Encyclopedia of Adolescence, Second Edition: Volumes 1-3

Paula L. Ruttle, University of Oregon
Dee Jolly, University of Oregon
L. Zachary DuBois, University of Oregon
Jenny M. Phan, Childrens National Health System
Shannin N. Moody, LSU Health Sciences Library - New Orleans
Rebecca E.F. Gordon, University of Oregon
Elizabeth A. Shirtcliff, University of Oregon

Abstract

Adolescence begins with pubertal maturation, driven by hormones released by the brain and body. Hormonal biomarkers show that developmental processes begun in utero are reawakened at puberty. This chapter describes how useful seemingly objective hormonal biomarkers are in shedding light on adolescent development, but also how the biomarkers themselves are often misfits to psychologists' constructs for what it means to grow up. The chapter uses a social justice lens to understand when and why it is necessary to rethink what we ‘know’ about hormones to continue the self-correcting scientific process.