W11: Adolescence Development Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What significant change in western cultures has affected adolescents historically?

Technological advancements reducing child labor (correct)

Decrease in peer interactions

Decline in public education

Increase in child labor

What does the term 'age graded contact' refer to in the educational impact on adolescents?

Contact with younger children

Mandatory education based on age group (correct)

Exclusions based on academic performance

Voluntary social interactions

At what age does the limbic system mostly fully develop?

At birth

3 years old (correct)

18 years old

12 years old

What is the main function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during adolescence?

Inhibitory control and conscious decision making Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of neural connections is typically pruned during adolescence?

60-70% Signup and view all the answers

How does myelination during adolescence affect brain function?

Enhances speed and connectivity Signup and view all the answers

What key factor influences brain wiring during early childhood?

Experience and appropriate stimulation Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of social development occurs around the ages of 10-12 in adolescents?

Heightened risk-taking behavior and peer exploration Signup and view all the answers

What is a major factor contributing to the vulnerability of adolescents during neural development?

Extent of pruning of neural connections Signup and view all the answers

What are common challenges in emotional development during adolescence?

Higher risk of internalising disorders like depression Signup and view all the answers

What does Erik Erikson identify as crucial elements in resolving a developmental crisis during adolescence?

Exploring career options and establishing financial independence Signup and view all the answers

What risks are associated with early onset of puberty for girls?

Decreased social status Signup and view all the answers

Which cognitive ability becomes more pronounced during the formal operational thought stage of adolescence?

Systematic thinking and reasoning Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of not successfully resolving identity formation in adolescence?

Role confusion and identity crisis Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant factor contributing to the delay in traditional markers of adulthood according to Arnett?

More jobs requiring higher education Signup and view all the answers

What denotes 'moratorium' in the context of adolescence?

A phase of identity exploration without adult responsibilities Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of emerging adulthood according to Arnett?

Complete independence from parents Signup and view all the answers

How does the theory of identity formation describe the process?

It varies in complexity and rate among individuals. Signup and view all the answers

What role does hormonal influence play in adolescent development?

It increases impulsivity and reward-seeking behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential social risk stemming from earlier puberty in girls?

Marginal social status and unwanted pregnancy Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant impact of neural development changes during adolescence?

Increased sensation-seeking behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of the formal operational stage proposed by Piaget?

Emergence of hypothetical-deductive reasoning Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary task of individuals in the 'novice phase' according to Levinson?

Build a stable life structure Signup and view all the answers

Which brain development improvement occurs during emerging adulthood?

Improved problem-solving skills Signup and view all the answers

At what age does the median first vaginal intercourse occur for females in Australia?

18 years Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of postformal thought as described by Kramer?

Knowledge is viewed as relative and non-absolute Signup and view all the answers

In Erikson's psychosocial development theory, what is the primary task of young adults?

Developing close, committed relationships Signup and view all the answers

What trend has been observed in the age of marriage?

Increasing age of marriage Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a common health-compromising behavior in emerging adults?

Higher rates of substance abuse Signup and view all the answers

According to Schaie’s stages of adult thinking, what characterizes the achieving stage?

Direct intelligence towards specific goals Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the benefits of female friendships as noted in the content?

More in-depth emotional sharing Signup and view all the answers

What is a predominant factor that influences mental health according to Vaillant's Grant Study?

Sustained relationships Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about the emotional development of young adults?

Young adults have fully matured emotional regulation Signup and view all the answers

Which marriage type is characterized by flexible negotiation and ongoing re-negotiation?

Egalitarian marriage Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of young adults continue to post-secondary education?

35% Signup and view all the answers

When does the prefrontal cortex fully develop?

Late 20s to early 30s Signup and view all the answers

Compared to adults, when reading emotions adolescents...

Use more of the limbic system and less of the prefrontal cortex Signup and view all the answers

What is the first stage of Erikson's theory?

Trust/Mistrust Signup and view all the answers

What did Arnett identify as components that help one achieve a subjective sense of adulthood?

