All but 5 states allow children of any age charged with murder to be tried a adults.
Jeb Bush said "a 14 year old is not a little adult
Children may not be capable of understanding the consequences of their action.
Recent studies: the brain's prefrontal lobe, which plays a crucial role in inhibiting inappropriate behavior may not reach full development until age 20.
55% of us believe the crime, not the perpetrator's age, should be the determining factor in sentencing.
Some believe that the end result of a heinous crime remains the same, no matter who commits it. Our justice system depends upon holding perpetrators responsible for their actions.
Some believe that harsh sentencing acts as a deterrent to kids who are considering committing crimes. Some believe that trying children as adults has coincided with lower rates of juvenile crimes. Some believe that light sentences don't teach kids the les
Some believe that kids today are more sophisticated at a younger age. The understand the implications of violence and how to use violent weapons. Some believe the fact that child killers know how to load and shoot a gun is an indicator that they understan
Others believe the juvenile prison system can help ids turn their lives around. Rehabilitation gives kids a second chance. others think it is better for society in the long run than releasing someone who has spent their entire young adult life in general
Some believe children don't have the intellectual or moral capacity to understand the consequences of their actions; Some say children shouldn't be able to get deadly weapons in the first place....adults who provide kids with guns should be held at least
What major transitions do adolescents go through? Biological, psychological, social, economic. Alex had on his slides: Physical cognitive and social
What major contexts to adolescents develop in? family, peer group, school, work and leisure settings (mass media, internet)
What is adolescence? From the Latin word adolescere, meaning "to grow into adulthood".
When does adolescence begin? And end? Early adolescence (ages 10-13)
Middle adolescence (ages 14-17)
Late adolescence (ages 18-22)
adolescence is when you become able to conceive children; interested in sex
Definition: the second decade of the life span
adolescent: age 10 - 20. It used to be 13-19
Adult or adolescent? It all depends on the boundaries we use to define the period - more a matter of opinion than fact.
Most will mature quickly in some areas and slowly in others.
A framework for studying adolescent Development: 1. The fundamental changes of adolescence. 2. The contexts of Adolescence 3. The psychosocial development of adolescence.
1. FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES includes 1. onset of puberty. 2. emergence of more advanced thinking abilities. 3. transition into new roles in society. The above fundamental changes of Ado. are universal!
1. Biological: puberty. Change in physical appearance. Breast development, growth of facial hair, increase in height. Also - the development to conceive children
Puberty affects biological changes and psychological development and social relations. It is not just a biological event!
2. Cognitive transitions: The processes that underlie how people think about things. Ado's. develop more sophisticated thinking abilities. Much better at thinking about hypothetical situations and abstract concepts. Ados. are able to think in a logical wa
3. Social: Changes in rights, privileges, and responsibilities. Some cultures - social changes are marked by a formal ceremony. But most cultures, the transition is less clearly marked. But everywhere - a change in social status is universal for Ado.
CONTEXTS of ADOLESCENCE: All ADO. experience the biological, cognitive, and social transitions - the the EFFECTS are NOT uniform.
The psychological impact of the biological cognitive and social changes of ADO is shaped by the ENVIRONMENT in which the changes take place.
Psychological development during ADO is a product of the interplay between a set of 3 basic universal changes and the contexts in which these changes are experienced.
According the the "ecological perspective on human development" we cannot understand development without examining the settings of context in which it occurs.
4 main contexts: 1. family. 2. peer group. 3. schools. 4. work and leisure.
According to Bronfenbrenner.."the ecology of adolescent development can be thought of as having 4 distinct levels:
1. microsystems: immediate settings in which Ado. lives (family and school). 2. mesosystems: relations between immediate settings. 3. exo sy
The contexts of ADO are themselves shaped and defined y the larger society in which young people live.
emerging adulthood: 18-25 when they make the transition to adulthood
rite of passage - a ceremony or ritual marking an individual's transition from one social status to another.
ecological perspective on human development: a perspective on development that emphasizes the broader context in which development occurs.
Psychosocial developments include: identity, autonomy, intimacy, sexuality and achievement.
Social scientists use the word psychosocial to describe aspects of development that are both psychological and social in nature.
identity: The domain of psychosocial development involving self-conceptions, self esteem and the sense of who one is.
autonomy: The psychosocial domain concerning the development and expression of independence.
intimacy: The psychosocial domain concerning the formation, maintenance and termination of close relationships.
sexualtiy: The psychosocial domain concerning the development amd expression of sexual feelings.
achievement: the psychosocial domain concerning behaviors and a feeling in evaluative situations.
Identity: Ado. may wonder who he or she really is and where he or she is headed.
Autonomy: Ado. struggle to establish themselves as independent, self governing indiiduals in their own eyes adn in the eyes of others.
Intimacy...changes take place in the individual's capacity to be intimate with others, especially with peers.
sexuality: sexual activity generally begins during the adolescent years.
Achievement: changes in individual's educational and vocational behavior and plans. important decisions - many with long term consequences- about schooling and careers are made during adolescence.
