LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT EXAM #3
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
What is typical family conflict seen in adolescence? - Answer--Individuation: adolescents struggle
to achieve autonomy and personal identity.
-Most arguments over day-to-day matters (chores, school work, dress, money, curfew, dating,
friends).
How do friendships change during adolescence? - Answer--More important than in any other life
period.
-More reciprocal and stable than in childhood (increased intimacy).
Sexual identity is achieved by: - Answer-1) Seeing oneself as a sexual being
2) Recognizing one's sexual orientation
3) Coming to terms with sexual ???
4) Forming romantic and sexual attachments
Sexual Identity - Answer-Focus of consistent sexual, romantic, and affectionate interest.
-Homosexual - persons of same sex
-Heterosexual - persons of opposite sex
-Bisexual - persons of both sexes
Isolated experiences do not determine orientation.
Recentering - Stage 1 - Answer-Still embedded in family origin.
Recentering - Stage 2 - Answer-Connected to family, but moving toward serious commitments
and gaining resources to support them.
Recentering - Stage 3 - Answer-Independence from family of origin, with increased commitment
to career, partner, and possibly children. Shift in goals from: education, travel, friends -> health,
family, work.
Is adolescent rebellion a myth? - Answer-Stereotype of adolescent rebellion: a time of emotional
turmoil, conflict with the family, alienation from adult society, reckless behavior, rejection of adult
values.
Only one in five teens fits this pattern.
Sexual Identity: Nature or Nurture? - Answer-Sexuality is biologically driven, but culturally
determined:
-Sexual orientation and chromosomes
-Twin studies
-Brain differences
-Pheromone (?) differences
, What is the average age of first intercourse? - Answer-Females: 17 years
Males: 16 years
What are the top reasons for not having sex? - Answer-Religion or morals and to avoid
pregnancy.
What factors are associated with early sex? - Answer-Early puberty, poverty, poor school
performance, history of sexual abuse, neglect, cultural or family patterns, and perception of peer
norms.
Where do teens get information about sex? - Answer-Friends, parents, sex education at school,
and the media.
Who uses contraception during first intercourse? - Answer-83% of girls and 91% of boys.
How is adolescent circadian rhythm different than other periods of the lifespan? - Answer-
Adolescents stay up late because they want to act more grown up but also because of the
secretion of the hormone melatonin. After puberty, this secretion takes place later at night. Go to
bed late and then have to wake up early for school, sleep deprivation is rampant.
Brain Changes in Adolescence - Answer-- Continued myelination and synaptic pruning.
- Facilitate maturation of cognitive abilities.
- Frontal lobes: reasoning, judgment, and impulse control.
Risk Taking - Answer-Comes from two brain networks:
-Socio-emotional Network (peer influence)
-Cognitive Control Network (responses to stimuli)
Mature emotional processing through prefrontal cortex
Prefrontal Cortex - Answer-Changes dramatically during adolescence. Decision making,
planning, social interaction, and self-awareness.
What cognitive advances are evident for adolescents in Piaget's formal operations stage? -
Answer--Capacity for abstract thought (third eye experiment)
-More flexible way to manipulate information
-Understand symbols, imagine possibilities
-No longer thinking in black and white or limited to here and now.
Formal Operations - Hypothetical Deductive Reasoning - Answer-Ability to develop, consider,
and test hypotheses.
Example of Hypothetical Deductive Reasoning - Pendulum Problem - Answer-A child is shown
the pendulum - an object hanging from a string. He is then shown how he can change any of four
factors: the length of the string, the weight of the object, the height from which the object is
released, and the amount of force he may use to push the object. He is asked to figure out which
factor or combination of factors determines how fast the pendulum swings.
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
What is typical family conflict seen in adolescence? - Answer--Individuation: adolescents struggle
to achieve autonomy and personal identity.
-Most arguments over day-to-day matters (chores, school work, dress, money, curfew, dating,
friends).
How do friendships change during adolescence? - Answer--More important than in any other life
period.
-More reciprocal and stable than in childhood (increased intimacy).
Sexual identity is achieved by: - Answer-1) Seeing oneself as a sexual being
2) Recognizing one's sexual orientation
3) Coming to terms with sexual ???
4) Forming romantic and sexual attachments
Sexual Identity - Answer-Focus of consistent sexual, romantic, and affectionate interest.
-Homosexual - persons of same sex
-Heterosexual - persons of opposite sex
-Bisexual - persons of both sexes
Isolated experiences do not determine orientation.
Recentering - Stage 1 - Answer-Still embedded in family origin.
Recentering - Stage 2 - Answer-Connected to family, but moving toward serious commitments
and gaining resources to support them.
Recentering - Stage 3 - Answer-Independence from family of origin, with increased commitment
to career, partner, and possibly children. Shift in goals from: education, travel, friends -> health,
family, work.
Is adolescent rebellion a myth? - Answer-Stereotype of adolescent rebellion: a time of emotional
turmoil, conflict with the family, alienation from adult society, reckless behavior, rejection of adult
values.
Only one in five teens fits this pattern.
Sexual Identity: Nature or Nurture? - Answer-Sexuality is biologically driven, but culturally
determined:
-Sexual orientation and chromosomes
-Twin studies
-Brain differences
-Pheromone (?) differences
, What is the average age of first intercourse? - Answer-Females: 17 years
Males: 16 years
What are the top reasons for not having sex? - Answer-Religion or morals and to avoid
pregnancy.
What factors are associated with early sex? - Answer-Early puberty, poverty, poor school
performance, history of sexual abuse, neglect, cultural or family patterns, and perception of peer
norms.
Where do teens get information about sex? - Answer-Friends, parents, sex education at school,
and the media.
Who uses contraception during first intercourse? - Answer-83% of girls and 91% of boys.
How is adolescent circadian rhythm different than other periods of the lifespan? - Answer-
Adolescents stay up late because they want to act more grown up but also because of the
secretion of the hormone melatonin. After puberty, this secretion takes place later at night. Go to
bed late and then have to wake up early for school, sleep deprivation is rampant.
Brain Changes in Adolescence - Answer-- Continued myelination and synaptic pruning.
- Facilitate maturation of cognitive abilities.
- Frontal lobes: reasoning, judgment, and impulse control.
Risk Taking - Answer-Comes from two brain networks:
-Socio-emotional Network (peer influence)
-Cognitive Control Network (responses to stimuli)
Mature emotional processing through prefrontal cortex
Prefrontal Cortex - Answer-Changes dramatically during adolescence. Decision making,
planning, social interaction, and self-awareness.
What cognitive advances are evident for adolescents in Piaget's formal operations stage? -
Answer--Capacity for abstract thought (third eye experiment)
-More flexible way to manipulate information
-Understand symbols, imagine possibilities
-No longer thinking in black and white or limited to here and now.
Formal Operations - Hypothetical Deductive Reasoning - Answer-Ability to develop, consider,
and test hypotheses.
Example of Hypothetical Deductive Reasoning - Pendulum Problem - Answer-A child is shown
the pendulum - an object hanging from a string. He is then shown how he can change any of four
factors: the length of the string, the weight of the object, the height from which the object is
released, and the amount of force he may use to push the object. He is asked to figure out which
factor or combination of factors determines how fast the pendulum swings.
