After reading this chapter, students should be able to:

• Explain the pace of physical maturation during adolescence
  
  
• Describe the general maturational trends of puberty
  
  
• Describe the characteristics of puberty in girls
  
  
• Describe the characteristics of puberty in boys
  
  
• Describe the reactions girls and boys have to signs of puberty
  
  
• Explain how the timing of puberty affects reactions to puberty
  
  
• Identify the healthy calorie intake of an adolescent
  
  
• Explain various disorders of eating
  
  
• Identify common causes associated with eating disorders
  
  
• Explain how best to treat eating disorders
  
  
• Describe the Piagetian conceptions of formal operations
  
  
• Describe the consequences of developing formal operations
  
  
• Explain the information processing perspective of cognitive development during the adolescent period
  
  
• Describe adolescent egocentrism
  
  
• Describe the trend of school performance during the adolescent period
  
  
• Describe the reasons behind the finding that students from middle- and high-SES homes show greater academic success
  
  
• Explain the source of the ethnic and racial disparities in academic performance in the United States
  
  
• Explain the reasons related to adolescent drug use and the dangers related to drug use
  
  
• Identify common signals that an adolescent is hooked on alcohol
  
  
• Explain the dangers related to adolescent smoking
  
  
• Explain adolescent behavior that brings with it high risks of acquiring a STD
  
  
• Explain ways to prevent the transmission of AIDS