MOST ado. move through the period without getting into serious trouble.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. ...characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal, and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.
With the publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual...all autism disorders were merged into one umbrella diagnosis of ASD.
They used to be recognized as distinct subtypes including autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and asperger syndrome.
ASD is associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some excel in visual skills, music, math and art.
Autism seems to have its roots in very early brain development. The most obvious signs emerge between 2-3 years of age.
About 1 in 68 American children are on the autism apectrum - a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years.
Autism is 4-5 times more common among boys than girls. 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are diagnosed with autism in U.S.
Autism affects over 3 million in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide.
There is NO one cause of autism just as there is no one type of autism.
Scientists have identified a number of rare gene changes or mutations associated with autism.
Most cases of autism, appear to be caused by a combination of autism risk genes and environmental factors influencing early brain development.
In the presence of a genetic predisposition to autism, a number of nongenetic or environmental stresses appear to further increase a child's risk.
These risk factors involve events before and during birth. They include advanced parental age at time of conception (both mom and dad), maternal illness during pregnancy and certain difficulties during birth, particularly those involving periods of oxygen
But remember that these factors, by themselves, do not cause autism. Rather, in combination with genetic risk factors, they appear to modestly increase risk.
A woman can reduce her risk of having a child with autism by taking prenatal vitamins containing folic acid and/or eating rich in folic acid (at least 600 mcg a day) during the months before and after conception.
About 40% of those with autism have above average intellectual abilities.
Some people with autism have significant disability and are unable to live independently .
About 1/3 of people with ASD are nonverbal but can learn to communicate using other mean.
The Autism Spectrum is not linear. Is is more like that round drawing in our notes. Each person with autism will have a set of traits all in different areas of the spectrum. A very linear looking spectrum gives the impression that people range from being
Neurotypical = the majority/average brain.
Neurodiverse = the opposite of neurotypical.
Savant skills = being extremely good in one area of thinking.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) an umbrella diagnosis
Autism
Asperger's
Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
DSM-5 - What is autism 2 ways they are deficit -
1. Social Communication
Joint attention, sharing of interests, failure of normal back and forth
Nonverbal, abnormalities in eye contact and body language, difficulties understanding gestures
Difficulty in s
DSM-5 - What is autism?
2. Restricted, repetitive behavior, interests and activities
Stimming - repititive behaviors
Intense ritualized patterns (i.e., must always walk left around the table to sit down)
Highly restricted interests, obsessed with topics
H
DSM-5 - What is autism?
Symptoms
must be present early in life
cause serious impairment
not explained by some other disability or disorder
How does this look in real life?
Many are non-verbal
Some are very verbal
Obsessions and being very interested in limited subjects
Repetitive behaviors
Echolalia
Poor eye contact
Impulsive
More symptoms:
Self-harm
Anger / temper
Emotionally unaware
Learning disability
Or average or high intelligence
Poor social skills
Sensory issues
Gastro-intestinal troubles
Sleep problems
Gender differences, girls are:
More social
Greater pretend play - very active imaginations
Restricted interests are "gender typical"
Less repetitive behavior
Better at interacting with adults
Better at masking
More likely to be intellectually impaired
Due
But still, what is autism?
It's a biologically based neurological disorder
Their brains work differently
Current thinking is that something occurs during neural development
It is not a disease
Autism: Boys (2.3%)
Girls (0.5%)
1 in 54 in Utah
Why the dramatic increase?
Two broad theories
Awareness and diagnostic criteria
Environmental factors
Awareness and diagnostic criteria
Awareness has increased
Many in the past were likely seen as odd
Criteria have broadened to a degree
Aspergers
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
Rates of Intellectual Disability have come
Environmental causes
What have you heard?
Vaccines - Over 40 peer reviewed studies have examined the issue...No evidence
One study examined every child in Denmark in a certain time period
Over 500,000 kids. Rates of autism are not different between those
Environmental causes
Diet
Some have suggested gluten and dairy as causes of autism
Those with ASD have more gastrointestinal issues linked to gluten and dairy
But likely not the cause
Data do not support the hypothesis
Environmental causes
Most likely experienced in utero
Rubella
Pollution and other toxins - we don't know
Nutrition
Too little or too much folic acid
Age spacing (IMO a component for why rates are higher in Utah)
Conceived within 12 months (3X more likely)
Genetics
Autism is genetic
If an older sibling is autistic
Boys: 12.5X times more likely
Girls: 18X more likely
More likely if parent is autistic, or has symptoms of autism
AQ - I scored a 28 (if above 32 you may be autistic)
Genetics
Autism is genetic
If an older sibling is autistic
Boys: 12.5X times more likely
Girls: 18X more likely
More likely if parent is autistic, or has symptoms of autism
AQ - I scored a 28 (if above 32 you may be autistic)
A few myths...Vaccines
Refrigerator mother hypothesis
It's a phase, they'll grow out of it
People with autism aren't interested in relationships
People with autism are either intellectually disabled or are a savant
Autism is all about weaknesses and disab
We can't really medicate autism.
