| A | B |
|---|
| adolescent growth spurt | a sudden, brief burst of physical growth during which adolescents typically make great gains in height and weight |
| puberty | the period of sexual maturation; the onset of one's ability to reproduce |
| primary sex characteristics | the organs that make sexual reproduction possible, such as the ovaries and testes |
| secondary sex characteristics | sexual characteristics that are not involved in reproduction, such as the growth of facial hair in males and the rounding of hips and breasts in females |
| menarche | a female's first menstrual period |
| cliques | small, exclusive groups of people within a larger group |
| crowds | large groups of people who share attitudes and a group identity |
| identity crisis | period of inner conflict during which one examines one's values and makes decisions about one's life direction |
| identity status | one of four reaction patterns or processes in the development of identity during adolescence |
| identity moratorium | a period of time in the development of identity in which a person delays making a decision about important issues but actively explores various alternatives |
| identity foreclosure | the act of making a commitment based on other's values in order to avoid an identity crisis |
| identity diffusion | the constant search for meaning and identity without committing oneself to a set of personal beliefs or an occupational path |
| identity achievement | a stage in identity development in which a person has committed to an occupational direction and made decisions about important life questions |
| anorexia nervosa | an eating disorder characterized by extreme weight loss due to self-starvation |
| bulimia nervosa | an eating disorder in which enormous quantities of food are consumed and then purged by means of laxatives or self-induced vomiting |
| juvenile delinquency | a violation of the law committed by a child or adolescent |
| status offenses | actions that are illegal when committed by a minor, such as consuming alcohol |
| testosterone | during puberty, hormones from the pituitary gland cause the testes to produce increased levels of this hormone in boys |
| estrogen | during puberty, hormones from the pituitary gland cause the ovaries to produce increased levels of this hormone in girls |
