This book paints a portrait of adolescent psychology in 4 major regions: Africa/the Middle East, Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Featuring 24 revised and updated chapters from the "International Encyclopedia of Adolescence" (2007), readers are introduced to the way the majority of the world's adolescents actually live. Most contributors…

Studies the relationship between timing of puberty and spatial ability in 53 undergraduate women. Results do not show evidence for greater spatial ability on the part of those who have late maturation. (RJC)

Examines the reciprocal relation between parent-child distance and pubertal maturation. Analyses indicate that (1) puberty increases adolescent autonomy and parent-child conflict and diminishes parent-child closeness; and (2) parent-child distance may accelerate pubertal maturation among girls. (PCB)

Three self-report methods for rating secondary sexual characteristic growth were compared to physician ratings; the accuracy of self-reported height and weight was also assessed. The usefulness of the Pubertal Development Scale, Tanner ratings, and self-reported height and weight as adequate estimates of pubertal development is discussed. (PCB)

Relations among hormone levels, emotional dispositions, and aggressive attributes were examined in 56 boys and 52 girls, aged 9 to 14 years. (PCB)

The impact of experiencing multiple life changes in early adolescence was studied. Subjects were students followed from sixth to seventh grade and variables analyzed were self-esteem, academic grade-point average, and participation in extra-curricular activities. (PCB)

Examines the impact of pubertal status and timing, independent of chronological age, on the family relationships of adolescents in 204 families with a firstborn child between the ages of 10 and 15. Measures included adolescent and parental reports of closeness, confict, and autonomy and assessments of adolesents' pubertal status and pubertal…

Investigated effects of pubertal, social, and biological factors on negative affect of 103 White girls aged 10 t0 14 years. Results indicate that social factors, and the interaction of negative life events and pubertal factors, accounted for more variance than did hormonal pubertal factors alone. (RJC)

The purpose of this book, is to present a rather simple argument. Parents' thoughts about childrearing and the ways in which they interact with children to achieve particular parenting or developmental goals, are culturally determined. Within any culture, children are shaped by the physical and social settings within which they live, culturally…

The authors test biosocial models that posit interactions between biological variables (testosterone, estradiol, pubertal status, and pubertal timing) and social context variables (family, peer, school, and neighborhood) in predicting adolescent involvement with cigarettes and alcohol in a sample of 409 adolescents in Grades 6 and 8. Models…

In a study of eating problems in adolescent girls, researchers saw 193 White adolescent females and their mothers in the girls' middle school years and two years later. Examined was the emergence of eating problems as a function of pubertal growth, body image, personality development, and family relationships. (RH)

Studied whether pubertal age affects reports of psychosomatic symptoms among 14- to 16-year-old girls. Considered whether differences in dating and alcohol use might be mediating factors in the relation between pubertal age and psychosomatic symptoms. Subjects were 935 Finnish eighth-grade pupils who completed questionnaires three times during a…

Study examined how environmental and physical characteristics contribute to the emergence of adolescent girls' dating behavior. Subjects were girls who attend dance schools and girls who do not.

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…

Postulates a wide dichotomy between the levels of accurate sexual information among teenagers. Asserts that even by age 15-16, some young people lack the essential information to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Suggests a possible separation between boys and girls to address different gender needs. Includes five tables of statistical data. (MJP)