INCREASE FUNCTIONING OF PREFRONTAL CORTEX AND LONG-TERM MEMORY As children grow older, they begin to use “rules” in order to solve problems, play games, and interact in society. The prefrontal cortex plays an important role in retrieving the rules that govern a child’s behavior (Bunge 118). As a child grows up throughout middle and late childhood, their prefrontal cortex begins to function as a guide to the basic rules of the human life. The prefrontal cortex “processes the information about an individual’s goals and motivations” (Bunge 118). Evidence supports that the different regions of the PFC represent different levels of rule following—from simple ones that promise reward to a complex set of conditional rules such as the ones they are
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Before there are any physical signs, the body gets ready for changes by an increase in adrenal androgens from the adrenal glands which contributes to pubic and armpit hair (Sigelman 143). The body also produces increased amounts of gonadal hormones—androgens and testosterone in males and estrogen in females. For females, the most dramatic event that appears as an advancement towards sexual maturation is the menarche—the first menstruation. Menstruation is the process of shedding the lining of a uterus prepared to support a fertilized egg (Sigelman 144). This usually occurs between 11 and 14. Different cultures and backgrounds have an impact on when a female begins to menstruate. Non-Hispanic white girls begin at about 12 ½ years old. 12 years old is normal for non-Hispanic black girls. It is possible to begin menstruating before beginning to ovulate and in turn may not be able to reproduce many years after menarche. By nine years of age, 49% of African American girls, 16% of European American girls, and 25% of Mexican American girls have begun to develop breast. For young males, the average age of sexual maturation is between 11 and 11 ½ years old. It begins with the initial enlargement of the testes and scrotum. Within six months, straight pubic hair appears and the penis grows rapidly (Sigelman 144). The marker of an adolescent male’s sexual maturation is called the semenarche—first ejaculation or “emission of seminal fluid” …show more content…
Girls who approach puberty tend to become concerned about their appearance and how others will respond to them. Boys, on the other hand, are welcome to their weight gain and become preoccupied with their physical and athletic abilities (Sigel 145). These psychological concerns stem from the roots of early or late development. For young males, early development tends to reward them with social competence, attractiveness, and self-assurance. However, it also increases risks of earlier involvement in substance abuse and bullying. Late development in young males tends to make them more anxious, less confident, and more likely to have adjustment issues. For young females, early development presents issues of teasing and ridicule amongst their peers from being larger. With early development, young ladies are exposed to opportunities of becoming involved with “dating, smoking, drinking, and having sex” (Sigelman 145). In terms of late development, young girls are anxious and tend to outperform their peers on an academic level. They would be more concerned with academic status rather than social
Before there are any physical signs, the body gets ready for changes by an increase in adrenal androgens from the adrenal glands which contributes to pubic and armpit hair (Sigelman 143). The body also produces increased amounts of gonadal hormones—androgens and testosterone in males and estrogen in females. For females, the most dramatic event that appears as an advancement towards sexual maturation is the menarche—the first menstruation. Menstruation is the process of shedding the lining of a uterus prepared to support a fertilized egg (Sigelman 144). This usually occurs between 11 and 14. Different cultures and backgrounds have an impact on when a female begins to menstruate. Non-Hispanic white girls begin at about 12 ½ years old. 12 years old is normal for non-Hispanic black girls. It is possible to begin menstruating before beginning to ovulate and in turn may not be able to reproduce many years after menarche. By nine years of age, 49% of African American girls, 16% of European American girls, and 25% of Mexican American girls have begun to develop breast. For young males, the average age of sexual maturation is between 11 and 11 ½ years old. It begins with the initial enlargement of the testes and scrotum. Within six months, straight pubic hair appears and the penis grows rapidly (Sigelman 144). The marker of an adolescent male’s sexual maturation is called the semenarche—first ejaculation or “emission of seminal fluid” …show more content…
Girls who approach puberty tend to become concerned about their appearance and how others will respond to them. Boys, on the other hand, are welcome to their weight gain and become preoccupied with their physical and athletic abilities (Sigel 145). These psychological concerns stem from the roots of early or late development. For young males, early development tends to reward them with social competence, attractiveness, and self-assurance. However, it also increases risks of earlier involvement in substance abuse and bullying. Late development in young males tends to make them more anxious, less confident, and more likely to have adjustment issues. For young females, early development presents issues of teasing and ridicule amongst their peers from being larger. With early development, young ladies are exposed to opportunities of becoming involved with “dating, smoking, drinking, and having sex” (Sigelman 145). In terms of late development, young girls are anxious and tend to outperform their peers on an academic level. They would be more concerned with academic status rather than social