| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Adolescence | The period of extending from the onset of puberty to early adulthood |
| Puberty | The period during which the reproductive system matures; it begins with an increase in the production of sex hormones, which signals the end of childhood |
| Secondary Sex Characteristics | The genetically determined physical features that differentiate the sexes but are not directly involved with reproduction |
| Imaginary Audience | A cognitive distortion experienced by adolescents, in which they see themselves as always "on stage" with an audience watching |
| Personal Fable | A cognitive distortion experienced by adolescents, in which they believe they are so special and unique that other people cannot understand them and risky behaviors will not harm them |
| Longitudinal Study | A research method that focuses on a specific group of individuals at different ages to examine changes that have occurred over time |
| Cross-sectional Studies | A type of research design that compares individuals of different ages to determine how they differ |
| Gender Identity | A person's sense of being male or female |
| Gender Schema Theory | The theory that children and adolescents use gender as an organizing theme to classify and interpret their perceptions about the world and themselves |
| Anorexia Nervosa | An eating disorder characterized by an obstinate and willful refusal to eat, a distorted body image, and an intense fear of being fat |
| Androgynous | Having both stereotypically male and stereotypically female characteristics |
| Bulimia Nervosa | An eating disorder characterized by repeated episodes of binge eating (and a fear of not being able to stop eating) followed by purging |
| Ageism | Prejudice against the elderly and the resulting discrimination against them |
| Dementia | Impairment of mental functioning and global cognitive abilities in otherwise alert individuals, causing memory loss and related symptoms and typically having a progressive nature |
| Alzheimer's Disease | A chronic and progressive disorder of the brain that is the most common cause of degeneration dementia |
| Thanatology | The study of the psychological and medical aspects of death and dying |
| menarche | first menstrual period |
| menopause | the cessation of the ability to reproduce |
Combine with other sets
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