What is puberty? To become capable of sexual reproduction. It includes all the physical changes that occur in the growing girl or boy as the individual passes from childhood into adulthood. 3 manifestations: 1. A rapid acceleration in growth...increases i
When does puberty start?
The seeds of puberty are sown before birth
Adrenarche
~10
Maturation of adrenal glands
Stimulates hormone release
First feelings of sexual attraction
Sensation seeking
May not cause more stress
Makes you more susceptible
Increases
5 major changes with puberty:
1. Rapid acceleration of growth
2. Further development of gonads
3. Dev of secondary sex characteristics
4. Changes in body composition
5. Changes in respiratory and circulatory system
Physical changes with puberty:
Boys vs. Girls
Similar in muscle and fat throughout childhood
By the end of adolescence muscle to fat ratio
Boys: 3 to 1
Girls: 5 to 4
Early vs. Late puberty: EARLY for BOYS: Impacted greater when bullied
More delinquent - substance use
Higher self-esteem
More popular
More intense tempers
Early vs. Late puberty: LATE for BOYS: More intellectually curious
More exploratory
Greater social initiative
EARLY for girls: Poorer self-esteem
More depression, anxiety, eating disorders
More popular
Especially with older boys
Earlier dating and sexual behaviors
More likely to drink and use other substances
LATE for girls: Higher self-esteem
More academically successful
In developed societies
Age at menarche has declined
Puberty for boys too
Why?
Improved nutrition
Improved health
Family factors
Conflict, an absent father, or abuse may lead to early maturation.
Effects of changes in sleep: Melatonin levels change in adolescence. Melatonin makes you sleepy
For adolescents
Melatonin levels increase later in the day
Easier to stay awake - especially when there is something to do. So they get less sleep
Less sleep =
Puberty and autism: Some challenges
Body hair and shaving
Sensory issues may make shaving and the growth of hair upsetting
20X more likely to be an early maturer
Implications?
At even higher risk for poor mental health
Hygiene
Especially around menstruati
More about puberty and autism: Some challenges
Risk of seizures
May have never had them before
Physical growth
With size comes physical power and potential for damage
Sleep
Many autistic kids struggle with sleep, during puberty melatonin increases, making
Sexual issues with puberty and autism: Modesty
Learning rules of what is appropriate
Masturbation
Public masturbation
For a small group masturbation may become a stimming behavior
Risk of abuse
For 40-80% of autistic kids
Puberty brings significant improvements in communication, social skills, and behavior
Why?
Becoming a sexual being encourages social interactions
May provide motivation to learn social rules
Does not "cure" them, just helps the
Puberty changes are the result of developments in the endocrine and central nervous systems.
Puberty is a gradual process that begins at conception.
No new hormones are produced and no new bodily systems develop at puberty....they have been present since birth and they just increase or decrease.
The endocrine system produces, circulates and regulates levels of hormones in the body
Hormones are secreted by one or more endocrine glands and then enter the bloodstream and travel through the body.
Glands are organs that stimulate particular parts of the body to respond in specific ways.
gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons: Specialized neurons that are activated by certain pubertal hormones.
Hormonal Feedback Loop: The endocrine system receives its instructions to increase or decrease levels of hormones from the central nervous system through the firing of GnRH neurons in the brain. It works like a thermostat. Hormonal levels are "set" at a c
When a hormone level in your body dips below the set point for that hormone...secretion of the hormone increases and visa versa.
Before birth - a feedback loop develops involving the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus and the gonads which releases the sex hormones androgens and estrogens. This feedback loop is known as the HPG axis (Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Gonads.
Pituitary gland - one of the chief glands responsible for regulating levels of hormones in the body.
hypothalamus: A part of the brain that controls the functioning of the pituitary gland.
gonads: The glands that secrete sex hormones: in males: the testes, in females: the ovaries.
Testes - the male gonads
ovaries: the female gonads.
androgens - a class of sex hormones secreted by the gonads found in both sexes....but higher in males.
estrogens: A class of sex hormones secreted by the glands found in both sexes but higher in females.
Puberty occurs occurs when it does because several different signals - genetic as well as environmental - instruct the brain to change the et point.
Adrenarche: The maturation of the adrenal glands that takes place during adolescence.
Most individuals in report that their first sexual attraction took place at the magical age of 10 - before they went through puberty...this may be stimulated by adrenarche....the maturation of the adrenal glands.
One of the reasons adolescence is a period of great vulnerability for the onset of many mental disorders is that the hormonal changes of puberty make us more responsive to stress. This leads to excessive secretion of the stress hormone cortisol...
Cortisol - a hormone produced when a person is exposed to stress.
The onset of puberty is triggered by several factors, including a biological "alarm" that is coded in the individual's genes and various environmental signals, which let the body know that it is ready to begin reproduction.
Physical and behavioral changes at puberty result from 2 different hormonal processes: organizational, which take place long before adolescence, and activational which result from changes in hormones when puberty takes place.
The HPG axis is active but relatively quiet during much of childhood. We have a "puberty alarm" that is set very early in life by information coded in our genes....the age at which someone goes through puberty is largely inherited.
