Glossary

Adolescence—the period of time in a person's life beginning with the onset of puberty and ending with the full acceptance of adult responsibility. In years, that could be anywhere from age 10 on the low end to about age 25 on the other end.

Adolescent—one who is in the developmental period called adolescence. A young person in the midst of major biological changes leading to sexual maturity. An individual in the "in between" phase between childhood and adulthood.

Adolescent psychology—that branch of psychology concerned with the developmental period labeled adolescence. A study of the changes (interests, attitudes, behaviors) that occur between childhood and adulthood, of the rites of passage, and of the developmental forces that account for these changes.

Adrenal glands—ductless glands, located just above the kidneys, that secrete androgens and estrogens in both men and women. More famous for their secretion of adrenaline, especially during times of physical or emotional stress or excitement.

Androgens—a class of masculine sex hormones produced by the testes and, to a lesser extent, by the adrenal gland.

Anorexia nervosa—an eating disorder characterized by an obsession with food and with being thin. Literally, "nervous loss of apetite." If untreated, it can be fatal.

Asynchrony—refers to development that is not in sequence where certain aspects of physical growth or certain functions reach adult status prior to others.

Autonomy—independence or freedom.

Big five of adolescent development—the five developmental areas which are critical in the life of a growing adolescent. Picture a bar graph with five bars—physical development, mental (cognitive~) development, social development, emotional development, and spiritual development.

Biological definition of adolescence—physically, the development of the body has shifted into "high gear," usually signaled by puberty and/or the growth spurt.

Body attitude —our emotional reactions to our physical selves; how we feel about our body images; or body image—the ideas that each of us has concerning the physical characteristics of our bodies; what we think we are like physically.

Bulimia—an eating disorder characterized by binge-eating episodes and purging. Literally, "insatiable appetite" followed by purging by forced vomiting or laxatives.

Child abuse—may include not only physical assault of a child but also malnourishment, abandonment, neglect, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse.

Cognition—the act or process of knowing. Usually refers to the mental or intellectual processes.

Cognitive—having to do with the mental functioning of humans, including those activities involved in perception, problem solving, information processing, understanding, and logical thought processes.

Cohort—group of people born during the same historical period or experiencing the same historical influences. Includes, but is not synonymous with, peer group.

Compulsory education laws—legislation that makes attending school mandatory for children and adolescents until they graduate or reach a minimum age, generally 15-16 years of age.

Conscience—the organized totality of religious or social prescripts and values that govern individual behavior. Picture the good angel sitting on your shoulder.

Courtship—a formal process of interaction, between male and female adolescents with the express intent of leading to marriage. It involves parental approval and is characterized by the adolescent couple spending time with both sets of parents. Alternative to contemporary dating.

Creative—an adjective that may be used to describe people, products, or a process. The term creativity generally refers to the capacity of individuals to produce novel or original answers or products, organize concepts in a different way, or demonstrate flexibility in thought.

Culture—the collective term for the customs, traditions, beliefs, or values of a group of people, usually defined by demographic factors (geography, age, etc.). Includes the usual expectations for behavior as well as explicit and implicit rules that characterize a group of people. Alternately, a culture may be viewed as that group of people that is characterized by similar mores, traditions, beliefs, and so on.

Cultural relativism—variations in social institutions, economic patterns, habits, mores, rituals, religious beliefs, and ways of life from one culture to another

Depression—an affective disorder that may take any of three major forms, all of which are characterized by a disturbance of mood; the three forms are major depressive disorder, dysthymia, and adjustment disorder with depressed mood.

Developmental tasks—specific skills, knowledge, or functions individuals have to acquire at a particular stage in life in order to move on to the next stage with a degree of competence and health.

Early adolescence—Period between the ages of 11 and 13, generally junior high school, beginning with puberty. Characterized by changing gender roles, more autonomous relationships with parents. Beginning to develop personal identity, though still rooted in parent expectations. Most significant relationships are still same-sex, emotions are a roller coaster. Physical changes are dramatic and sometimes painful. Girls mature physically about one and a half to two years ahead of boys. May struggle with inability to live up to biblical standards.

Early maturers—adolescents who begin pubescence earlier than is average for their gender.

Ego—generally referring to self. Primary aspect of basic personality structure, according to Freud.

Egocentrism—the failure to realize that one's perspective is not shared by others. In its simplest sense, the inability to take another's point of view. See also personal fable.

Emotion—refers to feeling, or affective, aspects of human behavior and includes such human feeling as fear, rage, love, and desire. Controlled by limbic region of brain.

Emotional abuse—may include constant screaming at the child, calling him or her foul names, giving constant criticism and putdowns, making fun, constantly comparing the child with siblings, ignoring the child, and refusing to talk or listen to him/her.

Endocrine system—the system of the body that includes the glands that produce hormones and those parts of the nervous system that activate, inhibit, and control hormone production.

Family—a social unit consisting of one or more persons, generally charged with the production and rearing of children.

Feedback loop—the complex interaction between glands of the endocrine system and the hormones they secrete into the bloodstream. Feedback refers to the timing of secretion and the cessation of secretion at the proper time.

Gender—a person's biological sex.

Gender identity—a person's internal sense of being male or female. We are born male or female, but we are socialized masculine or feminine. See also gender role.

Gender role or sex role—the outward manifestation and expression of maleness or femaleness in a social setting.

