Summary
Summary Block 5 Problem 8
- Course
- Institution
In depth summary from books Shaffer – Berk – Santrock and Boyd
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
ebru1365
Reviews received
Content preview
Problem 8 Shaffer – Berk – Santrock – Boyd – article1) PUBERTY
During adolescence there are 2 specific changes in physical development.
1) Adolescent growth spurt: children change dramatically in size and shape
2) Puberty: the point in life when an individual reaches sexual maturity and becomes capable of
producing child
Adolescent Growth Spurt: rapid acceleration in height and weight.
Girls enter the growth spurt by age 10,5 and reach peak at age 12 and return to slower rate by age
13 to 13,5.
Boys’ growth spurt begins at age 13, peak at age 14 and return to a gradual rate at age 16.
Girls mature earlier but boys grow more.
The body also assumes an adultlike appearance. The most noticeable changes are growing of the
breasts and widening of the hips for girls and broadening of the shoulders for boys.
Sexual Development in Girls
For most girls, sexual maturation begins at age 9 to 11 as small breast buds start to from. Full breast
development takes about 3-4 years, finishes around the age of 14.
The sex organs begin to mature and the vagina becomes larger both internally and externally.
At about age 12, girls reach menarche – the time of first menstruation. Girl might menstruate
without ovulating for 12 to 18 months. After 1 to 2 years cycles become ovulatory and regular.
In the year following menarche breasts complete their development and hair appear on arms, legs,
underarms etc.
Sexual Development in Boys
sexual maturation begins at 10 to 13 age with an enlargement of testes. This growth is
accompanied by pubic hair, the penis lengthens and largens.
At about age 13 to 14,5 sperm productions begins. The penis is fully developed by age 14,5 to 15
and they can father a child.
Later boys begin to sprout facial hair, body also grows hair. Their voice changes and lowers.
Primary sex characteristics: involves the reproductive organs directly
Secondary sex charac.: are visible outside the body and serve as additional signs of maturity
Secular trend: in industrialized societies, children show earlier maturation and greater body size now than
in the past
Influences
Hormones:
- The most critical of endocrine glands is the pituitary gland that triggers the release of other
hormones.
- In addition, the pituitary produces a growth hormone (GH) that stimulates the rapid growth and
development of body cells. This growth hormone is responsible for the girls’ and boys’ growth
spurt.
- As for sexual maturation, estrogen triggers the growth of girls’ breasts, uterus, vagina, pubic and
underarm hair and widening of hips.
- In boys, testosterone triggers the growth of penis, voice changes and facial and body hair. It also
has effects on boys’ muscles and broadening of shoulders.
- Androgen secreted by adrenal glands plays a secondary role in promoting maturation of muscles
and bones in both sexes.
, Heredity: contributes to the timing of pubertal changes. Identical twins are more similar than
fraternal twins in attainment of pubertal milestones.
Nutrition and exercise: in females a sharp rise in body weight and fat may trigger sexual
maturation. Girls who are athletic and eat little have puberty late.
Income, ethnic groups and family experiences also affect the timing of puberty.
Psychological Impacts of Puberty
Margaret Mead (1928) said that the social environment is entirely responsible for the range of
teenage experiences from erratic and agitated to calm and stress-free.
Today we know that biological, psychological and environmental forces combine to influence
adolescent development.
Most tribal and village societies have a brief transition. In industrialized nations, younger people
face prolonged dependence on parents and postponement of sexual gratification. As a result,
adolescence is extended and teens confront more psychological challenges.
For girls who have no advance information, menarche could be shocking and disturbing. But today
most girls get information from their mothers. Boys’ information about spermarche is usually from
websites. Even those with advanced information could be unprepared. Overall boys get less
support than girls for the physical changes of puberty.
The absence of a single widely accepted marker of physical and social maturity makes the process
of becoming an adult more confusing. E.g. quinceanera, bar mitzvah etc.
Higher pubertal hormone levels are linked to greater moodiness but there are other factors.
Adolescents report less favorable moods than school age children and adults but these moods are
linked to a greater number of negative life events. Teenagers also seem to react to them with
greater emotions than children.
High mood points are spent with friends and in self-chosen leisure activities. Low mood points
occur in adult-structured settings such as class, job etc.
Overall teenagers with supportive family and peer relationships report more positive and less
negative moods than their agemates with few social support.
Puberty is related to a rise in parent-child conflict. From an evolutionary perspective, the young
usually laves the family group around the time of puberty. But in industrialized countries, teens are
still economically dependent on families and cannot leave. A modern substitute has emerged:
psychological distancing.
The large gap between parents’ and adolescents’ views of teens’ readiness for new responsibilities
cause family tensions. Parental efforts to protect teens from substance abuse, auto accidents and
early sex vs demanding to be treated as adults
Parent-daughter conflict is more intense than with sons, perhaps because girls reach puberty
earlier and parents place more restrictions.
As teen years conclude, parent-adolescent interactions are less hierarchical, and include more
mutually supportive relationships.
Early maturing boys are more relaxed, independent, self-confident and physically attractive. Late
maturing boys express more anxiety and depressed moods. But still early maturing boys have more
psychological stress and problem behaviors (sex, smoking, drinking etc.)
In contrast, early maturing girls are unpopular, withdrawn, lacking in self-confident, anxious and
depressed. Like early maturing boys, they are more involved in deviant behavior. Later maturing
girls are regarded as attractive, lively, sociable, and leaders.
Early maturing girls and late maturing boys have difficulty in fitting with their agemates because
they fall at the extremes of physical development.
2) RISKY BEHAVIOR
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller ebru1365. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.82. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
62774 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now