Adolescence: Biosocial Development

Adolescence:
Biosocial Development
Question: What is “Adolescence”?
 What age period do you think of when
you hear the word “adolescence”? Decide
when you think it begins and ends.
 What words or images come to your mind
when you hear the word “teenager”?
Make a list.
Berger: The Developing Person Through Childhood and Adolescence, 7th Edition, Chapter 14
Adolescence
 Adolescence refers to the age period
between childhood and adulthood.
 TWEENS: 10-13 years
 TEENS: 13-18 years
 EMERGING ADULTHOOD: 18-25 yrs
Puberty Begins
 Puberty is a period of rapid physical growth

and sexual maturation.
 The sequence of physical changes is

universal, but the timing varies (typically
lasting 3-5 years).
 Age of onset ranges between 8-15 years.
Puberty Begins (cont.)
 Menarche: the term for a girl’s first period.

It signals that ovulation has begun
(although is often irregular for a few years)
 Spermarche: the term for a boy’s first

ejaculation, which signals sperm
production has begun
Hormones
 Puberty begins with a signal from the

hypothalamus–to the pituitary gland–to
adrenal glands (the HPA axis) and gonads.
 Gonads release testosterone and
estradiol.
 Hormones influence MOOD and THOUGHT.
Biological Sequence of Puberty
Sexual Maturation
 Primary sex characteristics:

 The parts of the body directly involved in
reproduction (e.g., testicles, ovaries)
 Secondary sex characteristics:
 Not necessary for reproduction
 Examples: odor, acne, breast development,
hair, voice changes
Sudden Emotions
 Hormones contribute to the conflict,

moodiness, and sexual urges of
adolescents, but are not the only cause.
 Social and cultural reactions to visible
body changes also play a large role.
Make it Real: Sudden Emotions
 Can you recall a time being especially

embarrassed or angry during adolescence?
Timing of Puberty
JEFF GREENBERG / PHOTOEDIT, INC.
Timing of Puberty
 Age of onset of puberty depends on:
 GENDER (girls ahead by months or years)

 GENES and ETHNICITY
 WEIGHT (malnutrition delays puberty)
 STRESS (causes puberty earlier)
Quiz: Timing of Puberty
 For adolescent girls,

do you think it is
advantageous to be
“early maturing”?
 What about for boys?
PHOTODISC
Early Maturation: Correlations
 Early maturing girls  Early maturing boys
are at higher risk of: are at higher risk of:
 Teasing  Rebellion
 Early sexual activity  Breaking the law
 Eating disorders  Stress and depression
 Early substance use from relationships
Late Maturation: Correlations
 Late maturation may also be difficult,
especially for boys in a school in which
athletics is valued.
 Late maturing girls may feel anxiety about

when puberty will hit. (Anyone remember “Are
You There God, It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy
Blume?)
Bigger and Stronger
 The growth spurt is a sudden and rapid
period of physical growth during puberty.
 Sequence is weight, height, muscles.
 Females gain more fat, males gain muscle.
 The lungs and heart increase in size.
Other Physical Changes
 The lymphoid system (tonsils, adenoids)

decrease in size. This makes teens less
susceptible to asthma and colds.
 Skin gets oilier, sweatier, more acne-prone.
Body Rhythms
 Most teenagers’ bodies prefer to stay up

late and sleep in late.
 Teens also tend to get too little sleep for

their growing bodies.
 Lack of sleep has been associated with higher

risk of mood disorders and driving problems.
Make it Real: The Teen Brain
 Think of an example of an emotional

reaction or impulsive behavior that you
have witnessed an adolescent make.
 Do you have any explanation WHY the

person reacted as they did?
Brain Development in
Adolescence
 Research has found that the limbic
system, an emotional and impulsive part
of the brain, develops prior to the
prefrontal cortex, the rational, logical part
of the brain.
 This in part explains some of the

impulsive, emotional reactions of teens.
Neural Connections
 Myelination of the prefrontal cortex
improves with age, fostering
improvements in decision making, rational
arguments, and even reaction time.
 Experiences during adolescence are

particularly crucial and lasting.
Make it Real:
Healthy or Unhealthy?
 In general, would
you describe
adolescence as a
relatively HEALTHY,
or UNHEALTHY time
of life?
RUBBERBALL PRODUCTIONS
Health During Adolescence
 In general, adolescence is a HEALTHY
age period.
 Problem-free reproduction
 Peak athletic performance
 High energy and endurance
 Body systems function at an optimal level
 Death by disease is rare (worldwide!)
Health During Adolescence
 Unfortunately, teens seem to engage in
behaviors that put their health at risk.
 The incidence of eating disorders has
also increased, especially among females.
 Fatal accidents, suicides, and
homicides are the leading cause of death,
especially for males.
A Twisted Memorial
DOMINIC CHAVEZ / THE DENVER POST / AP PHOTO
Injury and Death
 Accidental deaths during adolescence are
likely due to:
 Body changes (e.g., testosterone)

