PS102 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Egocentrism, Imaginary Audience, Sex Organ
Document Summary
Adolescents display features of both children and adults. Physical development of primary and secondary sex characteristics. Onset and course influenced largely by pituitary gland. Gland coordinates activities of rest of the endocrine system (adrenal glands, testes, ovaries) Events stimulate growth of body hair and muscle tissue. Spurt begins in middle childhood for girls and early adolescence for boys. Growth spurt occurs about two years before primary sex characteristics develop. Primary sex characteristics: reproductive body structures, growth of testes, ovaries. Secondary sex characteristics: non-reproductive body events, deepening of male voice, increase of female breasts. Synaptic connections continue to decrease as result of synaptic pruning. Many brain changes are localized to prefrontal cortex. Development of prefrontal cortex is incomplete until mid twenties. Teens show increased capacity for reasoning about abstract things. However they have deficits in abilities to see outside of moment or take other"s points of view. Shift into formal operational stage opens door to higher-level moral thinking.
