1. PSYC 50
Developmental Psychology
ADOLESCENCE
Puberty – collection of physical changes that marks the onset of
adolescence, including a growth spurt and the growth of breasts or
testes.
Primary Sex Characteristics – physical signs of maturity that are
directly linked to the reproductive organs.
Secondary Sex Characteristics – physical signs of maturity that are
not directly linked to reproductive organs.
Menarche – onset of menstruation
Spermarche – first spontaneous ejaculation of sperm.
Body Mass Index (BMI) – an adjusted ratio of weight to height; used
to define “overweight”
Basal Metabolic rate – the speed at which the body consumes
calories.
Anorexia nervosa – persistent refusal to eat accompanied by an
irrational fear of being overweight.
Bulimia Nervosa – disease in which people alternate between binge
eating—periods when they eat uncontrollably—and purging with
laxatives or self-induced vomiting.
Information Processing During Adolescence
Feature State in Adolescence
Working memory and
processing speed
Content Knowledge
Strategies and
metacognition
Problem solving and
reasoning
Adolescents have adultlike working
memory capacity and processing
speed, enabling them to process
information efficiently.
Adolescents’ greater knowledge of
the world facilitates understanding
and memory of new experiences.
Adolescents’ are better able to
identify task-appropriate strategies
and to monitor the effectiveness of
those strategies.
Adolescents often solve problems
analytically by relying on
mathematics or logic, and they are
able to detect weaknesses in
scientific evidence and logical
arguments.
Preconventional level – first level of reasoning in Kohlberg’s theory,
where moral reasoning is based on external forces.
Obedience Orientation – characteristic of Kohlberg’s Stage 1, in
which moral reasoning is based on the belief that adults know what
is right and wrong.
Instrumental Orientation – characteristic of Kohlberg’s Stage 2, in
which moral reasoning is based on the aim of looking out for one’s
own needs.
Conventional Level – second level of reasoning in Kohlberg’s theory,
where moral reasoning is based on society’s norms.
Interpersonal Norms – characteristic of Kohlberg’s Stage 3, in which
moral reasoning is based on winning the approval of others.
Social System Morality – characteristic of Kohlberg’s Stage 4, in
which moral reasoning is based on maintenance of order in society.
Postconventional Level – third level of reasoning in Kohlberg’s
theory, in which morality is based on a personal moral code.
Social contract – characteristic of Kohlberg’s Stage 5, in which moral
reasoning is based on the belief that laws are for the good of all
members of society.
Universal Ethical Principles – characteristic of Kohlberg’s Stage 6, in
which moral reasoning is based on moral principles that apply to all.
Marcia’s Four Identity Statuses
Status Definition Example
Diffusion The individual is
overwhelmed by the
task of achieving an
identity and does
little to accomplish
the task.
Larry hates the idea of
deciding what to do with his
future so he spends most of
his free time playing video
games.
Foreclosure The individual has a
status determined
by adults rather than
by personal
exploration.
For as long as she can
remember, Sakura’s
parents told her that she
should be an attorney and
join the family law firm. She
plans to study prelaw in
college, though she’s never
given the matter much
thought.
Moratorium The individual is
examining different
alternatives but has
yet to find one that’s
satisfactory.
Brad enjoys almost all his
high-school classes. Some
days he thinks it would be
to fun to be a chemist,
some days he wants to be a
novelist, and some days
he’d like to be an
elementary-school teacher.
He thinks it’s a little weird
to change his mind so
often, but he also enjoys
thinking about different
jobs.
Achievement The individual has
explored alternatives
and has deliberately
Throughout middle school,
Efrat wanted to play in the
WNBA. During 9th and 10th

2. chosen a specific
identity.
grades, she thought it
would be cool to be a
physician. In 11th grade, she
took a computing course
and everything finally
‘’clicked``---she’d found her
niche. She knew that she
wanted to study computer
science since in college.
Adolescent Egocentrism – self-absorption that is characteristic of
teenagers as they search for identity.
Imaginary Audience – adolescent’s feeling that their behavior is
constantly being watched by their peers.
Personal Fable – attitude of many adolescents that their feelings
and experiences are unique and have never been experienced by
anyone else before.
Illusion of Invulnerability – adolescents’ belief that misfortunes
cannot happen to them.
Ethnic Identity – feeling of belonging to a specific ethnic group.
Characteristics of Adolescents’ Thinking
Feature Definition Example
Adolescent
egocentrism
Adolescents are
overly concerned
with their own
thoughts and
feelings.
When Levi’s grandmother
died unexpectedly, Levi was
preoccupied with how the
funeral affect his weekend
plans and ignored how upset
his mother was by her own
mother’s death.
Imaginary
audience
Adolescents
believe that others
are watching them
constantly.
