Puberty (Advanced Developmental Psychology)

Puberty
Puberty – came from the Latin word PUBERTAS which means “age of
manhood”
• The period of rapid physical maturation involving hormonal and
bodily changes that takes place in early adolescence
• The awkward stage
• Stage in development during which maturation of the sexual
apparatus occurs and reproductive capacity is attained

Characteristics of Puberty
Puberty is an overlapping period
• It encompasses the closing years if childhood and the beginning years of
adolescence
• pubescents / pubescent children – children that are not yet sexually
matured
Puberty is a short period
• Lasts 2 – 4 years only
> rapid matures – children who pass through puberty in two years or less
> slow matures – children who pass through puberty in 3-4 years to
complete the transformation into adults

 Puberty is divided into stages
1. Prepubescent – this stage overlaps the closing year or two of
childhood
• One who is no longer a child, but not yet an adolescent
• The secondary sex characteristics begin to appear but the
reproductive organs are not yet fully developed.
2. Pubescent – this stage occurs at the dividing line between childhood
and adolescence; the time when the criteria of sexual maturation
appears
• Secondary sex characteristics continue to develop and cells are
produced in the sex organs

3. Postpubescent – this stage overlaps the first year or two of
adolescence
• Secondary sex characteristics become well developed and sex
organs begin to function in a mature manner.
Puberty is a time of rapid growth and change
• Puberty growth spurt – lasts for a year or two before children
become sexually mature.
Puberty Growth Spurt
• 8.5 – 11.5 y/ o ; peak 12.5 y/o ~ girls
• 10.5 – 14.5 y/o; peak 15.5 y/o ~ boys

Puberty is a negative phase
• (Charlotte Buhler): negative attitudes of pubescent children are
characteristic mainly of the early part of puberty.
• More pronounced in girls than boys
 Puberty occurs at a variable age –
• Can occur between 5-19 yrs.
Girls – 11- 15 yrs
Boys – 12 – 16 yrs

Criteria of puberty
• The criteria most often used to determine the onset of puberty and
to pinpoint a particular stage of puberty that the child has reached
are the menarche , nocturnal emissions, and X-RAY of bone
development
• The menarche is more correctly considered a midpoint in puberty in
girls
• The nocturnal is a criteria used for the development in boys

• There are four stages which represents the criteria of puberty .
1. Menarche – Girls first menstruation
2. Adrenarche - hormonal changes in the
3. Spemarche- boy’s first ejaculation of semen
4. Gonadarche – sexual maturation and development of reproductive
maturity during puberty

X-RAY of different parts of the body , but especially the hands and
the knees , during the preadolescent growth spurt can reveal whether
puberty had began and the rate at which puberty is progressing

Causes Of Puberty
• At the present time , it is known that about five years before children
become sexually mature , there is a small excretion of the sex
hormones in both boys and girls .
• The amount of the hormones increases as the time passes and this
eventually leads to the maturing of the structure and the function of
the sex organs .
• It has been established that there is a close relationship between the
pituitary gland , located at the base of the brain and the gonads

Age of puberty
• The onset of puberty varies
• among individuals. Puberty
• usually occurs in girls between the ages of 10 and 14,
while in boys it generally occurs later, between the
ages of 12 and 16.
• In American culture today approximately 50 percent
of all( girls mature between 12.5 and 14.5 years) with
the average maturing at 13.
• The average (boy becomes sexually mature between
the ages of 14 and 16.5) with 50% of all boys
maturing between 14 and 15.5 years

• The remaining 50% in each group is about evenly
divided between those who mature later than average (
the early matures and the late matures).
• Between the ages of 12 and 14 , different between the
sexes are especially marked with many more girls
having becomes mature than boys
• The difference is related in the larger and more mature
bodies of the girls and in their more mature , more
aggressive and more sex conscious behavior.

• There is evidence that boys and girls in the UNITED
STATES are reaching puberty earlier now than in past
generations.
• ( This is true also in Europe and especially in the
Scandinavian countries .
• The explanation for this is better health , better prenatal,
an postnatal medical care , and better nutrition.
• Children who are slow in starting to mature the late
matures usually mature more rapidly once they get
started than the average child and often even rapidly
than those who entered puberty earlier than the average
• Fast matures have greater spurts of rapid growth , their
periods of accelerated and halted growth come abruptly ,
and than attain adult proportion very quickly

• Individual differences in age and rate of maturing are
more common than similarities , even among children
in the same family.
• As Johnston has pointed out
• *The time clock which governs the
development process in children is an individual one*

During puberty:
• Four important physical changes occur which transform the child’s body
into that of an adult:
• Changes in body size
• Changes in body proportions
• The development of primary sex characteristics
• The development of secondary sex charact6eristics

Changes in body size:
• Height and weight: (for Girls)
Gender Average
annual
increase
Two years
preceding the
menarche
After
menarche
Around 18
Girls The year
preceding the
menarche= 3
inches
Average
increase is 2.5
inches per year
Growth slows
down to 1 inch
a year
Growth comes
to a standstill
Though 5-6
inch increase is
not unusual
Total of 5.5
inches

(for Boys):
Gender Rapid growth in years After puberty
Boys Starts on average= 12.8
Ends on average= 15.3
peak occurring= 14
Growth decelerates and
continuous on slow rate
till 20-21
Because of the longer growth period, boys achieve greater height by the time they mature than girls do.

