The personality correlates of timing of puberty were investigated in this study. Estimates of total body water/body weight (TBW/BW) ratios obtained from the height and weight measurements of 85 sixth-grade girls were the primary measure of pubertal timing. Information on breast development and menarche was also obtained. Measures included scales…

A total of 137 mothers and 76 fathers of sixth graders rated their relationship with their child in terms of closeness or conflict. Parents also provided data concerning their expectations for their child's changes over the next 2 years, and the degree to which they influenced their child's behavior and would influence it when the child became an…

It is possible that conflicts in families with adolescents are linked to the transitions and individual development that occur during adolescence. A study was conducted to describe domains of conflictual issues associated with adolescent grade in school, pubertal status, and gender. The sample was comprised of 78 seventh graders, 115 ninth…

Conflictual family issues appearing during adolescence have not been adequately dimensionalized. In addition to this problem, researchers have focused on age-related variations in family conflicts without investigating other characteristics. A study was conducted to describe organized domains of conflictual family issues and to describe variations…

This study examined whether problem behavior in early adolescent girls was associated with pubertal processes and other life events and whether social support and positive relationships buffered the adolescent from possible negative effects of biological and social events. White girls (N=150) between the ages of 10 and 13 years completed the Youth…

Research has identified several factors which may be stressful in early adolescence, including school change, puberty, and family changes. This study used a longitudinal cohort sequential design to examine whether stressful changes in early adolescence have impact beyond early adolescence. Of the 335 sixth graders initially sampled, 169 were…

Although adolescence is generally recognized as a period of dramatic change, the issue of whether it is also a time of stress and disturbance is still controversial. To examine the impact of pubertal development on adolescents, data were used from a 5-year longitudinal study of white males and females. A variety of self-concept, behavioral, value,…

This study examined the effects of adolescent pubertal status, adolescent gender, parent gender, and conversation topic on parent and adolescent affective expression. Subjects were 85 adolescents in fifth through ninth grade who participated in 2 separate 8-minute conversations, one pleasant and one unpleasant, with their mother and father…

This longitudinal study investigated changes and continuities in the quality of communication between parents during the period when the oldest child in the family passes through the transition from childhood to adolescence. Furthermore, possible links were explored between adolescents' differential assessments of the quality of relationship with…

A longitudinal study of early adolescents examined gender differences in attitude and behavior, as well as the effects of pubertal change, parental expectations, and parental support. It was hypothesized that sex differences would emerge during preadolescence and that males' and females' rates of change would be significantly different. Subjects…

The effects of early versus synchronous onset of puberty and dating on the eating attitudes and behaviors of 79 sixth- and eighth-grade girls were compared. Girls with synchronous onset had higher scores on the children's version of the Eating Attitudes Test and greater body dissatisfaction. Implications are discussed. (SLD)

This study explored middle school teachers' perspectives on and expectations of adolescence and puberty, using observations and interviews of 15 teachers in two Japanese middle schools and two United States (U.S.) middle schools, as well as a survey of teachers in selected schools in both nations. Teachers in the U.S. described puberty as being…