ABSTRACT

Research on physical maturity has demonstrated conclusively that the assumption of an age-homogenous development does not always hold true. This volume presents a biosocial model focusing on the role of individual differences in biological maturation to be used as a framework for empirical studies exploring adolescent female development. The longitudinal design of the research program offers the possibilities to examine both short- and long-term consequences for individual variations in pubertal development. In the present volume, the data for these analyses consist of a broad range of biological, mental, psychological, behavioral, and social factors extending from the age of 10 to the age of 30. Some of the questions the present volume attempts to answer are:
* Are variations in the timing of pubertal development among girls related to their psychological and social life situation in the adolescent years? If so, when is the relation most prominent? In what areas is the relation most prominent? How does the relation come about?
* Do interindividual differences in physical maturation have any long-term consequences for adult life? If so, in what areas, for which girls, and through which developmental processes does pubertal development operate? The long-term consequences are a major concern addressed in considerable detail.

chapter 2|36 pages

The General Approach and the Basic Model

chapter 3|21 pages

Data

chapter 4|31 pages

Psychological Adaptation and Self-Concept

chapter 5|49 pages

Interpersonal Relations

chapter 6|45 pages

Social and Emotional Adjustment

chapter 7|24 pages

The Short-Term Consequences

chapter 10|46 pages

The Long-Term Consequences

chapter 11|23 pages

Some Final Reflections