Tom had to ride his bike to
football practice because his
dad wouldn’t let him have
the car; he was sure that all
his car-driving friends would
see and make fun of him.
Personal fable Adolescents
believe that their
experiences and
feeling are unique.
When Rosa’s boyfriend
decided to date another girl,
Rosa cried and cried. She
couldn’t believe how sad she
was, and she was sure her
mom had never felt this
way.
Illusion
invulnerability
Adolescents think
the misfortune
happens only to
others.
Kumares and his girlfriend
had been sex for about 6
months. Although she
thought it would be a good
idea to use birth control, he
thought it was unnecessary:
There was no way his
girlfriend would get
pregnant.
Features of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Disease US Frequency Symptoms Complications
Caused by
bacteria
Chlamydia 3.3% of
adolescent
females and
0.7% of
adolescent
males.
75% of women
50% of men
have no
symptoms:
sometimes
abnormal
discharge of
pus from the
vagina and
penis or pain
while
urinating.
Infections of
the cervix and
Fallopian
tubes that can
lead to
infertility: rare
in men.
Gonorrhea 0.6% of
adolescent
females and
0.3% of
adolescent
males.
Often of
symptoms at
all; pus
discharge from
the penis or
vagina, pain
associated
with urination;
for women,
pain during
intercourse;
for men,
swollen
testicles.
Pelvic
inflammatory
disease, a
serious
infection of
the female
reproductive
tract that can
lead to
infertility; in
men,
epididymitis,
an infection of
the testicles
that can lead
to infertility.
Syphilis About 4,000
cases annually
among 15- to
24-year-olds.
A sore, called
a chancre, at
the sites of the
infection----
usually the
penis, vulva,
or vagina.
Left
untreated, can
damage
internal
organs such as
the brain,
nerves, eyes,
heart, bones,
and joints.
Caused by
virus
Genital herpes At least 45
million of age
12 and older
(roughly 1 in 5
adolescent
and adults)
Itching,
burning or
pain in the
genital or anal
areas; sores of
the mouth,
penis, or
vagina.
Recurrent
sores;
pregnant
women can
pass the virus
(which can be
fatal to the
newborn) to
the baby
during the
birth.
Genital
human
papilloma
virus (HPV)
20 million Usually no
symptoms;
sometimes
genital warts
or discharge
from the penis
or vagina.
Usually goes
away; in rare
cases leads to
cervical
cancer.
Hepatitis B About 75,000
annually
Jaundice,
fatigue, loss of
appetite,
abdominal
Death from
chronic liver
disease.

3. pain.
HIV About 40,000
diagnosed
annually
Initially a
flulike illness;
later, enlarged
lymph nodes,
lack of energy,
weight loss,
frequent
fevers.
Loss of
immune cells
(AIDS), cancer
death.
Crystallization – first phase in Super’s theory of career development,
in which adolescents use their emerging identities to form ideas
about careers.
Specification – second phase in Super’s theory of career
development, in which adolescents learn more about specific lines
of work and begin training.
Implementation – third phase in Super’s theory of career
development, in which individuals actually enter the workforce.
Personality-type Theory – view proposed by Holland that people
find their work fulfilling when the important features of a job or
profession fit the worker’s personality.
Personality Types in Holland’s Theory
Personality Type Description Careers
Realistic Individuals enjoy
physical labor and
working with their
hands; they like to
solve concrete
problems.
Mechanic, truck,
driver, construction
worker.
Investigative Individuals are task-oriented
and enjoy
about abstract
relations.
Scientist, technical
writer.
Social Individuals are
skilled verbally and
interpersonally; they
enjoy solving
problems using
these skills.
Teacher, counselor,
social worker.
Conventional Individuals have
verbal and
quantitative skills
that they like to
apply to structured,
well-defined tasks
assigned to them by
others.
Bank teller, payroll
clerk, traffic
manager.
Enterprising Individuals enjoy
using their verbal
skills in positions of
power, status, and
leadership.
Business executive,
television producer,
real estate agent.
Artistic Individuals enjoy
expressing
themselves through
unstructured tasks.
Poet, musician,
actor.
Depression – disorder characterized by pervasive feelings of
sadness, irritability, and low self-esteem.
Juvenile Delinquency – when adolescents commit illegal acts that
are destructive to themselves or others.
Adolescent-Limited Antisocial Behavior – the behavior of youth
who engage in relatively minor criminal acts but aren’t consistently
antisocial.
Life-Course Persistent Antisocial behavior – antisocial behavior that
emerges at an early age and continues throughout life.
References:
Kail, R. V. and Cavanaugh, J. C. (2013). Human Development: A Life
Span View. 6th edition. Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.
Santrock, J.W. (2006). Life-Span Perspective.10th Edition. McGraw-
Hill. New York.
Prepared by:
Mrs. Maria Angela L. Diopol
Instructor