Some of the signals the reawaken the HPG axis are: whether there are sexually mature mating partners in the environment, whether there are sufficient nutritional resources to support a pregnancy and whether the individual is physically mature and healthy
Leptin - a protein produced by the fat cells that may play a role in the onset of puberty.
ORGANIZATIONAL ROLE OF HORMONES. The process through which early exposure to hormones, especially prenatally, organizes the brain or other organs in anticipation of later changes in behavior or patterns of growth.
ACTIVATIONAL ROLE OF HORMONES: The process through which changes in hormone levels, especially at puberty, stimulate changes in the adolescent's behavior, appearance or growth.
The presence or absence of certain hormones early in life may program the brain and the central nervous system to develop in certain ways and according to a certain timetable later on. Because we may not see the resulting changes in behavior until adolesc
MANY CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR AT ADOLESCENCE OCCUR BECAUSE OF CHANGES IN HORMONE LEVELS AT PUBERTY (ACTIVATIONAL ROLE)
Adolescent growth spurt...rapid acceleration in height and weight.
One marker of the conclusion of puberty is the closing of the ends of the long bones in the body - called EPIPHYSIS
Nearly 1/2 of a man's weight is gained during adolescence.
Growth spurt occurs about 2 years earlier among girls than boys.
Much of the height gain during puberty results from an increase in torso length rather than in leg length.
Different parts of the body grow disproportionately during adolescence.
Muscle tissue grows faster in boys than girls. Body fat increases for both sexes during puberty but more so for females than for males. At the end of puberty...bou's muscle to fat ratio is 3:1 and girls is 5:4
Sex differences in physical ability are influenced by a variety of factors, of which hormonal differences are but one part of a complex picture.
Adolescence is the period of greatest risk for the development of eating disorders due to being overly concerned about weight.
Girls who mature early are more dissatisfied with their bodies.
For girls, it is comparing themselves with their friends, and not just being exposed to media portrayals of thinness, that leads to dissatisfaction.
For boys - it is about how muscular they are and they do noe seem to be affected by comparisons with peers.
Black adolescents seems less vulnerable to feelings of body dissatisfaction than other girls.
In boys and girls....the development of the secondary sex characteristics is typically divided into 5 stages - often called TANNER STAGES after the british pediatrician who devised the system.
For boys: The growth of the testes and scrotum and appearance of pubic hair is first stage. About 1 year later....the growth spurt in height begins accompanied by growth of the penis and more pubic hair.
Emergence of facial and body hair and deepening of voice are relatively late developments. Boys have a slight change in the male breast.
Boys are fertile before they have developed an adultlike appearance. The opposite is true for girls.
FOR GIRLS: First sign of sexual maturation in girls is the elevation of the breast....emergence of breast bud.
The development of menstruation is a relatively late development. Generally - full reproductive function does not occur until several years after menarche, and regular ovulation follows by about 2 year.
Girls appear physically mature before they are fertile.
variations in the timing of puberty and in the tempo of puberty are so great that it is misleading to talk even about average ages.
Onset of puberty can occur as early as 7 in girls and 9 1/2 in boys. In girls, the interval between the first sign of puberty and complete physical maturation can be as short as a year and a half or as long as six years. Boys- the range is from about two
in U.S. there are ethnic differences in the timing and rate of pubertal maturation. Black females mature earlier than Mexican american girls, who, in turn mature earlier than White girls.
The timing an datempo of an individual's pubertal maturation are largely inherited...(specific region on chromosome 6)
Environment also plays a role. Individuals inherit a predisposition to develop at a certain rate adn to begin pubertal maturation at a certain time. But this predisposition is best thought of as an upper adn lower age limit not a fixed absolute. So enviro
By far - the 2 most important environmental influences on pubertal maturation are NUTRITION and HEALTH. Puberty occurs earlier among individuals who are better nourished and grow more throughout theri prenatal, infant, and childhood years. Delayed puberty
Generally - after genetic factors, the most important determinant of the timing of puberty is the overall physical well being of the individual from conception through preadolescence.
Social factors in the home may influence the onset of maturation...especially in girls; in contrast, boy's pubertal maturation has not been linked to home environment. Puberty occurs somewhat earlier among girls who grew up in father absent families, in l
Earlier puberty is found among girls who were physically or sexually abused during childhood. Family factors and girls who are abused may be because of the tension in the family may induce stress, shich, in turbn, may affect hormoal secretions.
Our social relationships can indeed affect our biological functioning. ...women who live together - such as dormitory roommates - find that their menstrual periods begin to synchronize over time.
Genetic factors play an extremely small role in determining GROUP differences in pubertal maturation. Differences among countries in the average rate and timing of puberty are more likely to reflect differences in their environments than differences in th
Menarche generally is earlier in countries where individuals are less likely to be malnourished or to suffer from chronic disease.
Because nutritional conditions have improved during the past 150 years, we find a decline in the average age at menarche over time. This pattern is called a SECULAR TREND. This trend is due to better nutrition, better sanitation adn better control of infe
Maturation has become earlier by about 3-4 months per decade.
