Why Is "Growing Up" More Difficult to Define Than It

question 31

Essay

Why is "growing up" more difficult to define than it used to be? What are the achievements that lead people to say that someone has become an adult? Why is adolescence longer than it was several generations ago? What difference does social class position make in the time frame for "growing up"?

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Definitions:

Counterconditioning

In classical conditioning, the process of pairing a conditioned stimulus with a stimulus that elicits a response that is incompatible with an unwanted conditioned response.

Lithium Carbonate

A chemical compound used as a mood stabilizer in the treatment of bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions.

Mania

A mental health condition characterized by periods of great excitement, euphoria, delusions, and overactivity.

Starving

The physical condition resulting from a severe lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period.