Responsibility Signup and view all the answers

Which psychologist proposed that an emerging adult's task was to build a stable life structure through a dream, mentor, occupation, and intimate relationship?

Daniel Levinson Signup and view all the answers

Schaie's 4 stages of adulthood include...

Achieving, Responsible, Executive, Reintegrative Signup and view all the answers

Perry found that in young adulthood, thinking about morality and spirituality moves away from which of the following?

Basic dualism Signup and view all the answers

What are the key determinants of mental health that Vaillant's Longitudinal Study found?

Adaptive mechanisms Signup and view all the answers

Which age group has the highest rates of suicide?

15-19 year olds Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Adolescent Prevalence

Over 3 million adolescents in the world
Numbers steadily declining

Historical Context

Technological advancement has led to a shift in Western cultures, reducing child labor.
Mandatory mass public education is now the norm.

Educational Impact

Secondary school formally separates childhood from adulthood.
Forced contact with peers due to age-graded systems.
Extended education leads to longer financial dependence on parents.

Biopsychosocial Transition in Adolescence

Puberty signifies a complex transition encompassing biological, psychological, and social changes.

Neural Development

The brain forms numerous connections during childhood, pruning unnecessary ones during adolescence (60-70% reduction).
Myelination, which increases brain efficiency, continues into young adulthood.
Adolescents rely less on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) for emotional processing, leading to heightened limbic system activity.
This imbalance between reward systems and inhibitory control contributes to increased risk-taking behavior.
Hormonal changes and social pressure further influence adolescent behavior.

Implications of Neural Development

Preference for physical activity.
Less optimal planning and judgment.
Increased risk-taking and sensation-seeking.
Diminished consideration of negative consequences.

Adolescence as a Vulnerable Time

Significant pruning of neural connections contributes to adolescent vulnerability, highlighting the importance of supportive environments.

Physical Changes: Puberty

Puberty marks the onset of secondary sex characteristics, including hair growth.
The age of onset varies significantly:
- Menarche (first menstruation) occurs between 9-17 years.
- Spermarche (first ejaculation) occurs between 10-15 years.
Early puberty in girls can lead to stress, isolation, and higher risk sexual behavior.
Early puberty in boys was once viewed favorably but can now be stressful.
Late-onset puberty can also be stressful.
The age of puberty has declined by four months per decade, with unknown causes, including potential hormonal influences in food and genetics.
Earlier puberty is associated with a higher risk of later health problems for women.

Cognitive Capacities

Piaget proposed that adolescence is characterized by formal operational thought, including:
- Systematic thinking.
- Reasoning.
- Understanding abstract constructs.
- Mental manipulation.
- Hypothetico-deductive reasoning.
Development of metacognition, which is the ability to understand one's own thinking.
Increased complexity in humor, metaphor, sarcasm, satire, and cynicism.
Enhanced perspective taking, crucial for social development.

Emotional Development

Adolescents experience a wider emotional range but struggle with emotional regulation.
Internalizing disorders, such as eating disorders, depression, and suicide, become more common.
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents, with rising rates, particularly in older adolescents and males.
- Self-harm behaviors are also increasing.
- Attempt rates are higher in girls, but males have higher completed suicide rates.
- Externalizing disorders, including delinquency, aggression, and substance abuse, also increase.
Mental illness rates among teenagers are rising, reaching 39%.

Theoretical Contributions

Erik Erikson's Identity vs. Alienation: Adolescents grapple with questions about self-identity, leading to self-esteem development.
- Discussions about religion, morality, politics, and sexuality are crucial for integrating into a cohesive sense of self.
Identity Formation:
- Identity formation is a lengthy process that occurs at different rates in various domains.
- It is more complex for some individuals.
- It doesn't always follow a predictable path.
- Erikson describes identity as a persistent internal sameness shared with others.
- Adolescence offers a period for identity exploration, driven by increased brain capacity, greater freedom, and external influences.
Moratorium: Adolescence is a stage of "moratorium," where individuals navigate between the safety of childhood and the responsibilities of adulthood, allowing for identity exploration.
- This period also provides an opportunity to address conflicts from earlier developmental stages.
Resolving Developmental Crises:
- Successful resolution involves achieving autonomy, gender identity consolidation, internalized morality, career choice, fidelity in relationships, and strong connections.
- Failure to reach these milestones can lead to role confusion, identity crisis, delinquency, aggression, and antisocial behavior.

