Human Development:

Adolescent cognitive and

biological development
Learning Module: Adolescence
Chapter 9, Berger

Brain Development
The limbic system (fear, emotional
impulses) matures before the prefrontal
cortex (planning ahead, emotional
regulation).
That means the instinctual and emotional
areas develop before the reflective ones do.

Brain Development
increased myelination
enhanced dopamine activity
synaptic growth

Cognitive Development
Piagets theory
Formal Operational Thought
more systematic logic
ability to think about abstract ideas.
Hypothetical thought
WATCH video showing formal operational
thought

Cognitive Development
Piagets theory
Formal Operational Thought
more systematic logic
ability to think about abstract ideas.
Hypothetical thought

Although adolescents do not always

exhibit such thought (intuitive vs. analytical
thought)
Perhaps due to dual-process model

Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development
Thinking About Oneself
adolescent egocentrism
personal/invincibility fable
imaginary audience

Biological development
The time between the first onrush of
hormones and full adult physical
development
Lasts 3-5 years
But, psychosocial maturity

Puberty Begins
Pituitary gland
A gland in the brain that produces many
hormones
including growth, adrenal, and sex glands.
Adrenal glands involved in stress hormones

Puberty Begins
HPA (hypothalamuspituitaryadrenal)
axis
The sequence of a chain reaction of
hormone production, originating in the
hypothalamus and moving to the pituitary
and then to the adrenal glands.

Puberty Begins
Influences on the Age of Puberty
Age 11 or 12 is the most likely age of visible
onset (range 8-14)
What happens when puberty occurs early?
Late? How might physical development
impact social and emotional development in
these cases?
How does culture impact puberty?

Puberty Begins
About two-thirds of the variation in age of
puberty is genetic
Girls generally develop ahead of boys.
large proportion of body fat experience sooner
WHY? How does physical activity impact puberty?
Chronic malnutrition delays puberty
How is this adaptive?

Secular trend
Minute changes with each generation.
The secular trend has stopped in developed
nations.

Puberty Begins
Body image
can be cause of poor nutrition
boys want to look taller and stronger, a concern that
increases from ages 12 to 17, partly because girls
value well-developed muscles in males.
Growth spurtusually weight increases before height
Watch the VIDEO on body image. Reflect on what
society might do to create healthy body images that
empower young men and women.
And create unhealthy eating disorders

The Transformations of Puberty

Sexual Maturation
Primary vs. secondary sex characteristics
Also hormonal related emotions, thoughts,
etc.
How does this affect behavior?
How does this interact with cognitive ability?

Interaction of culture and

adolescence
Changing schools
Puberty comes with:
1. More likely to engage in risky behaviors,
earlier.
2. Social marital and family patterns differ.
3. Raising children is complex and
expensive.
4. If primary caregiver(s) employed, less
supervision/availability to older children.
5. STIs more common and dangerous.

Interaction of culture and

adolescence
Use of media
HOW to use the information
HOW to use the tools
Accessibility
New mode of bullying
WATCH video on video games and violence

Checking for understanding

1. What evidence do you have regarding brain and
cognitive development (think Piaget, synapses,
hormones, etc.) that you can use to inform your
understanding of adolescent behavior. That is, list pieces
of evidence from brain and cognitive development that
might help you understand adolescent risky behaviors.
How is media related?
2. If you were to design a middle school, what
considerations should you have regarding the structure
and curriculum based on what you know about
adolescent biological and cognitive development?
3. What is formal operational thought? How might it both
help and hurt adolescents?