Most scientists agree that any changes in the average age of puberty have been much less dramatic in recent decades than they were in the early 20-th century.
Biological CHANGES OF PUBERTY CAN HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON BEHAVIOR. ie: increases in testosterone at puberty are directly linked to an increase in sex drive and sexual activity among ado. boys.
Biological changes of puberty cause changes in the adolescent's self image which affects how he or he behaves.
Biological change at puberty transforms the adolescent's appearance which in turn may elicit changes in how OTHERS react to the teenager.
Ado. girls preoccupation with their body is a relatively recent phenomenon created by marketers of clothing, underwear, cosmetics, weight loss programs and feminine products....television commercials, newspaper and magazine advertisements and depictions o
The impact of puberty on ado. psychological functioning is to a great extent shaped by the social context in which puberty takes place. Impact varies by gender and across ethnic groups with girls more adversely affected than boys and with white girls in p
The direct connection between hormones and mood is not very strong. But it is the rapid fluctuation early in puberty that may affect their moods.
Most agree that the impact of hormonal change on mood in ado. is greatly influenced by environmental factors....like family, school or friend problems.
There is little evidence that adolescents moodiness results exclusively from the raging hormones....it is more the environment.
DELAYED PHASE PREFERENCE: A pattern of sleep characterized by later sleep and wake times, which usually emerges during puberty. This is driven by biological changes of puberty.
MELATONIN: A hormone secreted by the brain that contributes to sleepiness. During puberty levels of melatonin levels begin to rise later and later.
Due to puberty....adolescents become more sensitive to dopamine and serotonin
Dopamine=
More sensitive to rewards
Encourages risk taking behavior
Serotonin=
Emotion regulation
Coordinating thoughts and emotions
The brain is made up of neurons
Babies are born with over 100 billion neurons!
Study chart on my phone camera=brain anatomy
PRUNING - Estimates vary
100+ billion (NEURONS)for babies
Some say adults have half that of babies
Other estimates say about 86 billion for adults
Either way, a reduction of 14% to 50%
Pruning and myelinization over time...Occurs over childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood
Areas where the most change is occurring develop the most at those ages
E.g., motor development
PRUNING AND MYELINIZATION...For adolescence the prefrontal cortex sees a lot of change
Linked with
Planning
Thinking ahead
Weighing risks and rewards
Controlling impulses
Not fully developed until mid 20s
Plasticity...Passive and active experiences
Can lead to near permanent change/patterns
We're designed to seek novelty, reward and stimulation
But don't have the full tools to control it
Autism - May have deficits in pruning
Prefrontal cortex ~20% more neurons
May not synthesize serotonin as well
Functional connectivity
Many gains by neurotypical kids are from better neural communication
Especially between the prefrontal cortex and limbic
Do autistic adolescents have Theory of Mind (test with hiding the pen)?
Many and maybe most do
But having the ability doesn't necessarily mean they use it
Autism - fMRI studies on Theory of Mind
Neurotypical adolescents use
Prefrontal cortex and amygdala (limbic system)
Autistic kids use
Superior temporal gyrus
Associated with verbally labelling complex visual stimuli
They're focused on verbally interpretin
Some scientists believe that some of ado. sleep deprivation stems directly from overuse of computers and cell phones.
Although individuals preferred bedtime gets later as they move from childhood into adolescence, the amount of sleep they need each night remains constant and fewer than 10% of students get the needed 9 hours of sleep = poorer mental health, increased inju
Puberty appears to increase conflict and distance between parents adn children among white ado. but not always in ethnic families.
In general - most ado. react positively to the biological changes associated with puberty.
Early and late maturers are often treated differently by others and view themselves differently and they may, as a result, behave differently.
Some evidence suggests that ado. may be moodier during periods of rapid changes in pubertal hormones. In general...stress in the environment is a MUCH stronger influence on adolescent mental health than is puberty!
DELAYED PHASE PREFERENCE: ado. tend to stay up later at night adn sleep later in the morning.
Family relationships frequently become temporarily more strained and distant during the early stages of puberty.
Among boys, early maturation is associated with popularity, higher self-esteem, and more self-confidence, but also with higher rates of problem behavior.
Among girls, early maturation is associated with higher rates of problem behavior, with psychological distress and with emotional difficulties.
In both sexes, the impact of early or late maturation depends on the social context in which it takes place.
Late maturing boys are less popular but when they catch up it is found that they have higher academic ratings, more curiosity and exploratory behavior and social initiative.
Early maturers have more temper tantrums and depression.
Early maturing girls have more depression, anxiety and eating disorders and panic attacks. The negative effects of early maturation are found most in white girls than black or hispanic peers.
Maturational deviance hypothesis= youngsters who stand far apart from their peers - in physical appearance, for instance - may experience more psychological distress than ado. who blend in more easily.
Early maturing girls are at heightened risk for psychological problems....in the US.
As long as our culture overvalues thinness and encourages the view that thinness and encourages the view that females should be judged on the basis of their physical appearance rather than their abilities, values or personality the risks of early puberty
The connections between brain regions that are important for language and social skills grow much more slowly in boys with autism than in non-autistic children.
