Adolescent Psych: Chapter 3

1
Adolescent Psych Chapter 3

• Biological Foundations, Puberty, and Health

2
Evolution and Adolescent Development

• Natural Selection the evolutionary process that
  favors individuals of a species that are best
  adapted to survive and reproduce.
• Survivors are better adapted to the world than
  non-survivors.
• Complete title of Darwins book

3
Evolutionary psychology

• Evolutionary psychology emphasizes the importance
  of adaptation, reproduction, and survival of the
  fittest in explaining behavior
• What behavior assists in gene propagation and
  what behavior interferes in gene propagation?

4
The nature of genes Questions?

• What is a genotype?
• What is a phenotypes?
• What is a reaction range?
• What is canalization?
• What is behavior genetics?
• How can effects of genetics be sorted out from
  effects of environment?

5
Genotype

• A genotype is your genetic code as determined by
  strands of nucleotides in contained in
  phosphate-sugar ladders in the nucleus of your
  cells
• What are nucleotides?
• What is adenine? Guanine? Cytosine? Thymine?
• Karyotype

6
Genotype/Karyotype
7
GenotypeChromosome
8
GenotypeDNA

• Adenine
• Thymine
• Cytosine
• Guanine
• Uracil in RNA

9
Genotype Purines

• Adenine Guanine

10
Genotype Pyramidines

• Thymine Cytosine

11
Genotype
12
Making tissue from genes
13
Twin studies

• Monozygotic twins
• Dizygotic twins
• Concordance studies
• Adoption studies help to separate genetics from
  environmental influences

14
Temperament

• Easy Child positive mood, and adapts well
• Difficult Child react negatively and fusses low
  adaptability
• Slow-to-warm child low activity, somewhat slow
  adaptability, low intensity of mood

15
Heredity and Environment

• Passive genotype-environment
• Evocative genotype-environment
• Active niche-picking genotype-environment
• There is an heredity-environment correlation

16
Puberty

• Physical Changes
• Hormonal Changes
• Psychological Dimensions

17
Puberty

• Puberty is a period of rapid physical maturation
  involving hormonal and bodily changes that occur
  primarily during adolescence.
• Menarche
• 106 pounds - 3lbs
• Issues of maturation

18
Hormone changes

• Hormones powerful chemical substances secreted
  by the endocrine glands and carried through the
  body by the bloodstream
• Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
• Estrogen, progesterone, estradiol and female
  development
• Testosterone, androgens

19
Estrogens

• Estrogens are female reproductive hormones which
  are secreted by the ovaries.
• They stimulate the proliferation of the lining of
  the uterus during the estrous cycle of
  non-primates, and the menstrual cycle of primates
  (including humans).

20
Hypothalamus and pituitary glands
21
Estrogens

• Play a part in the estrous/menstrual cycle
• Estrogens function in maintaining female
  secondary sexual characteristics.
• The most active form of endogenous (or made in
  the body) estrogen is estradiol.

22
Estrogens

• Estrogen has beneficial effects in preventing
  heart disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's
  disease.
• However, there is also evidence that estrogen may
  promote cancers of the breast, uterus, and other
  organs.

23
Estrogens

• The way that estrogen works is to enter the cells
  of its target organ, bind with a receptor protein
  within the cell, which then enters the cell
  nucleus and interacts with nucleic acids to
  promote the synthesis of specific proteins.
• All hormones work in this same general manner
  regardless of sex or type

24
Estrogen

• Estrogens are important chemical signals that
  influence the growth and regulation of the liver,
  the cardiovascular system, and of sexual
  development and function.
• These molecules are steroid hormones synthesized
  by cholesterol within the female ovaries and the
  male testes.

25
Estrogen Estradiol molecule
26
Estrogen

• Estrogen plays a significant role in breast and
  uterine development by encouraging DNA synthesis
  and cell division.
• Estrogen also aids in the development of the male
  sperm production. (little known fact)

27
Estrogen

• The binding of estrogen to the receptor inside
  the cell or on the cell surface is often referred
  to as a "lock and key fit," in which estrogen is
  the key and the receptor is the lock.

