Effects Of Pubertal Timing Research Articles

Pubertal Timing and Substance Use: The Effects of Gender, Parental Monitoring and Deviant Peers

Purpose Early pubertal timing is associated with early initiation of cigarettes and alcohol; we evaluated parental monitoring and affiliation with deviant peers in a moderated, mediational model of this relationship for both genders. Methods We tested a prospective model explaining the process through which pubertal timing is related to early use of cigarettes and alcohol for 360 fourth and fifth graders, following them for 4 years. Results We found a relation between early pubertal maturation and trying cigarettes and alcohol without parents' knowledge for both boys and girls. In addition, for both genders, parental monitoring moderated the association between pubertal timing and trying alcohol, but not trying cigarettes. Affiliation with deviant peers mediated the effect of pubertal timing on both alcohol and cigarette initiation for girls only. Conclusions Although pathways to substance use differ by gender, both early maturing girls and boys should be regarded as high-risk populations for initiation of substances, and intervention programs may be more effective if they are targeted accordingly.

Effects of Pubertal Timing on Communication Behaviors and Stress Reactivity in Young Women During Conflict Discussions with their Mothers

Individuation, a process whereby adolescents gain autonomy from their parents while maintaining emotional relatedness, is displayed by characteristic styles of verbal exchanges. Negotiating this developmental transition is often stressful for adolescents and their parents. This study deals with the association between pubertal timing, communication behaviors, and stress reactivity assessed during young females’ conflict discussions with their mothers. A sample of N = 32 girls (age 9–13, T1) was grouped by pubertal timing. Years later (age 17–22, T2) they were followed up and videotapes of daughter–mother conflict discussions were evaluated. Salivary alpha-amylase was used to assess the stress reactivity. Results revealed that young women who had entered puberty early were higher in striving for control and separation in interactions with their mothers, and displayed higher stress levels. These results pointed to less successful individuation in late adolescence/young adulthood compared to on-time and late maturing age mates.

The Effects of Pubertal Timing and School Transition on Preadolescents' Well-Being

Previous research has indicated that pubertal development and the transition from middle or elementary school to junior high may present problems for some preadolescents. The effects of these transitions on achievement, psychological well-being, and social relations were examined using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Children were tracked during a 2-year period and the changes in outcome scores were assessed. Results indicate that psychological well-being was closely related to social relations, and socioeconomic status was predictive of achievement and social relations. However, pubertal development and school transition had a minimal impact on outcome.

The Influence of Pubertal Timing on Alcohol Use and Heavy Drinking Trajectories

Early pubertal timing has been associated with increased alcohol use, drunkenness, and alcohol use disorders in both boys and girls during adolescence. It is not clear, however, whether the effect of early pubertal timing persists into late adolescence and young adulthood, whether its effect differs by gender, and if contextual factors (e.g., peer alcohol use) amplify such effect. This study attempts to address these questions by examining the trajectories of alcohol use and heavy drinking from early adolescence to young adulthood in males and females using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Results show that for both males and females, early pubertal timing was associated with higher alcohol use and heavy drinking trajectories. These effects persisted into young adulthood and were found to be stronger for males than for females. Moreover, there was a significant interaction effect between friends’ drinking and pubertal timing on alcohol use and heavy drinking trajectories; but the interaction effect also differed for males and females. These findings suggest that early pubertal timing is a risk factor for alcohol use and has long-term implication for individuals’ health.

Psychological effects of the body maturation rate in the puberty

During the last decades a large number of studies on the effects of pubertal timing on psychological functioning of adolescents have been published. This review of the literature indicates that early maturation in girls and off-time maturation in boys are associated with problems in psychological adaptation. The methodological causes of the inconsistency of the results in this field of study are examined. Some of the possible directions for future research in this area are considered.

The Sexual Debut of Girls in Early Adolescence: The Intersection of Race, Pubertal Timing, and Friendship Group Characteristics

Scholars who have studied the effects of early pubertal timing on girls' sexual debut contend that this association may result from the company they keep. Although this basic biosocial model of adolescent behavior has been applied to various outcomes with diverse samples of adolescent girls, less work has contextualized this microlevel developmental phenomenon within the larger macrolevel structures of race and ethnicity. Using a sample of White, African American, and Latina girls (N=1,299) drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study conducted within‐group multivariate analyses and found important differences in the linkages that make up this biosocial model by race and ethnicity, with the linkages strongest for Whites, followed by Latina, and African American girls. These differences in association may reflect differences in the social construction of girlhood across race and ethnicity.

Timing of Pubertal Maturation in Girls: An Integrated Life History Approach.