There is stunted growth rates in areas of the brain implicated in the social impairment, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors that characterize autism.
Normally, as children grow into teenagers, the brain undergoes major changes. This highly dynamic process depends on the creation of new connections, called white matter, and the elimination, or "pruning," of unused brain cells, called gray matter. As a r
Because the brain of a child with autism develops more slowly during this critical period of life, these children may have an especially difficult time struggling to establish personal identity, develop social interactions and refine emotional skills,
The white-matter connections between those brain regions that are important for language and social skills were growing much slower in the boys with autism and unused cells were not properly pruned away.
The brain regions where growth rates were found to be the most altered were associated with the problems autistic children most often struggle with � social impairment, communication deficits and repetitive behavior.
New imaging techniques (functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have enabled scientists to chart changes in the structure and function of the brain in ado.
Among the most important structural changes to take place in ado. is the elimination of unnecessary synapses, a process called SYNAPTIC PRUNING, mostly in the prefrontal cortex
Another structural change involves increased myelination of the brain, which permits mor efficient connections within and between brain regions.
Activation within the prefrontal cortex becomes more focused during ado. and the activation of irrelevant brain areas declines. Also - activity in teh prefrontal cortex becomes increasingly coordinated with activity in other parts of the brain.
Another change in teh ado. brain involves the changes in teh activity of several neurotransmitters in the limbic system. This increases sensation seeking and emotional arousal to make ado. more sensitive to emotional stimuli adn social information.
The combination of heightened sensation seeking and a still maturing prefrontal cortex may make ado. a period of experimentation with risky activity.
The relation between brain development and psychological development is a 2 way street.....the ado. brain is very malleable. and experiences shape its structure and function.
Some aspects of brain development in ado. are reflected in changes in BRAIN STRUCTURE. whereas others are reflected in teh BRAIN FUNCTION.
BRAIN STRUCTURE: The physical form or composition of the brain.
BRAIN FUNCTION: Patterns of brain activity.
Differences between the genders in brain structure and function are very small.
NEURONS= nerve cellsNEUROTRANSMITTERS = specialized chemicals that carry electrical impulses between neurons.
SYNAPSE = The gap in space between neruons, acrosss which neruotransmitters carry electrical impulses.
SYNAPTIC PRUNING = the process through which unnecessary connections between neurons are eliminated, improving the efficiency of info processing.
MYELINATION = The process through which brain circuits are insulated with myelin, which improves the efficiency of information processing.
PREFRONTAL CORTEX = The region of the brain mort important for sophisticated thinking abilities, such as planning, thinking ahead, weighing risks, and rewards, and controlling impulses.
PARIETAL CORTEX=region of brain important for working memory.
TEMPORAL CORTEX: region of brain important for social cognition.
Initially, the brain produces many more connections among cells than it will use.
When unnecessary synapses start to be eliminated, it is called SYNAPTIC PRUNING. " The "paths" we use repeatedly become more and more ingrained, whereas thosee we do not use disappear.
More is NOT always better!! Synaptic pruning results in a decrease in the amount of gray matter in the brain. Synaptic pruning makes for a healthier brain. Different parts of the brain are pruned at different points in development.
Initially, neurons are "nude" - but over development - white fatty tissue called myelin (white matter) encases the projections of neurons that interconnect them. Sort of like plastic insulation - it increases the speed of neural impulses and improves info
One part of brain that is pruned in ado. is the PREFRONTAL CORTEX - the region of the brain important for sophisticated thinking abilities like planning, thinking ahead, weighing risks and rewards and controlling impulses!
Also pruning takes place in the PARIETAL CORTEX AND TEMPORAL CORTEX.
LIMBIC SYSTEM: An area of the brain that plays an important role in the processing of emotional experience, social info, and reward and punishment.
FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY: The extent to which multiple brain regions function at the same time, which improves during ado.
DOPAMINE: A neurotransmitter especially important in the brain circuits that regulate the experience of reward.
SEROTONIN = A neurotransmitter that is especially important for the experience of different moods.
ado = becoming an adult
PUBERTY = the sexual part of becoming an adult.
puberty begins about age 10 - before you actually SEE anything take place (ADRENARCHE)
Increase in B.O. signals sexual readiness.
5 major changes with puberty: 1. rapid acceleration of growth.
2. further development of gonads
3. Dev. of secondary sex characteristics
4. Changes in body composition
5. Changes in resp. and circ. system
About age 11-13 - girls overtake guys in height.
Boys and girls are similar in muscle and fat in childhood......by the end of adolescence...
Boys 3:1
Girls 5:4
EARLY MATURING BOYS:
impacted greater when bullied
more delinquent - substance abuse
higher self esteem
more popular
more intense tempers
LATE MATURING BOYS:
more intellectually mature
For 40 - 80% of autistic kids....puberty brings significant improvements in communication, social skills and behavior.
WHY? Changes in puberty pushes them TOWARDS social relationships!
Does not CURE them - just helps them adapt
Myelin sheath - makes brain more fast - like paving the roads or using pipes.