 Brain changes (e.g., the limbic system)
 Social context (e.g., alienation, “macho”)
Question: Sexual Actions
 Take a guess: How many teens do you
think have had sexual intercourse by age
14? Age 17?
RUBBERBALL PRODUCTIONS
Sexual Actions
 In the U.S.:
 About 25% of teens have had sexual
intercourse by age 14
 About 50% by age 17
 About 90% by age 21
 Culture influences how sexually active

a teen may be.
Pregnancy in Adolescence
 Psychological effects withstanding, the

physical toll of pregnancy during
adolescence (especially age 15 or
younger) is problematic.
 Pregnancy may interfere with hormones,
height, and nutrition, and the girl’s uterus
may be not yet be mature.
Sexually Transmitted Infection
 Worldwide, 50% of teens will be have an

STI (STD) during adolescence.
 Examples: HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes
 STI’s can cause later infertility. The risk of

serious consequences and reinfection are
higher for teens than adults.
Make it Real: Drug Use
 What was the
atmosphere
regarding drug
use at your
high school, or
in your
neighborhood?
STUART FRANKLIN / MAGNUM PHOTOS
Drug Use
 The “Monitoring the Future” study has

found that most U.S. teens use alcohol
and tobacco before age 18, and about
50% have tried marijuana.
 The U.S. has the greatest number of
available drugs, although the majority of
teens don’t use them.
Question: Drug Use, WHY?
 What are
some possible
reasons an
adolescent
might use
drugs?
LAUREN GREENFIELD
Drug use: Why?
 Adolescents use drugs for various

reasons, including:
 The desire to fit in with peers
 The thrill of the sensation
 As a way to self-medicate
 A perception that it is a “normal” part of
being a teenager
Drug Use: Long-Term Effects
 Some teens move beyond use to abuse
(use causing harm) or addiction (physical
and psychological need).
 The younger a person tries a drug, the

more likely addiction will occur (especially
for cigarettes).
Obesity During Adolescence
 About 12% of teenagers are overweight
(BMI greater than 25), a higher percentage
than in earlier decades.
 Lifestyle choices seem to play a large role
in this (e.g., lack of exercise, too much TV).
 Fast food and soda pop also play a role.
Body Image
 Adolescents report that their body
image is the most
important predictor
of their self-esteem.
 Unfortunately, this
can lead to eating
disorders. PHOTODISC
Anorexia Nervosa
 Anorexia involves self starvation.
 It is a refusal to maintain at least 85% of a
normal Body Mass Index (BMI).
 It includes disturbed body perception and
denial.
 It leads to a number of physical problems,
including lack of menstruation (females),
and perhaps even death.
Bulimia Nervosa
 Bulimia involves repeatedly overeating
and then purging via laxatives or vomiting.
 Diagnosis requires 1 episode a week for at
least 3 months, an uncontrollable urge to
overeat, and distorted body image.
 Bulimia can cause damage to the
gastrointestinal system or death.
Treatment for Eating Disorders
 If you are worried about someone with a
possible eating disorder:
 Get online and EDUCATE YOURSELF about
the symptoms and the best ways to help
 TALKto the person in a calm, non-judgmental

manner. Don’t keep quiet.

Adolescence: Biosocial Development

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Adolescence: Biosocial Development

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Adolescence: Biosocial Development

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Adolescence:

 Puberty is a period of rapid physical growth

 The sequence of physical changes is

 Age of onset ranges between 8-15 years.

 Menarche: the term for a girl’s first period.

 Spermarche: the term for a boy’s first

 Puberty begins with a signal from the

 Primary sex characteristics:

 Hormones contribute to the conflict,

 Can you recall a time being especially

JEFF GREENBERG / PHOTOEDIT, INC.

 Age of onset of puberty depends on:

 GENDER (girls ahead by months or years)

 For adolescent girls,

 Late maturing girls may feel anxiety about

 Sequence is weight, height, muscles.

 Females gain more fat, males gain muscle.

 The lungs and heart increase in size.

 The lymphoid system (tonsils, adenoids)

 Skin gets oilier, sweatier, more acne-prone.

 Most teenagers’ bodies prefer to stay up

 Teens also tend to get too little sleep for

 Lack of sleep has been associated with higher

 Think of an example of an emotional

 Do you have any explanation WHY the

 This in part explains some of the

 Experiences during adolescence are

DOMINIC CHAVEZ / THE DENVER POST / AP PHOTO

 Body changes (e.g., testosterone)

 Culture influences how sexually active

 Psychological effects withstanding, the

 Worldwide, 50% of teens will be have an

 STI’s can cause later infertility. The risk of

 The “Monitoring the Future” study has

 Adolescents use drugs for various

 The younger a person tries a drug, the

 TALKto the person in a calm, non-judgmental

You might also like