Growth spurt—a sudden increase in the velocity of physical growth; an important feature of adolescent development, occurring approximately two years earlier for girls than for boys, resulting in dramatic changes in height and weight.

Hormones—literally "I excite," hormones are biochemical substances secreted into the bloodstream by the glands of the endocrine system. Hormones are the messengers in the feedback loop.

Human Growth Hormone—pituitary hormone that regulates growth. Athletes have misused HGH to get bigger and stronger.

Hypothalamus gland—pea-sized area of the brain that controls timing of puberty. It also controls eating, drinking, hormone production, menstrual cycle, and sexual response.

Identity—the part of one's personality of which one is aware and is able to see as a meaningful and coherent whole. A rule specifying that certain activities leave objects or situations unchanged. For adolescents the sum of who they consider themselves to be.

Identity formation—in adolescence, the process of bringing together elements of childhood with emerging adulthood into a new whole; involves individuation.

Imaginary audience—expression for the adolescent's representation of all who are assumed to be intimately concerned with the adolescent's behavior and self. "Everyone is watching me."

Individuation—the process of developing a set of attitudes and beliefs that are distinct from those of one's parents.

Intelligence—commonly a single number that identifies a level of smartness. More formally, the ability to profit from experience and adapt to one's surroundings. Controversial practice of measurement by intelligence tests.

Juvenile—one who is not yet considered an adult in the eyes of the law. Confusing designation considering the many ages at which one becomes an adult (driving, military service, purchasing alcohol, adjudication in the adult court system).

Late adolescence—Generally ages 16 to 19 (and occasionally beyond), organized around the central task of achieving an identity, in which adolescents integrate their sexuality into their relationships, prepare for a vocation, and fashion a personal set of beliefs. Physical changes have slowed down, but late growth spurts are not uncommon. Likely to test spiritual issues. Judgment shows promise of development.

Late maturers—individuals who undergo physical changes leading to sexual maturity at a later age than is average for their gender.

Maturity—the age or state when one is considered fully developed emotionally, socially, intellectually, and spiritually.

Menarche—a girl's first menstrual period, occurring during pubescence.

Metabolism—the rate at which the body uses food and oxygen.

Middle adolescence—Generally 14-15 years old. Movement toward interpersonal relationships with peers (particularly toward opposite sex), more comfortable with body changes. At first, marked differences in development between genders, but boys are beginning to catch up physically. Capable of more abstract thought. Tends to be introspective and searching, particularly in spiritual matters.

Morality—refers to the ethical aspects of human behavior; tied to an awareness of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors (according to a peculiar culture); linked to what is often called the conscience.

Moratorium—a "time out" during adolescence in which the consequences of some behavior is temporarily suspended. Erikson's term for that period during adolescence when individuals are free to experiment with a variety of different roles in their quest to achieve adult identity.

Nature versus nurture—the interaction of heredity and environment, the discussion of which is more influential—genetics or environment. An old psychological argument concerning whether genetics or environment is more responsible for determining development.

Peer pressure—experienced pressure to think and act like one's friends; often associated with negative behavior.

Personal fable—the feeling of being special, even invulnerable. Elkind's description of the aggregate of fantasies that adolescents invent concerning their importance, power, attractiveness, strength, etc.

Pituitary gland—an endocrine gland located beneath the hypothalamus that is part of a feedback system regulating the hormonal control of puberty.

Pluralistic society—a society in which there are many different competing standards of behavior; one of the roots of postmodernism.

Pseudostupidity—the inability to see the obvious by making a simple task more complicated than it is; sometimes a strategy used by adolescents to avoid consequence or responsibility.

Puberty—broad term used to describe the onset of adolescence. Specifically, puberty is the sum of the physical growth processes, including the growth spurt and hormonal activity that result in maturity or the ability to reproduce and bear offspring.

Rites of passage—significant events which predictably signal or accompany a life stage in a particular culture. Some are formal (driver's license or marriage), while even more are informal (first date, first job). Sometimes ceremonies mark the transition from one life stage to another.

Secular trend—puberty has been occurring earlier by 3 to 4 months per decade since mid 1800s. In mid 1800s, average age for menarche was 15.5-16.5. Now the average age in U.S. is 12.5. Another effect is that people grow larger. Males average an inch and 10 pounds heavier than their fathers; Females grow 1/2 inch to an inch more than their mothers and weigh about 2 pounds more on average.

Self-esteem—conscious, cognitive~ perception and evaluation of one's self which make up a person's impression or opinion of him/herself. Also self-image or self-concept.

Sexual abuse—generally a more powerful person exerting inappropriate behavior toward a less powerful one; may include very suggestive language, use of pornography, fondling, petting, masturbation, exhibitionism, voyeurism, oral sex, or full vaginal or anal intercourse.

Sexual dimorphism—the physical differences that distinguish adult males and females. The "fork in the road" in early adolescence where the distinctive appearance of the specific gender becomes apparent.

Social cognition—how people think and reason about their social world as they watch and interact with others; their understanding and ability to get along with other people.

Spermarche—a boy's first ejaculation of seminal fluid.

Spiritual transformation—term used to describe a process whereby spiritual development is on a steady and progressive track.

Strum und Drang—a German expression sometimes used as a description of adolescence, meaning literally "storm and stress," descriptive of the turbulence, turmoil, and frustrated idealism sometimes assumed to be characteristic of adolescents.