1. Adolescence

2. What does it mean to be a teenager? Write down 3-5 words that you think describe adolescence

3. Adolescence Arbitrary period of development o Relatively recent to human experience As hunter-gatherers, puberty = sexual maturity = adulthood o Not necessarily true today! While it is agreed upon that adolescence begins at puberty, when it ends is not agreed upon o Lifestyle factors: financial independence, separate living arrangements, marriage, parenthood?

4. G. Stanley Hall First used the term “adolescence” Said that it was a period of “storm and stress” in which: o Peers’ social approval is imperative o Sense of direction in life is in flux o Feelings of alienation from parents is deep

5. Extended Adolescence Adolescence starts earlier and ends later than it did in the past Why? o Decrease in the age at which puberty occurs 16 to 12 (and still ongoing) It was a lot more realistic for people 100 years ago to take on the role of an adult when puberty occurred! o Extended period of education and training needed to survive in a technologically advanced society

6. Physical Changes Begins with puberty (time we mature sexually), followed by a surge in hormones (which may intensify moods), which triggers a 2-year period of rapid physical growth o 11 in girls o 13 in boys See a growth in both primary and secondary sex characteristics o Primary: The body structures that make sexual reproduction possible o Secondary: Nonreproductive sexual characteristics Sequence is more predictable than timing While timing has little effect on height at maturity, can have psychological consequences o Early sexual maturation for boys can lead to more popularity, self assurance, and independence o Early sexual maturation for girls can be more detrimental

7. Sexual Attraction Used to think it coincided with puberty Lots of case study evidence that shows otherwise Onset of physical changes might actually be the ending, rather than the beginning, of puberty

8. Teen Pregnancy Much higher in US than other industrialized countries Mom is less likely to: graduate high school. improve her economic status. get marries and stay married. Child is more likely to have: a low birth rate. learning disabilities and academic problems. childhood illnesses. neurological problems.

9. Neurological Growth By adolescence the parts of the brain that control language, spatial relations, hearing, and other sensory processes appear complete A second critical growth period of the brain begins (first is prenatal – 18 months) o Increase in mylenation in the frontal lobes o White matter (mylenated neurons) are more susceptible than an adult’s to damage from binge drinking At the same time, the pruning process is occurring In processing emotions, both teens and adults have the same amygdala activity o Adults show more activation of the frontal lobe

10. Teens and Risk Risky behavior does not result from a teen’s inability to judge what is risky or not o Teens actually overestimate their personal risks for becoming crime victims Teens typically believe they are somehow immune from consequences of risky behavior o It happens to other people

11. Teens and Death Penalty In 2004, the APA provided briefs to the Supreme Court regarding brain development in teens o Advocated for the banning of the death penalty for 16 and 17 year olds In 2005, the Supreme Court declared juvenile death penalties unconstitutional

12. Cognition Piaget – formal operations (not all though…) Working memory and reaction time is the same as adults’ Reasoning is often self-focused Can detect inconsistences in others’ reasoning and spot hypocrisy Teens also experience egocentricism – but a different kind o Imaginary audience phenomenon: believe that others are always paying attention to them o No one has experienced life exactly as they have !

13. Social Development Erickson’s psychosocial stage during adolescence o Identity v. Confusion: Teens begin to form an identify by asking “Who am I?” Failure to achieve a stable identify leads to role confusion and problems with subsequent stages An identity is a self-definition that unifies the various selves into a consistent and comfortable sense of who one is Considerable exploration may be necessary o Many take a shortcut Assume the identity of a group Adopt the identify provided by parents (or the exact opposite!) Ethnic identity: how an individual feels about being a member of a particular ethnic or racial group o Having a strong ethnic identify can boost self-esteem for teens

14. Identity Role v. Confusion

15. Teens, Self-Esteem, and Self-Concept Self-esteem tends to fall during early and mid-teen years o For girls, depression rates increase Self-image rebounds during the late teens and twenties By the time they are seniors, most college students have a clearer identify and more positive self-concept than they did when they were freshman

16. Family Influences Teens tend to spend more time with peers and less with family o Usually occurs gradually A healthy balance between peers and family produces the best outcomes Fact or Fiction: The teenage years are a period of stormy relations between parents and children o False: Most disagreements are at the harmless bickering level o Most teens do not deviate too far from their parents values o Radicals of the 1960s? Not children of conservative parents… Although…there tends to be more parent-child conflict with first-born children

17. The Disconnect…. 85% of American parents said they have had a serious talk with their child about illegal drugs 45% of teens can recall such a talk….