Weight:
• Weight gain not only comes from fat but also from muscle and bone
• That’s why even they gain weight rapidly, they often look thin and
scrawny
• Girls experience greatest weight gain just before and after menarche
• For boys the maximum gain in weight comes a year or two later than
for girls and reaches its peak at sixteen

Changes in body proportions:
Size:
• Certain areas become proportionally too big because they reach their
mature size
• Apparent in nose, feet and hands
Trunk:
• The thin long trunk begins broaden at hips and shoulders and waistline
develops
• Trunk lengthens and waistline drops, thus giving the body adult
proportions
Maturity:
• Boys who mature early usually have broader hips than boys who mature
late and for girls its voice versa

Cont..
Legs:
• Before puberty legs are disproportionately long in relation to trunk
and continues to be so until the child is approximately fifteen.
• In late maturing children, the leg growth continues for a longer time
than in early matures.
• Early matures= short legged
• Late matures= long legged
Arms: the same as in legs

Primary sex characteristics:
• Humans are born with very obvious primary sex characteristics (or
body structures directly concerned with reproduction) that allows us
to tell males from females, such as the penis in men and the vagina in
women, secondary sex characteristics, on the other hand, are
features which appear at puberty (though they later become equally
as prominent).

Secondary sex characteristics:
• Secondary characteristics are features such as pubic hair, breast
development in females, and beards in males. The list below shows:

In men, these include:
• More pronounced body hair characteristics (beard, chest, etc.) and
usually more coarse
• Heavier musculature
• Angular features (i.e. square jaw, triangular mid region)
• Narrow hips
• Muscular pectorals (chest)
• Less fat tissue overall
• Deeper voice

In women, these include:
• Less pronounced body hair characteristics (mostly in pubic region,
hair all over is usually finer)
• Lighter musculature
• Rounded features (i.e. softer facial features, hourglass mid-region)
• Wider hips (for child bearing)
• More pronounced breasts with more fatty tissue
• More fat tissue overall
• Higher voice

• Effect of Puberty Changes:
• The physical changes of puberty affect every area of the body both externally and
internally
• Even though these effect are normally only temporary
• They are severe enough while they last to bring about a change in habitual pattern
of behavior, attitude and personality

• Effects on Physical Well-being :
• Rapid growth and body changes are likely to be accomplished by fatigue,
listlessness, headaches, backache, cramps, abdominal pain, swelling of legs and
ankles, depression.
• Digestive disturbances are frequent,and appetite is finicky
• The prepubescent child is upset by glander changes and changes in the size and
position inof internal organs.

Sources of concern
•Concerns about normalcy.
• Concerns about sex-Appropriateness
Concern about size
Concern about weight
Concern about genitalia
Concern about secondary sex characteristics

Sources of concern
• One of the developmental tasks of growing up is that of accepting the
newly developed body.
• Childhood ideals.
• Lack of knowledge. (slow growth)
• Different children worry about different parts of their bodies.
• Girls.(physical app.)
• 2 concerns
1. whether certain chateristics are normal
2. whether they are sexually appropriate.

Concerns about Normalcy.
• Boys concern
• Girls concern
• Concerns of boys and girls
• Sex organs
• Body disproportions
• Awkwardness
• Age of maturing
• Masturbation

Concerns about Sex-Appropriateness
Stereotype of masculine”and feminine”

Concern about weight
In our culture fat is considered unattractive and overweight girl who
compare herself with movie stars and cover girls.
• For a boy fat is considered as sexually inappropriate.

Concern about secondary sex characteristics
• A feminine is suppose to have fair complexion. (vary from culture to
culture).
• For boys facial hair, the development of large muscles on shoulders
and arm regions and voice changes come in late puberty

Hazards of Puberty
• Generally serious because of long-range consequences.
• The psychological hazards of puberty are more numerous and more
far reaching in their effects than the physical ones.
• Only a small percentage of pubescent children are affected by the
physical hazards, while all are affected by psychological ones but to
varying degree.

• Physical Hazards:
Most pubescent children do not feel up to par physically, actual illness is less common during this
period.
There is less likelihood of mortality at this time than in the earlier or even the post-pubescent
years. Many deaths reported due to accidents are the result of suicide, which they attempt
because of severe depression.
The major physical hazards of puberty are due to slight or major malfunctioning of the endocrine
glands that control the puberty growth spurt and the sexual changes that take place.