Autonomy

Autonomy involves recognizing similarities and differences from parents while maintaining love, understanding, and connection.
Achieved through leaving home, revising parent-child attachment, and gaining self-sufficiency.

Gender Identity Consolidation

Refers to understanding one's gender identity and how to express it.
Includes navigating gender-driven expectations, sexual orientation, and levels of masculinity/femininity.

Internalised Morality

Involves the ability to consider multiple perspectives, moving beyond black-and-white thinking.
It develops through exposure to diverse viewpoints and challenges to personal morality.

Career Choice

Influenced by:
- Familial factors (career expectations).
- Individual factors (self-expectations, abilities, attitudes, goals, fear of failure).
- Societal factors (education, peer group, gender, media, changing career options due to technology).
- Situational factors (opportunities, socioeconomic factors).
  - Socioeconomic factors include social class, race, sex discrimination, and economic conditions.

Emerging Adulthood: Beyond Adolescence

Legally, adulthood begins at age 18, but the brain continues to mature until 26-34 years, creating an "emerging adulthood" stage.
Factors extending adolescence include:
- Increased need for tertiary education.
- Delayed milestones of adulthood (e.g., jobs, mortgages, marriage, children).
- Fear of missing out (FOMO).

Arnett's Theory (2000)

Arnett identifies emerging adulthood as a distinct developmental stage driven by:
- Technology.
- Women's rights movement.
- Sexual liberation.
Markers of adulthood (jobs, marriage) are less critical in the subjective experience of emerging adulthood.
Key elements of subjective adulthood include:
- Responsibility for oneself.
- Independent decision-making.
- Financial self-sufficiency.
- Parenthood.
Many young adults do not reach a subjective sense of adulthood.
Arnett highlights five shared characteristics of emerging adults:
- Identity exploration.
- Instability.
- Self-focus.
- Feeling "in-between."
- Possibilities/optimism.

The Novice Phase (Daniel Levinson)

Levinson describes emerging adulthood as a "novice phase" from 17-33 years.
The task during this time is to build a stable life structure, including:
- Clarifying a dream.
- Finding a mentor.
- Choosing an occupation.
- Establishing an intimate relationship.
A significant transition occurs around age 28.

Brain Development in Emerging Adulthood

Full cortex development leads to:
- Improved impulse management.
- Enhanced attention.
- Better planning and problem-solving.
- Increased inhibition.

Physical Development

Adults reach their full body size and strength in late adolescence and early twenties.
This period is crucial for establishing healthy lifestyle patterns and stress management techniques.
Resilience and resistance to workplace burnout develop later, after age 30.

Health Compromising Behaviours

Emerging adults experience higher rates of addiction (substance and behavioral) compared to other age groups.
Risky sexual behavior is often linked to alcohol and drug use, contributing to a peak in STIs during this stage.
Eating disorders often begin in adolescence but persist into young adulthood.

Sexuality

An Australian study (2014) found:
- The median age of first vaginal intercourse is 17 for males and 18 for females.
- 89% of Australians identify as heterosexual.
- 97% of individuals in intimate relationships are exclusively heterosexual.
Societal shifts have increased acceptance of premarital sex and masturbation.
The definition of "sex" has broadened to include activities beyond vaginal intercourse.
Emerging adults are more open to the fluidity of sexuality, including the possibility of no sexual attraction.

Cognitive Development

Formal operational thought, developed during adolescence, continues to develop in emerging adulthood.
A fifth stage known as "postformal thought" (Kramer):
- Knowledge is viewed as relative and non-absolute.
- Contradiction is accepted as a part of reality.
- Contradictory ideas can be synthesized into a coherent narrative.

Theories of Adult Cognition

Postformal Reasoning: Integrates logical and objective thinking with subjective and emotional considerations.
Generating New Questions: Recognizes the vastness of knowledge and encourages exploration.

