Question 1

Because of better nutrition, the age at which girls reach menarche in the Unites States is older now than in previous decades.

Accepted Answer

The age at which U. S. girls reach menarche has been decreasing, which is called the secular trend. Most researchers believe that better nutrition is at least partly responsible for this trend toward earlier sexual maturation.

Question 2

If Jacob is a typical teenager growing up in the United States today, we would expect that he would spend the largest proportion of his free time in which of the following activities?
A) schoolwork
B) working
C) watching TV or other media
D) talking with his friends

Accepted Answer

The figure in Changing Perspectives: How Adolescents Around the World Spend Their Time, shows the amount of time teens in a variety of locales spend their time. U.S. teens spend, on average, about 6 hours working, more time than was spent on any of the other activities listed.

Question 3

Boys who mature early usually experience more adjustment problems than do boys who mature late.

Accepted Answer

Although boys who mature very early may experience some disadvantages, in general they are well-served by earlier maturation, since they are better at many sports and in social settings. Boys who mature late are usually at the greatest disadvantage as the result of their timing of maturation.

Question 4

Fearing womanhood, Dana stops eating, thereby halting her body's development. She is obsessed by thoughts of food and an unattainable image of "perfect" thinness. What is her disorder?
A) bulimia nervosa
B) pica
C) obsessive-compulsive eating disorder
D) anorexia nervosa

Accepted Answer

In anorexia nervosa, individuals silently starve themselves. In bulimia nervosa, on the other hand, individuals find themselves in a cycle of bingeing and purging.

Question 5

In the United States today, the period of adolescence is heavily age-segregated, meaning that nearly all children enter adolescence at age 12 or 13 and exit this period at age 22-24.

Accepted Answer

Adolescence in the U. S. is age-segregated, but this means that adolescents spend most of their time with other adolescents.

Question 6

The hypothalamus and the amygdala are the two brain regions that are most involved in controlling the balance of hormones in the body.

Accepted Answer

The two brain regions that are most involved in controlling the balance of hormones in the body are the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.

Question 7

In comparison to adolescents in the United States, adolescents in Korea and Japan spend _____ time on schoolwork and _____ time engaging in creative activities.
A) more; more
B) less; less
C) more; less
D) less; more

Accepted Answer

Research shows that Korean and Japanese adolescents tend to spend more time on schoolwork due to highly competitive educational systems, while American adolescents tend to spend more time engaging in creative activities such as sports, music, and other hobbies.

Question 8

The term menarche is used to indicate the onset of a girl's first menstrual period.

Accepted Answer

The term menarche does indeed indicate the onset of a girl's first menstrual period.

Question 9

Only males produce testosterone.

Accepted Answer

Male and female hormones are present in members of both sexes, although, beginning in adolescence, males produce more testosterone than females.

Question 10

In boys, the first indication of puberty is a change in voice.

Accepted Answer

The first indication of puberty in boys is usually accelerating growth of the testes and scrotum. The change in voice that sometimes accompanies male sexual maturation occurs relatively late in the developmental process.

Question 11

The period called "emerging adulthood" is most likely to be seen in cultures in which the transition between childhood and adulthood is short and relatively simple.

Accepted Answer

Emerging adulthood is seen more often in complex cultures, where the period between childhood and adulthood is long and complex.

Question 12

In comparison to adolescents in most other parts of the world, adolescents in the Unites States have ______ free time and they are ______ likely to have their parents regulate how they spend the free time they have.
A) more; more
B) less; less
C) more; less
D) less; more

Accepted Answer

Adolescents in the United States generally have more free time compared to their counterparts in other parts of the world, but they are less likely to have their parents regulate how they spend this free time.

Question 13

Research suggests that adolescents' satisfaction with their body image is at its lowest point at age 13 for boys and at age 15 for girls.

Accepted Answer

The low point for satisfaction with body image is at age 13 for girls and at age 15 for boys.

Question 14

The adolescent rite of passage usually occurs at the end of a 1- to 2-year apprenticeship that most adolescents undertake to ready themselves for the roles and responsibilities of full adulthood.

Accepted Answer

Usually the adolescent rite of passage occurs first, and it is followed by a 1- to 2-year apprenticeship that readies the adolescent to assume full adulthood.

Question 15

As adolescents move through the period called "adolescence," they usually become more likely to see themselves as adults.

Accepted Answer

During adolescence, individuals experience physical, cognitive, and social changes that contribute to their developing sense of identity and autonomy. As a result, they often begin to see themselves as more mature and adult-like. This is a normal part of the developmental process.

Question 16

When asked about their developing bodies, adolescent girls most often express concerns about being too fat or too tall, whereas adolescent boys most often express concern about being too short or too weak.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that adolescent girls are more likely to express concerns about their weight and height, while adolescent boys are more likely to express concerns about their height and muscle size/weakness.

Question 17

Which of the following correctly expresses a way in which adolescents in the United States differ from adolescents in most other parts of the world?
A) U. S. adolescents have less leisure time.
B) U. S. adolescents spend less time on school work.
C) U. S. adolescents spend less time talking with their friends.
D) U. S. adolescents spend more time helping their parents with household chores.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that U.S. adolescents spend less time on school work compared to their counterparts in other industrialized countries, such as China and Japan.

Question 18

Monica is terribly anxious about weighing too much, but has an uncontrollable need to eat, especially sweets. She consumes huge quantities of food in an hour, and then feels despondent and out of control. To compensate for overeating, she vomits. What is her disorder?
A) bulimia nervosa
B) pica
C) anorexia nervosa
D) obsessive-compulsive eating disorder

Accepted Answer

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by eating "binges" that then trigger "purges," during which vomiting, laxatives, or sometimes extreme exercise regimens are used to eliminate the caloric intake of the just-eaten food. In anorexia nervosa, on the other hand, individuals silently starve themselves.

Question 19

A boy's first ejaculation usually does not contains fertile sperm.

Accepted Answer

The first ejaculation may not contain a high concentration of sperm, and the sperm present may not yet be fully mature or motile, making them less likely to fertilize an egg.

Question 20

In both males and females, fat is deposited in the breast area during adolescence.

Accepted Answer

Both males and females can experience fat deposition in the breast area during adolescence due to hormonal changes. However, this fat distribution is typically more significant in females.

Quiz 10: Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: Physical and Cognitive Development