Chapter 1

Based on research addressing ethnic differences in the timing and rate of pubertal maturation, which American girl would be expected to be the earliest to mature?

Brandy, a middle-income Black adolescent

Which of the following statements suggests that rising levels of the protein leptin is an important signal that tells the body it is ready for puberty?

Excessive thinness can delay onset of puberty.

Which of the following statements about hormonal changes of puberty is TRUE?

Hormonal changes affect the brain in ways that increase adolescents' desire for sensation-seeking activities.

Which of the following girls will experience the greatest menstrual discomfort?

Loryn, who has a negative attitude toward menarche

Which of the following statements about prenatal development is not true?

The amount of cortisol exposed to the fetus is directly linked to the timing and tempo of puberty.

Sarah is a junior high student anticipating and preparing for puberty. She wants to know when puberty will start and how long it will take until she looks and is considered an adult. What would you tell her?

The timing of puberty, as well as the rate with which it occurs, is highly variable and is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.

The simultaneous release of growth hormones, thyroid hormones, and _________ stimulates rapid acceleration in height and weight during puberty

androgens

Suzanne and Greg are the first members of their class to begin the pubertal transition. Based on what you know about early-maturing adolescents, Suzanne and Greg are more likely to:

become involved in illegal activities.

The most virulent threats to adolescent health come from all of the following, except:

chronic disabilities, such as cancer.

Given a choice, Mike would prefer to stay up until 1:00 a.m. and sleep until 10:00 a.m. This pattern is called the:

delayed phase preference.

Generalizing from the textbook, the children who are most likely to think of themselves as being "off schedule" with respect to their physical development are girls who mature _____ and boys who mature _____.

early; late

Molly's breasts are beginning to develop, she is beginning to grow pubic hair, her skin is becoming more oily, and her body is growing rapidly. These changes are brought about by the secretion of _____ by the _____.

estrogen and androgens; ovaries

Up until about eight weeks after conception, the human brain is ______ until it is exposed to certain hormones.

feminine

Although both sexes experience changes in muscle tissue and body fat, the ratio of muscle to body fat is:

greater in boys than girls.

Which of the following sex characteristics is the first to develop in boys?

growth of testes and scrotum growth of penis

In America, early-maturing girls are more likely than their late-maturing peers to:

have a more negative self-image.

All of the following are reasons that males have greater gains in strength than females during early adolescence, except:

increased production of androgens among females.

Dr. Davis is interested in how puberty affects adjustment. He studies a group of 100 junior high school students over the course of three years. He is conducting what kind of study?

longitudinal

According to the textbook, when compared to their less mature peers, adolescents who are physically mature are:

more likely to be involved in cross-sex activities such as going out on dates.

Early-maturing boys are:

often expected to be more mature than they are.

The presence or absence of certain hormones early in life may "program" the brain and the nervous system to develop in certain ways later on. These hormones are considered:

organizational

Of all the developments that take place during the second decade of life, the only one that is truly inevitable is:

puberty

Which of the following is not thought to contribute to the onset of puberty?

the development of primary sex characteristics

According to the textbook, the prevalence of adolescent smoking is a direct function of:

the number of retail outlets selling tobacco in their immediate neighborhood.

Which of the following conditions is most likely to produce the most favorable and easiest adjustment to menarche?

when the girl knows the facts about the physical changes her body will undergo