Life history theory provides a metatheoretical framework for the study of pubertal timing from an evolutionary-developmental perspective. The current article reviews 5 middle-level theories--energetics theory, stress-suppression theory, psychosocial acceleration theory, paternal investment theory, and child development theory--each of which applies the basic assumptions of life history theory to the question of environmental influences on timing of puberty in girls. These theories converge in their conceptualization of pubertal timing as responsive to ecological conditions but diverge in their conceptualization of (a) the nature, extent, and direction of environmental influences and (b) the effects of pubertal timing on other reproductive variables. Competing hypotheses derived from the 5 perspectives are evaluated. An extension of W. T. Boyce and B. J. Ellis's (in press) theory of stress reactivity is proposed to account for both inhibiting and accelerating effects of psychosocial stress on timing of pubertal development. This review highlights the multiplicity of (often unrecognized) perspectives guiding research, raises challenges to virtually all of these, and presents an alternative framework in an effort to move research forward in this arena of multidisciplinary inquiry.

Pubertal Timing and Adolescent Adjustment and Behavior: Conclusions Vary by Rater

The effects of pubertal timing on adolescent development have been studied since the late 1930s, yet the research has yielded inconsistent findings. One reason for such inconsistency may be the source of the rating. The purpose of this report was to examine whether pubertal timing by self-report (SR), parent report (PR), or physical exam (PE) predicted the same aspects of adjustment and behavior problems. Fifty-two girls, age 9–14 years (M = 12.0 ± 1.6) and 56 boys, age 10–15 years (M = 12.7 ± 1.3) and their parents were enrolled in the longitudinal study. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist and adolescents completed the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire. Using regression, later maturing boys and girls had more adjustment and behavior problems than on-time or earlier maturers in cross-sectional analyses. Longitudinally, there were few significant relationships between pubertal timing at the first occasion of measurement and adjustment and behavior problems 1 year later. Overlap in correlates of adjustment and behavior problems across raters was not always found. More significant findings were evident between pubertal timing and adjustment and behavior problems for boys than for girls and more for ratings by PE than by SR or PR. Caution appears in order when drawing conclusions about pubertal timing and adolescent behavior when rater of pubertal development or timing of rating varies across studies. The selection of who rates pubertal development and the timing of the ratings should be based on the underlying theoretical framework guiding the hypotheses.

Relations of Pubertal Timing and Depressive Symptoms to Substance Use in Early Adolescence

The aim for this longitudinal study was to test three hypotheses concerning the effects of pubertal timing on substance use during early adolescence. The maturational deviance hypothesis posits that any deviation from the norm, that is, early maturation and late maturation, would increase the risk for substance use. The stage termination hypothesis proposes that only early maturers would show higher levels of substance use. The mediation hypothesis predicts that the relation between off-time maturation and substance use is mediated by heightened depressive symptoms. The three hypotheses were tested in a prospective design with a German sample of early adolescents. The results of the analyses supported the stage termination hypothesis rather than the maturational deviance hypothesis or the mediation hypothesis. Early maturing boys and girls reported a higher frequency of substance use within the following year than did the other participants, with the effects being more pronounced for smoking cigarettes than for drinking alcohol.

Effects of pubertal timing on EEG coherence and P3 latency

Neurodevelopmental approaches to schizophrenia emphasise the role of late brain maturational events. Abnormalities here may account for both the putative cortico-cortical underconnectivity in schizophrenia and its typical onset in late adolescence. Saugstad hypothesised that maturational rate at puberty may lead to an extension of normal maturational processes such as synaptic pruning. In extreme late maturers pruning was thought to be prolonged, leading to reduced numbers of synapses and an increased risk for schizophrenia. Here we assessed the effects of pubertal timing extremes on EEG coherence and P3 latency as putative measures of brain development in N=37 healthy adults. During photic stimulation late maturing males showed increased left-hemispheric coherence compared with male early maturers. This was in line with earlier findings (Kaiser, J., Gruzelier, J.H., 1996. Timing of puberty and EEG coherence during photic stimulation. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 21, 135–149). As expected, P3 latency was shorter in late compared with early maturers. However, this was true only for females, whereas there was no difference in males. These results are consistent with the notion of an exaggeration of normal maturational changes in slow maturation, whereby the underlying process appears to be different for males and females.

The influence of puberty, family processes, and leisure activities on the timing of first sexual experience

This study investigated the effects of pubertal timing, demographics, family processes, and leisure activities on the timing of first sexual experience. The sample included 15–18-year-old adolescents from the former East and West Germanys. Hierarchical model using Cox regression examined the differences in the patterns of predictors by nation and sex. Higher levels of parental monitoring predicted later initiation of sexual experience for West males and females and East males. In the final model pubertal timing was significant only for East males. Higher levels of risky leisure predicted earlier first sexual experience for East males and females and West females. Social-romantic leisure was a significant predictor of earlier timing for both West males and females.

Initiation of substance use in early adolescence: the roles of pubertal timing and emotional distress.

