Which hormones increase during adolescence, influencing mood and social behavior?

The correct answer is that testosterone and estrogen are hormones that significantly increase during adolescence, influencing mood and social behavior. During this developmental stage, the rise in these hormones leads to physical changes such as sexual maturation and can have profound effects on emotional regulation and social interactions.

Testosterone is primarily associated with male development and contributes to increased aggression, mood swings, and the development of secondary sexual characteristics. Estrogen, more prominent in females, also influences mood, social behaviors, and may affect emotional processing during this critical developmental period.

While dopamine and oxytocin are related to mood and social bonding, they do not surge in the same impactful way that testosterone and estrogen do during adolescence. Cortisol and adrenaline manage stress responses, and while they can play a role in mood, their increase is not primarily linked to the typical adolescent development phase in the same manner as the sex hormones. Similarly, serotonin and prolactin do not have the same direct correlation with the changes and challenges that come with adolescence as testosterone and estrogen do.