Questionnaires and interviews completed by 60 gifted adolescents indicated that both sexes were highly sensitive to societal pressures. Females accepted their body image, social image, and inner emotions better than the males who perceived themselves as having poorer peer relationships and less leadership potential. Case studies illustrate…

The relationship between maternal employment and adolescent development is enormously complex, and no simple generalizations are possible. Many intervening variables alter the impact that maternal employment has on adolescent development. There is an urgent need to discover what impact this arrangement has on adolescent development. (CJ)

Reviews changes in biopsychosocial development during adolescence. Addresses aspects of individual change during the adolescent decade as well as effects of context on normal development and responses to challenges. Predispositions or vulnerabilities present prior to a developmental transition may be exacerbated. Provides advice on encouraging a…

Investigated secondary-level students' (N=66) understanding of three-dimensional structures in biology. Results suggest that student performance is highly correlated with age, scientific ability, and sex. Suggestions for instructional improvement in spatial relationships are offered. (ML)

This study investigated the relationships among vocational, moral, and social development in ninth- and twelfth-grade students to clarify the psychological and psychosocial nature of vocational maturity. The effects of age differences and sex differences are discussed. (PP)

Reports on a study of 120 (60 boys, 60 girls) middle school students in Bophuthatswana on the relation of academic achievement to self-concept and locus of control. Finds that measures of extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism are related negatively to school achievement. (CFR)

Research on the emergence of sex differences in spatial ability during early adolescence prompted a meta-analysis of 172 spatial ability studies conducted since 1974. The meta-analysis confirmed that there are actually several spatial abilities, that some types of spatial ability show marked sex differences while others show none, and that spatial…

Analyzed longitudinal data from 105 students when they were in junior high and high school to examine relationship between gender and identity development over time. Results indicated that patterns of change over time were similar for males and females; as students aged, they grew in psychosocial maturity regardless of gender. (Author/NB)

Examines development of the concept of commitment in relation to adolescents' choice of a career and romantic partner. Subjects were 163 male and female ninth graders, twelfth graders, and college juniors from public and private schools. Findings support the proposition that the concept of commitment is affected by grade, gender, and type of…

Investigates whether the critical period for cognitive transition from concrete operations to formal operations at 12-14 years of age actually exists. Uses the Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE) intervention program in Malawi. Discusses the existence of the critical period, academic achievement, and explanations for age and…

Interrelationships of physical self-satisfaction, self-esteem, and identity, and their ability to predict satisfaction with an individual's social milieu were investigated. Prediction patterns yielded no differences between grades 8, 10, and 12. Self-esteem was the best predictor for males; identity and physical self-satisfaction for females.…

Female relationships are described as more intense, demonstrative, exclusive, and nurturant than male. Male relationships are more likely to be based on enjoyable companionship and similarity in attitudes. The relationship is important enough to development that lack of a close friend should be viewed as a deficit. (Author)

Although many studies have described adolescents' sexual behavior and attitudes, there are little data available on the nature of the questions that occur to adolescents as they move toward maturity. A study was conducted to determine whether the questions children and adolescents ask reflect developmental differences in cognitive abilities and…

Examines recent studies from several countries that compared adolescent male and female attitudes toward authority. Reports that these studies do not support M. Emler and S. Reicher's (1987) assertion that delinquent behavior results from a failure to inculcate favorable attitudes toward authority through socialization. Finds the relationship…

Adolescence is a critical time for the development of self-identity; a time which often changes enthusiastic and assertive 8- and 9-year-old girls into 11- and 12-year-old girls with poor self-images and little faith in their abilities. To better understand this process, this study investigated the relationship between hope and general…