation.

trapped; escape

An adolescent's first sexual objects are usually _____.

unattainable

If you suspect a teenage client may be using substances, seek to understand what may be _____ their choice to do so, consider client _____, and discuss notifying caregivers. Do NOT criticize, lecture, or _____ clients or try to force them to change their substance use.

underlying; safety; shame

In the Universal Principles stage principles of justice are _____ and apply to _____.

universal; all

When working with teenage clients, it's important to approach them with genuine care, normalize and _____ the challenges of being a teenager, highlight their _____, and offer _____ observations and concerns gently but clearly.

validate; strengths; specific

In the Individualism and Exchange stage, children realize that there is NOT just one correct view handed down by authorities because different individuals have different _____.

viewpoints

Adolescents are particularly _____ to eating disorders due to cultural images, stress, puberty, and hormones.

vulnerable

In growth spurts _____ usually precedes _____.

weight; height

Growth spurts begin with _____ gain, followed by a _____ spurt, then, 1-2 years later, a _____ spurt.

weight; height; muscle

The teenage brain is optimized for _____ while the adult brain is optimized for _____.

what; why

Unhappiness with appearance is a _____ phenomenon.

worldwide

Puberty is occurring at _____ ages today than in the past.

younger