• Psychological Hazards:
 Long-term psychological effects of puberty are more important than immediate effects.
1. Unfavorable Self-Concept: few children pass through puberty without developing
unfavorable self-concepts. Those are the children who, earlier, had good opinions of
themselves, had enough self-confidence to play leadership role in their peer group.
Unfavorable self-concepts in puberty can be due to personal origin and some
environmental. Most of pubescent's have unrealistic concepts about their appearance and
abilities. Pubescent's watch their bodies change as they observe their awkward behavior,
which make them disillusioned.
Pubescent's tend to be unsocial if not antisocial in their behavior. Unfavorable treatment
from others seriously affects self-concept, causing them to have negative attitude. They
become withdrawn from others, contributing little in actions or speech to the group, or
they become aggressive or defensive, retaliate as they regard them unfair treatment,
which increases unfavorable social attitude towards them even more.
This becomes foundation for inferiority complex, unless remedial steps are taken to correct it.

Con’t…
2. Underachievement: With rapid physical growth comes weakening of energy. Which leads
to lack of enthusiasm and attitude of boredom towards any activity that requires effort.
Underachievement begins around fourth or fifth grade in school.
Girls accept the cultural stereotype about themselves, they realize that it is not regarded as
“feminine” to be achievers, especially when their achievements are higher than boys. This
encourages girls to work below their capacities, which eventually becomes a habit. As a result
many pubescent's grow up to be underachievers. Unless remedial steps are taken to correct
them, they lead to life changing underachievement's.

Con’t…
3. Lack of preparation for puberty changes: when pubescent's are psychologically
unprepared for both the physical changes and psychological changes that take place at puberty,
undergoing these changes maybe traumatic experience. As a result, they are likely to develop
unfavorable attitudes toward these changes.
Children are embarrassed to ask questions about puberty and that is why they never talk to
their parents, teachers, or peers about these physical changes. It is preferable to educate them
already.
Early and late maturers think that there is something wrong and that there development is
abnormal as compare to their peers. The more they look different, the more they will feel
inferior.

Con’t…
4. Acceptance of changed bodies: One of the important developmental tasks of puberty is
acceptance of the changed bodies. There are several reasons pubescent boys and girls are
dissatisfied with their bodies and find it difficult to accept them, two most prominent reasons
are: First, almost all children build up an ideal physical self-concept based on concepts from
different sources of ideal individuals. Second, traditional beliefs about a gender-appropriate
appearance tend to color pubescent children's attitudes in ways that interfere with their
acceptance of their own changed bodies.

Cont…
5. Acceptance of socially approved gender roles: Throughout childhood, strong pressure is
put on boys to play socially approved masculine gender which, in most social groups, is a
traditional role which emphasizes the superiority. Because of the advantages and prestige
associated with traditional male gender role, most boys are not willing but eager to play it. This is
why boys have no problem accepting their gender role.
On the other hand it is hard for girls to accept their gender role because of somewhat blurred
concept and they also face difficulty behaving in a manner that conforms to the stereotype. Few
girls have lesser problems because they are also taught like boys, their traditional gender roles.
However, other girls find it difficult to adjust because they prefer equal rights and equal
opportunities. Which makes accepting hard and hazardous for psychological health.
For many girls, psychological hazards become intensified by their periodic discomfort. While not all
girls are victims of periodic discomfort.
Realization that boys are not subject to periodic discomforts makes them resist traditional
gender roles even more.
Unfavorable attitudes towards mensuration intensifies even more when older women call them
“curse”. It has been reported that unfavorable attitude towards mensuration prolong throughout
lives and cause them depression.

Cont…
6. Deviations in sexual maturing: Deviations in sexual maturing is the most serious
psychological hazard in their age and specially affects only those children who are deviant from
their age-mates. As is true of the late childhood years, it is difficult for pubescent to be acceptant
about anything that makes them different and thus, in their view, inferior.
Children who deviate in sexual maturing thinks that there is something wrong with them. They
are concerned about being normal in present and in future.
Early maturers, have advantages but they still manifest personality difficulties. These difficulties
occur because they tend to look older than their age-mates and then have to act according to
their looks. If they fail to do so, they are criticized about it and it leads to dissatisfaction, inadequacy
and inferiority.
Late maturers, who look younger than they are, maybe treat accordingly by their family and friends,
which makes them doubt their abilities to do what their age-mates do.
Slow matureres, have more time to adjust to the physical changes than rapid maturers.

Cont…
Concern about that they will ever grow-up counteracts this favorable effect. In the case of
boys, this may lead to “locker room syndrome”.
Some deviants of sexual maturing develop into habitual day-dreamers, some may develop a
hypercritical attitude towards others, and some might become restless people but if they desire
for social acceptance strong enough, they can break these habits.
Not all early and late maturers are damaged. Some, in fact, benefit.
Early-maturing boys normally become socially active and popular, holding leadership roles in the
peer group. This behaviors also persists in later life because if habituation.
By contrast, middle-aged men who were late matureres were found to cling to the “little boy”
patterns of behaviors. Hence, they tend to be less socially active, less successful in business, and
less likely to be selected for leadership roles.

Cont…
Long-term effects of deviant maturing on girls leads one to believe that early matures tend to
have aggressive personality and they will remain the same way later in life.
Late-maturers, by contrast, who were better adjusted personality and do well socially remain to
do so during adulthood, unless conditions unrelated to sexual maturing interfere with this
pattern.

Puberty (Advanced Developmental Psychology)

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Puberty (Advanced Developmental Psychology)