Chapter 11 - Physical and cognitive development in adolescence

What patterns of drug, alcohol, and tobacco use have been found among adolescents in the United States?

Alcohol and drug use among U.S. teenagers, after declining for several decades, is now on the rise. Those most likely to use or abuse drugs are those who also show other forms of deviant or problem behavior, including poor school achievement.

Which adolescents are at greatest risk of depression and suicide?

Depression and suicide are mental health problems that are common during adolescence. Both are more common among girls, although boys are more likely to succeed with a suicide attempt.

What are the characteristics and causes of eating disorders?

Eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are more common among teenaged girls than among teenaged boys. Some theorists hypothesize that media images of thin models and celebrities cause the body-image distortions that underlie eating disorders. Others have proposed biological and socioeconomic causes. Still others emphasize the tendency of individuals with eating disorders to exhibit other kinds of distorted thoughts and be diagnosed with other psychological disorders.

Which teenaged girls are most likely to get pregnant?

Factors that predispose girls to teen pregnancy include early sexual activity, being raised by a single parent, having parents with a low level of education, low socioeconomic status, and having a parent who gave birth to a child in adolescence. Factors that protect against teen pregnancy include academic achievement, high aspirations for future education and career, and good communication about sex and contraception with parents.

What gender and ethnic differences in science and math achievement have researchers found?

Female, African American, and Hispanic American high school students score lower on science and math achievement tests and choose to take courses in these disciplines less often than do White and Asian American males. Girls may view success in science and math as unacceptable for women. African American and Hispanic American students may not be getting the preparation they need in middle school for advanced high school math courses.

What are some causes that have been proposed to explain homosexuality?

Hormonal, genetic, and environmental factors have been proposed to explain homosexuality. The process of realizing one's sexual orientation is a gradual one that often isn't completed until early adulthood.

What kinds of advances in information-processing capabilities occur during adolescence?

Memory function improves in adolescence as teens become more proficient in metacognition, metamemory, and strategy use.

What are the characteristics of thought in Piaget's formal operational stage?

Piaget proposed a fourth stage of cognitive development in adolescence. The formal operational stage is characterized by the ability to apply basic cognitive operations to ideas and possibilities, in addition to actual objects.

What are the major milestones of puberty?

Puberty is triggered by a complex set of hormonal changes, beginning at about age 7 or 8. Very large increases in gonadotrophic hormones are central to the process. In girls, mature sexuality is achieved as early as 12 or 13. Sexual maturity is achieved later in boys, with the growth spurt occurring a year or more after the start of genital changes.

What are some major research findings regarding the formal operational stage?

Researchers have found clear evidence of such advanced forms of thinking in at least some adolescents. But formal operational thinking is not universal, nor is it consistently used by those who are able to do it.

How does sensation seeking affect risky behavior in adolescents?

Sensation seeking, a desire to experience heightened levels of arousal, is associated with higher rates of various kinds of risky behavior, including unprotected sex, drug use, and fast driving. Lack of maturity in the prefrontal cortex may explain the link between sensation seeking and risky behavior, but environmental factors also play a role. These factors include permissive parenting, a desire for peer approval and independence from parents, media influences, and lack of involvement in school-related activities.

What are the patterns of adolescent sexual behavior in the United States?

Sexual activity among teenagers has increased in recent decades in the United States. Roughly half of all U.S. teens have had sexual intercourse by the time they reach their last year of high school.

How do the brains and other body systems of adolescents differ from those of younger children?

The brain continues to develop in adolescence. There are two major brain growth spurts: the first between ages 13 and 15 and the second between ages 17 and 19. Puberty is accompanied by a rapid growth spurt in height and an increase in muscle mass and in fat. Boys add more muscle, and girls add more fat.

How do changes in students' goals contribute to the transition to secondary school?

The transition to middle school may be accompanied by changes in children's goal orientation that result in declines in achievement and self-esteem. The high school transition offers many teens more opportunities to pursue special interests and extracurricular activities.

What variables predict the likelihood of dropping out of high school?

Those who succeed academically in high school are typically from authoritative families. Those who drop out are more likely to be from low-income families or to be doing poorly in school.

What are the consequences of early, "on time," and late puberty for boys and girls?

Variations in the rate of pubertal development have some psychological effects. In general, children whose physical development occurs markedly earlier or later than they expect or desire show more negative effects than do those whose development is "on time."