Title: Adolescence: Physical
1Chapter 11
- Adolescence Physical Cognitive Development
2Adolescence
- Except for infancy, more changes occur during
adolescence than at any other time of life - Contemporary theorists see adolescence as a time
when biological, cognitive, social/emotional
functioning are reorganized. (and adolescents
have to adapt to these changes!)
3What is Puberty?
- A stage of development characterized by reaching
sexual maturity and the ability to reproduce - Physical changes which mark the transition from
childhood to young adulthood - The onset of adolescent coincides with the advent
of puberty - Meaning, when puberty starts, no matter how
young, you are now an adolescent
4Know
- Puberty occurs 2-3 years earlier in girls
compared to boys
5Primary Secondary Sex Characteristics
- Their development is triggered by sex hormones
- 1. Primary sex characteristics (make
reproduction possible) ovaries, vagina, uterus,
fallopian tubes in women and penis, testes,
prostate gland, and seminal vesicles in men. - 2. Secondary sex characteristics (indicate
sexual maturation but are not involved in
reproduction) Breast development, deepening
voice, body odor, and the appearance of facial,
pubic and underarm hair.
6What Happens During the Adolescent Growth Spurt?
- The stable growth patterns of middle childhood
end abruptly during adolescence - First height increases for approximately 2 years,
then declines - A spurt in weight happens 1 ½ years after height,
also for approximately 2 years then declines
7Adolescent Growth Spurt, cont.
- Height
- Boys 14 ½ inches
- Girls 13 inches
- Adolescents tend to look thin because of the lag
in weight gain compared to height - Adolescents eat an enormous amount of food to
fuel this growth -
8Why do Adolescents Often Look Awkward and Gawky?
- Because different parts of the body grow at
different rates, called Asynchronous Growth - ? Hands and feet develop before the arms and the
legs - ? Legs grow before the shoulders and chest.
9Why Do Adolescents seem to be Getting Taller
Maturing Earlier?
- Because they are!
- This is called the Secular Trend, and is present
in nearly all European countries and in the
United States. - What two factors appear to play a role in this
trend? - A. Better nutrition
- B. Healthcare
10Pubertal Changes in Boys
- About 11-12 Growth of testes (which speeds the
development of testosterone) - 1 year later Growth of penis
- Soon thereafter Pubic hair
- By 15 Underarm/Facial hair
- 14-15 Voice deepens
- Testosterone also causes Acne
11Pubertal Changes in Boys, cont.
- By 13-14 Frequent, and often unwanted erections
- 14-15 First Noctural Emission (also called
Spermarche) which shows the beginning production
of semen - 20-21 Adolescent growth comes to a close
12Pubertal Changes in Girls
- 9-10 Estrogen stimulates the growth of breast
tissue (called breast buds) and they reach full
size within 3 years - Estrogen triggers growth of fatty tissue in the
hips/buttocks, and hips widen - Beginning at 11 Underarm and pubic hair
Breast buds developing
13Pubertal Changes in Girls, cont.
- Estrogen causes growth of the labia, vagina and
uterus - Androgens cause the development of the clitoris
- Menarche (first menstruation) usually occurs
between 11-14, or 2 years - Menarche occurs much earlier in girls for the
past 150 years
14What Accounts for the Earlier Age of Menarche?
- Girls must reach a certain body weight to trigger
pubertal changes such as menarche, called
Critical Fat Hypothesis - Menarche comes later to girls who have a low
percentage of body fat (those with eating
disorders/athletes) - Average body weight which triggers menarche
depends on the girls height
15Question
- Do girls ovulate when they start their first
period? - No. They ovulate 12-18 mo after menarche
16Body Image
- Adolescents are concerned about their physical
appearance - More satisfied toward the end of adolescence
- Females Body weight/slimness
- Males Gain weight/build muscles
17What are the Cognitive Changes During Adolescence?
- They have reached Piagets formal operational
stage - Remember, this is his highest stage (age 11-12
and beyond) - Adolescents have reached cognitive maturity
according to Piaget
18During the Formal Operational Stage the
Adolescent Can
- Classify objects or ideas
- Engage in logical thought
- Hypothesize in their investigations (like
scientists) - Group and classify symbols, statements, and even
theories - Follow and formulate arguments from their
premises, to their conclusions, and back (even if
they do not believe in them)
19Know!
- Formal operational thinking is flexible and
reversible
20Formal Operational Thinking is Characterized by 3
Cognitive Processes
- ?Hypothetical Thinking
- ? Sophisticated use of Symbols
- ? Deductive Reasoning
211. Hypothetical Reasoning
- Adolescents develop concept of what might be
rather than what is - Adolescents try on different clothing as well as
different attitudes - Realize that situations can have different
outcomes
222. Sophisticated Use of Symbols
- Understand X-the unknown (as used in algebra and
geometry) - Can perform mental operations with symbols (ex.
PEMDAS, and math/physics/ algebra, and skills for
engineering, architecture) - Can understand, appreciate, and sometimes produce
metaphors
233. Deductive Reasoning
- Judge right and wrong in specific situations by
reasoning deductively from moral principals - Decentration allows the adolescent to focus on
many aspects of a situation at once to arrive at
a moral judgment or to solve a moral dilemma
24Question
- What are some of the gender differences in
cognitive abilities?