Question 1

The secondary sex characteristics are the structures that make reproduction possible.

Accepted Answer

While secondary sex characteristics may be involved in reproduction and play a role in attracting a mate, they are not the structures directly responsible for reproduction. Reproduction requires the presence and functioning of primary sex organs, such as the ovaries and testes.

Question 2

Legs reach their peak growth before the shoulders and chest.

Accepted Answer

It is true that legs generally reach their peak growth before the shoulders and chest during puberty. This is because the growth plates in the bones of the legs close before the growth plates in other parts of the body.

Question 3

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by irrational fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and severe weight loss.

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately describes the characteristics of anorexia nervosa.

Question 4

Most American adolescents are unhealthy.

Accepted Answer

While some American adolescents face health challenges, it is not accurate to generalize that most are unhealthy. Many adolescents maintain good health through proper nutrition, physical activity, and healthcare access.

Question 5

Testosterone typically brakes the male growth spurt some years before estrogen brakes that of females.

Accepted Answer

Estrogen is the hormone that typically ends the growth spurt in females by closing the growth plates in bones, while testosterone, which is converted to estrogen in males, performs a similar function in ending the growth spurt in males. However, males often experience their growth spurt later than females and continue growing for longer, not shorter, periods.

Question 6

Bulimia nervosa is connected with irregular menstrual cycles.

Accepted Answer

Bulimia nervosa can disrupt the normal hormonal functioning of the body, leading to irregular menstrual cycles in females.

Question 7

Visual-spatial ability refers to the ability to visualize objects or shapes and to mentally manipulate and rotate them.

Accepted Answer

Visual-spatial ability involves skills such as mentally rotating images, identifying patterns and relationships between objects, and being able to visualize shapes in different orientations. It is a cognitive process that is important in a variety of fields, including mathematics, science, and engineering.

Question 8

Death rates are low in adolescence, but they are nearly twice as great for female adolescents as male adolescents.

Accepted Answer

Death rates are low in adolescence, but they are nearly twice as great for male adolescents as for female adolescents, primarily due to higher rates of accidents, violence, and risky behaviors among males.

Question 9

The personal fable is connected with behaviors such as being reserved and avoiding risks.

Accepted Answer

The personal fable is actually associated with behaviors such as impulsiveness and taking risks because adolescents tend to believe they are invincible and that nothing bad can happen to them.

Question 10

Firearms account for 25% of adolescent suicides in the United States.

Accepted Answer

Firearms account for a higher percentage of adolescent suicides in the United States, typically over 40%.

Question 11

Abstinence syndrome is a characteristic cluster of symptoms that results from a sudden increase in the level of usage of a substance.

Accepted Answer

Abstinence syndrome results from a sudden decrease or cessation of substance usage, not an increase in usage.

Question 12

Late-maturing boys are more poised, relaxed, and good-natured than early-maturing boys.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that early-maturing boys tend to have advantages in physical and social domains, often being seen as more confident and assertive, whereas late-maturing boys may experience more awkwardness and anxiety during adolescence.

Question 13

In middle childhood, preconventional thought tends to emerge, and children usually begin to judge right and wrong in terms of rewards and punishments.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In middle childhood, preconventional thought tends to...

Question 14

According to research, Girls in the United States are more likely than boys to have reading problems.

Accepted Answer

Research generally indicates that boys are more likely than girls to have reading problems in the United States.

Question 15

During the adolescent growth spurt, boys develop relatively broader hips compared with their shoulders, whereas the opposite is true for girls.

Accepted Answer

During the adolescent growth spurt, boys develop broader shoulders compared with their hips, whereas girls develop relatively broader hips compared with their shoulders.

Question 16

The transition to the new school setting is often accompanied by an increase in grades and participation in school activities.

Accepted Answer

The transition to a new school setting can be challenging and may not necessarily lead to an increase in grades and participation; it often requires adjustment and adaptation, which can initially impact academic performance and involvement.

Question 17

In the postconventional level, moral reasoning is based on the person's own moral standards.

Accepted Answer

In the postconventional level, individuals develop their own moral principles and values and base their moral reasoning on these standards rather than external authority or rules.

Question 18

Substance abuse is the leading cause of death in the United States for adolescents.

Accepted Answer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading cause of death for adolescents in the United States is unintentional injury, followed by suicide and homicide. Substance abuse can contribute to these causes of death, but it is not the leading cause.

Question 19

Menarche comes sooner to girls who have a lower percentage of body fat, such as those with eating disorders or athletes.

Accepted Answer

Girls with a lower percentage of body fat, such as those with eating disorders or athletes, often experience delayed menarche, as body fat is crucial for the hormonal changes that trigger menstruation.

Question 20

Latency is a stage of development characterized by reaching sexual maturity and the ability to reproduce.

Accepted Answer

Latency is actually a term used in psychoanalytic theory to describe a stage of child development (between the ages of 6-12 years old) characterized by a focus on social and intellectual development rather than sexual or aggressive impulses.

Quiz 11: Adolescence: Physical and Cognitive Development