Two hypotheses regarding the effects of pubertal timing on substance use were tested in a prospective study of 221 young adolescents. A maturational-deviance hypothesis predicted that early-maturing girls and late-maturing boys would experience heightened emotional distress, which in turn would influence initiation and use of substances. Alternatively, an early-maturation hypothesis predicted that early-maturing girls would engage in more substance use than all other groups, independent of emotional distress. Early-maturing adolescents reported more substance use within 1 year. Adolescents experiencing elevated levels of negative affect also reported greater substance use within the next year. However, pubertal timing was not related to emotional distress. Results support the early-maturation hypothesis for girls and suggest its extension to boys.

The Method and Meaning of Emotional Expression and Experience during Adolescence

This review provides an overview of research on emotional expression and emotional experience during adolescence, defined as the period between the ages of 10 and 21 years. Methodological issues related to research on affect in adolescence are reviewed. This is followed by a review of research in two major content areas: (a) biological influences on emotional expression and experience; and (b) emotion in the family. The section on biological influences includes the hormone-affect relationship and the effects of pubertal status and timing. Emotion in the family includes research on attachment, acceptance and warmth, and research on emotional expression and experience. The review concludes with a brief summary of consistentfindings and suggestionsforfuture research.

Impact of puberty on family relations: Effects of pubertal status and pubertal timing.

Etude de l'influence de l'etat et du timing pubertaire sur les relations familiales de 204 adolescents âges de 10 a 15 ans, notamment sous l'angle de la proximite, des conflits et de l'autonomie

Impact of puberty on family relations: Effects of pubertal status and pubertal timing.

Impact of puberty on family relations: Effects of pubertal status and pubertal timing.

Pubertal timing and grade effects on adjustment

Effects on adjustment of biological maturation and social timing were compared using data from a longitudinal sample of 335 young adolescents, who were followed from the sixth through eighth grades. Biological maturation was estimated from the relative timing of the adolescent growth spurt. Social timing was assessed by grade in school. Five adjustment constructs were examined: school achievement (course grades in five subjects), family relations (a 17-item scale), peer relations (a 10-item scale), body image (an 11-item scale), impulse control (an 8-item scale), and psychopathology (an 11-item emotional tone scale and an 11-item general psychopathology scale). All but one adjustment construct showed grade effects, but only three of the six constructs showed pubertal timing effects. There were no grade by pubertal timing effects. Although there were gender differences for some of the adjustment constructs, there were no gender by pubertal timing effects. The results are discussed in terms of the life-span developmental perspective.

The effects of pubertal timing on body image, school behavior, and deviance

Variation in the timing of pubertal maturation may result in behavioral differences among early, mid-, and late maturers. Using data from the National Health Examination Survey, a national probability sample of children and youth aged 12-17, we investigated the relationships between maturational timing and body image, school behavior, and deviance. In terms of body image, the early maturing boys were the group most satisfied with height and weight. The early maturing girls were most dissatisfied with weight, with 69% wishing to be thinner. This great dissatisfaction with weight reported by early maturing girls is probably not an affect of early maturation, but a concomitant of maturation in general. The majority of girls became dissatisfied with their weight as they matured, and females from the higher social groups were more likely to want to be thinner than females from lower groups. Thus, a normal developmental process is being viewed negatively by females and positively by males. Male early maturers more often had deviant behavior, but there were no consistent findings for girls. There was no effect of maturational timing on teacher reports of school absence, adjustment, popularity, need for discipline, or grade repetition.

Satisfaction with body image for early adolescent females: The impact of pubertal timing within different school environments

During adolescence dramatic physical changes take place which the individual must incorporate into his or her evolving body image. The impact of different school environments on this incorporation process is explored using data on 225 White females from a longitudinal study. Differences in physical characteristics between early, middle, and late developers were assessed each year. The effects of pubertal timing on satisfaction with body image dimensions and self-esteem were then explored for sixth- and seventh-graders within different school environments. Reference group theory was used to examine three alternative hypotheses. Early versus late onset of menarche had different effects on certain aspects of satisfaction with body image, depending on the school environment. Results support the strength of the cultural ideal of thinness for women, but no other hypothesis had consistent support. The findings indicated the need to consider a multiplicity of factors in relation to specific body image dimensions.

Measuring physical status and timing in early adolescence: A developmental perspective

Recently, the timing-of-events model typically used for exploring adult development has been proposed for studying early adolescence and the pubertal processes occurring then. As a consequence, new interest has been generated about the psychological effects of being early, on time, or late in sexual maturation during early adolescence. A major issue has to do with the choice of maturational events to study, since puberty is a process involving numerous events, all of which have a different developmental course. This paper reviews some of the maturational events that are applicable in studying psychological effects of pubertal status and timing. Nine changes are reviewed (bone, height, weight, body fat, breast, body hair, penile, testicular, and menarcheal changes) in terms of measurement techniques, psychometric properties, and intercorrelations with other pubertal events. In addition, the usefulness of each measure for psychological research on maturational timing and status is discussed. Finally, how pubertal measures may be incorporated into a developmental perspective is considered, especially with regard to rate, duration, and asynchrony of pubertal changes.