Schaie's Stages of Adult Thinking

Achieving Stage (young adults): Intelligence is directed toward specific goals, and consequences of significant decisions are carefully considered.
Responsible Stage (middle adults):
Executive Stage (middle adults): Postformal thinking is used to solve complex problems within systems.
Reintegrative Stage (late adults): Focus shifts from long-term plans to personal interests, values, and finding life meaning.

Perry (1970)

The transition in emerging adulthood involves moving beyond basic dualistic ("black-and-white") thinking to more nuanced perspectives.
Belensky's Constructed Knowledge: Individuals actively construct their own knowledge.

Morality and Spirituality

Postformal thought encourages:
- Development of new worldviews.
- Understanding diverse ethical perspectives.
- Creation of personal ethics.
- Meaning-making in life.
- Spiritual exploration and finding personal meaning.

Post-Secondary Education

35% of emerging adults pursue further education.
Indigenous participation is lower, with only 19% achieving a bachelor's degree.
52% of young Australians have a tertiary education.

Work

Greenhaus's Five Career Stages:
- Preparation for work (0-25 years).
- Organizational entry (18-25 years).
- Early career (25-40 years).
- Mid-career.
- Late career.

Psychosocial Development in Young Adulthood

Erikson's Intimacy vs. Isolation: The primary task is to develop close, committed relationships with peers.
- This involves tolerating the potential loss of identity that can occur in intimate relationships.
- The ability to manage personal identity while connecting with others is crucial.
While identity development is prioritized, it may not occur in a rigidly linear sequence.
A stable achieved identity is a prerequisite for mature intimate love.

Psychosocial Development in Young Adulthood: continued

Some young adults continue to grapple with the identity versus role confusion crisis.
Neural evidence suggests that emotional regulation capacity is still developing.

Vaillant's Grant Study

This longitudinal study on men revealed:
- Growth and development are lifelong processes.
- Sustained relationships play a greater role in life than isolated traumatic events.
- Adaptive mechanisms determine mental health.
  - Mature mechanisms: Sublimation (redirecting impulses into acceptable goals).
  - Immature mechanisms: Hypochondria, fantasy.
  - Psychotic mechanisms: Distortions of reality.
  - Neurotic mechanisms: Irrational fears, repression.
- Mature mechanisms are facilitated by:
- Health brain (free from injury and substance abuse).
- Sustained and loving relationships.

Friendship

Friends become a primary source of support, replacing families.
Friendships become closer, involving deeper conversations and shared activities.
Self-esteem and companionship are vital for psychological well-being.
Men: Friendship is typically based on proximity, shared activities, and interests.
Women: Focus on emotional sharing, confidences, and deeper revelation. Women are less likely to discuss their strengths and achievements with friends.
Female friendships offer deeper connections, involving more listening.

Partners

Marriage Types:
- Conventional marriage: The man is the head of the household.
- Equal partnerships (egalitarian): Negotiation, flexibility, and ongoing renegotiation of shared responsibilities.
- Junior partnerships: Blend elements of conventional and egalitarian models, presenting as egalitarian while maintaining conventional dynamics.
- Same-sex marriages: Legalized in 2017.
- Individuals in formal marriages experience greater life satisfaction, health, and financial well-being, especially in egalitarian relationships.
The age of marriage is increasing.
The age of divorce is also increasing, now reaching the mid-40s.
Many young adults choose to remain single.

Parenting

Procreation is often delayed, occurring outside of young adulthood.
Limited preparation for parenthood compared to other aspects of life, such as career.
Parenthood can strain relationships.
Most parents believe the positive aspects outweigh the challenges.
Sole parents face significant difficulties; 15% of families have a single parent.
Family structures are becoming increasingly diverse.
The number of individuals choosing not to have children is increasing.

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Test your knowledge on the significant changes and developmental processes that adolescents undergo. This quiz covers brain development, social impacts, and educational influences that shape adolescence. Explore key terms and concepts related to the developmental stages of young people.