28
Testosterone

• Stimulates the body's development of muscle,
  bone, skin, and sex organs, along with masculine
  physical features, such as hair growth.
• Recently, scientists have discovered that
  testosterone also improves mental power, by
  enhancing visual and perceptual skills.

29
Testosterone

• In men, testosterone is produced in the testes,
  by a group of cells known as Leydig cells. These
  cells begin secreting high doses of testosterone
  during puberty to trigger increased lean muscle
  mass, sex organ growth, bone formation, deeper
  voice, and higher energy levels.

30
Testosterone

• Peak testosterone levels are reached in a man's
  early to mid- 20s.
• Vital role testosterone plays in health
• Testosterone deficiency symptoms depression,
  fatigue, low sex drive, irritability, loss of
  facial/body hair, thinning and wrinkling of skin,
  weight gain, and weakening of bone and muscle
  tissue

31
Factors affecting puberty?

• Factors affecting hormones?
• Foods estrogen in cattle
• Lighting electric lighting
• Stress busy schedules
• Athletic activities

32
Variations in sexual development

• Early male maturers
• Late male matuerers
• Early female maturers
• Late female maturers

33
Male sexual development

• Development of pubic hair
• Voice changes
• Increase in muscle mass
• Begins as early as 10 years to as late as 13.5
  years in most boys
• Ends as early as 13 years to as late as 17 years
  in most boys

34
Female sexual development

• Menarche may begin normally any time between the
  ages of 9 and 15 years.
• Recorded earliest onset is age 5 a girl in Peru
  had a child at age 6
• breast buds, emergence of pubic hair
• growth in height, widening of hips
• added adipose (fat) tissue

35
Glands involved in pubertal changes

• Ovaries/testes
• Adrenal gland
• Pituitary gland
• Hypothalamus
• Thyroid gland

36
Psychological effects of pubertal physiological
changes

• How boys and girls view themselves through the
  changes

37
Body image

• Adolescents are preoccupied with their bodies
• There are gender differences in adolescents
  perceptions of their bodies
• girls are less happy with their bodies and have
  more negative body images
• boys are more happy with their bodies and have
  more positive body images
• Fat vs muscle changes

38
Menarche and menstrual cycles

• Psychological experience of menarche an
  menstruation is dependant on how it has been
  introduced to girls
• The Curse vs Youre a woman now!
• Generally it is mildly exciting and at worst it
  is considered a hassle
• Girls are somewhat embarrassed about menarche
  tell mom but nobody else

39
Adolescent health issues
40
Leading cause of death in adolescents

• Accident
• Suicide
• Homicide

41
Teenage suicide Danger signs

• Talking about suicide, or killing oneself, even
  in a joking manner.
• Statements about hopelessness, helplessness, or
  worthlessness.
• Preoccupation with death.
• Suddenly happier, calmer.
• Loss of interest in things one cares about.

42
Teenage suicide Danger signs

• Visiting or calling people one cares about.
• Making arrangements setting one's affairs in
  order.
• Giving things away.
• Any threats should be listened to and taken
  seriously do not ignore these signs

43
Further indicators of possible teen suicide risk

• Persistent sad or "empty" mood.
• Feeling hopeless, helpless, worthless,
  pessimistic and or guilty.
• Substance abuse.
• Fatigued or loss of interest in ordinary
  activities.
• Disturbances in eating and sleeping patterns.
  Irritability.

44
Columbine suicide note

• By now, it's over. If you are reading this, my
  mission is complete. Your children who have
  ridiculed me, who have chosen not to accept me,
  who have treated me like I am not worth their
  time are dead. THEY ARE FUCKING DEAD!, I may
  have taken their lives and my own _ but it was
  your doing. Teachers, parents, LET THIS MASSACRE
  BE ON YOUR SHOULDERS UNTIL THE DAY YOU DIE.''

45
End of Chapter 3

• Questions about chapter 3 lecture, book, etc.?