Pruning and myelination over time occurs over childhood, adoles. and into adulthood.
We ALWAYS have plasticity - it may be harder but we can always change.
Those with Autism: May have deficits in pruning.
Prefrontal cortex - 20% more neurons...This is not good. It takes longer to accomplish a task. They may not synthesize serotonin as well.
FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY = Many gains by neurotypical kids are from better communication - especially between the prefrontal cortex and limbic system.
But for autistic kids: the prefrontal cortex may mostly be speaking to itself and have a hard time making
AUTISM: Theory of mind.....Autistic kids have - but they don't always use it!! They use it differently.
theory of mind : The ability to know that people have a different perspective!
Neurotypical kids use prefrontal cortex and amygdala (limbic system).
Autistic kids use: Superior temporal gyrus.They are focused on verbally interpreting what is going on.
NEW SECTION: IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
As individuals mature intellectually and undergo cognitive changes, they come to conceive of themselves in more sophisticated and more differentiated ways. They become better at abstract concepts and more proficient in processing large amounts of info. Th
Children tend to describe themselves in relatively concrete terms, and adolescents are more likely to use complex, abstract and psychological self characterizations. There also becomes greater consistency in how individuals describe themselves and how the
Self conceptions change in structure and content during the transition from childhood into ado. Structurally = self conceptions become more differentiated and better organized.
Instead of "I am nice" - an ado. will say "I am nice if I am in a good mood." Ado. will link traits and attributes that describe themselves to specific situations rather than using them as global characterizations.
Omnipotence:
Positive mental health and adjustment
Invulnerability:
Risk taking
Uniqueness - depression and suicide ideation
A more complex self-conception is psychologically healthy
One's self:
who you really are
Ideal self:
who you want to be
Feared self:
who you don't want to be
False-self: Linked with:
Poor self-esteem
More likely if: depressed, lonely, low emotional support (family or friends)
Moratorium - working on it
Diffusion - not working on it
Foreclosure - didn't explore
Achieved - have an identity
Same process
Some may have more difficulty understanding discrepancies
Due to differences in neural pruning
It may be a slower or more difficult process
Girls may particularly struggle
Masking and the false self
Identifying AUTISTIC: How to identify myself?
Some will struggle with where autism fits into their identity
Am I autistic? An aspie? An asperagan?
Varying connotations
Aspie:
Some see it as supremacist
Some see it as seeking solidarity
Autistic:
Some see
Important Definitions
Sex
Biologically based
Chromosomes
Male
Female
Intersex (hermaphrodite)
Study picture on phone about gingerbread person
Gender identity: Greater risk for depression and suicide
Especially when they think others see it as a burden
How do you help adolescents?
For me - I won't compromise my beliefs
BUT, I won't judge them or mistreat them
Gender roles: - Masculine (instrumental)
Competitive, aggressive, driven, leadership
Feminine (expressive)
Caring, empathetic, gentle, loving, likes kids
LGBTQ ado. = sexual and gender identities
If they view their chosen identity as a burden they are at greater risk for poor mental health
Autism and gender: Autistic adolescents more likely to have gender dysphoria (GID)
Ado. self conceptions may be particularly sensitive to the opinions of others.
Ado. are able to organize and integrate different aspects of their self concept into a more logical coherent whole than children can. ie: I am shy when I first meet people, but after I get to know them, I'm usually pretty friendly.
An important aspect of having a healthy self concept is having an ideal self to balance a feared self!
True" and "False" self = authentic and inauthentic selves. Ado. are most likely to behave inauthentically in romantic and dating situations and with classmates and they are least likely to put on a false front with close friends.
In general... ado. who report less emotional support from parents and peers, who have low self esteem and who are relatively more depressed and hopeless than their peers are more likely to engage in false self behavior.
FIVE FACTOR MODEL: The theory that there are 5 basic dimensions to personality; 1. extraversion, 2. agreeableness, 3. conscientiousness, 4. neuroticism, and 5. openness to experience.
Individuals who are judged to be well adjusted in early and middle childhood tend to be resilient and competent ado. Characteristics tend to stay similar from childhood to adolescence...."The person who enters adolescence is basically the same as the who
During the transition into ado., self conceptions become increasingly complex, abstract, and psychological.
Adolescent's self conceptions are more differentiated and better organized than to those of children.
Although having more complex self conceptions may be unsettling to ado. initially, it ultimately permits them to have a more sophisticated and more accurate view of themselves.
Ado. are able to distinguish between their actual and their imagined selves and between their authentic and false selves.
There are strong links between early temperament and adolescent personality and stability in basic personality traits over time.
Although there is no dramatic drop in self esteem in ado., ado feelings about themselves fluctuate from day to day especially in early ado years. From about 8th grade on, self esteem remains highly stable. Self esteem either remains at the same levels or
SELF ESTEEM= HOW POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY THEY FEEL ABOUT THEMSELVES
SELF CONSCIOUSNESS= HOW MUCH THEY WORRY ABOUT THER SELF IMAGE
SELF IMAGE STABILITY - HOW MUCH THEIR SELF IMAGE CHANGES FROM DAY TO DAY.
Young ado. whose self image fluctuates a lot from moment to moment are likely to develop into older ado. who experience the same thing.
Ado. with better family and peer relationships are more likely than their peers to maintain positive self esteem.
Can't really characterize an ado. social or academic self esteem as low or high without specifying the relationship or subject being referred to. It can be different in different areas!
In general, ado. physical self esteem is the most important predictor of overall self esteem followed by self esteem about relationships with peers. Less important are self esteem about academic ability, athletic ability or moral conduct.
early ado girls are more vulnerable to disturbances in their self image than any other group of youngsters. This is mostly true with white girls, to a similar extent with hispanics and to a lesser (much less) extent with blacks. Black girls do not feel as
Black ado. have higher self esteem than whites who in turn have higher self esteem than hispanic, asian, or native americans.
Asians seem to have the lowest self esteem.
High school students who live in a social environment or go to a school in which their ethnic or socioeconomic group is in the MINORITY are more likely to have self image problems than those in the majority.
Ado. whose self esteem is too wrapped up in the approval of others - especially in the approval of peers are at risk for developing self image problems since peer acceptance fluctuates over time.
Academic success leads to improvements in how ado. feel about themselves not the other way around.
For about half of ado., depression leads to low self esteem. For the other half, having low self esteem leads to depression.
Ado. with high self esteem are more likely to experiment with alcohol than those with low self esteem.
Ado. self esteem is quite stable during ado. anda contrary to popular belief, increases slightly. This increase levels off as individuals become young adults.
Generally, males adn black ado. have higher self esteem than females or ado from other ethnic groups. Asian ado. have expecially low self esteem relative to their peers.
High self esteem is related to parental approval, peer support and success in school.
Erikson's 8 stages of psychosocial crises over the course of the life span....he believes that the establishment of a coherent sense of identity - called the crisis of IDENTITY VERSUS IDENTITY DIFFUSION is the chief psychosocial crisis of ado.
Erikson believed that the key to resolving the crisis of identity versus identity diffusion lies in teh ado's interactions with others. By responding to the reactions of people who matter, the ado. selects and chooses from among the many elements that cou
The likelihood of going through a prolonged and difficult identity crisis is probably greater today and more prevalent around the world than it has ever been.
PSYCHOSOCIAL MORATORIUM: a period during which individuals are free from excessive obligations and responsibilities and can therefore experiment with different roles and personalities.
According to Erikson...ado. must grow into an adult identity rather than be forced into one prematurely.
Erikson believed that establishing a sense of identity is done consciously. The identity crisis of ado. when successfully resolves, culminates in a series of basic life commitments: occupational, ideological;, social, religious, ethical and sexual.
3 problems of not resolving identity crisis:
1. IDENTITY DIFFUSION is characterized by an incoherent, disjointed, incomplete sense of self characteristic of not having resolved the crisis of identity.
2. IDENTITY FORECLOSURE: The premature establishment o
IDENTITY STATUS: refers to the point in the identity development process that characterizes an adolescent at a given time.
Healthy identity involvement involves some degree of experimentation and exploration before one finalizes one's choices about work, love, and lifestyle.
In identity status research - individuals are assigned to one of 4 identity states:
1. IDENTITY ACHIEVEMENT - the individual has established a coherent sense of identity...has made commitments after a period of exploration. (They are psychologically healt
Defining characteristic of individuals who have achieved a coherent sense of identity, is that they approach life's decisions with a strong sense of AGENCY. They take responsibility for themselves, they feel in control of their decisions, and they have co
When someone in their early 20's is asked if they are adolescents or adults and they say they are not sure...they are less likely to have achieved a sense of identity than those who are certain they have reached adulthood.
Generally - individuals whose identity development is healthy are more likely to have had authoritative homes characterized by warm, but not excessively constraining relations.
The late teens and early 20's appear to be the critical times for the crystallization of a sense of identity.
Not everyone follows the same pattern to arrive at identity achievement.
IDENTITY CRISIS: coming to terms with who one is and where one is headed.
Most studies indicate that the major developments in identity occur in late adolescence and young adulthood rather than earlier during the adolescent decade.
Research has not supported the proposition that identity development always follows a logical orderly sequence.
Apart from some obvious physical differences, adolescent males and females actually aren't lal that different.
GENDER INTENSIFICATION HYPOTHESIS: The idea that pressures to behave in sex appropriate ways intensify during adolescence.
Social pressures may drive teenagers toward more gender stereotypic behavior.
The extent to which individual's gender role behavior changes during adolescence is influenced by many factors, including birth order, the presence and sex of older or younger siblings, and their parent's attitudes.
In general...among males and females - many traits traditionally labeled as masculine are associated in adolescence with better adjustment and greater peer acceptance. Females who have a mix of both masculine and feminine traits and masculine males report
Boys and girls who behave in gender typical ways are more accepted than their peers whose behavior does not conform with gender role stereotypes.
The costs of being gender atypical are greater for boys than girls.