Puberty is the process of getting sexually mature and it has fundamental somatic and psychosocial significance. The main objective of this project was the long and short term developmental importance, regarding both soma et psyche, of female pubertal timing. Several studies were developed to complete these aims. Six samples of different ages from different countries and from different time points, comprising thousands of females a few of which were followed longitudinally, were chosen. Age at menarche was used as the primary way of measuring pubertal maturation. The initial main goal of this dissertation was to explore the mechanisms that may clarify the well-established link between female pubertal timing and problem behavior, and also to identify contextual conditions at which associations are stronger or weaker. Present explanations are inappropriate and little is known about issues which may impact the strength of the associations. In Paper I, we tested and verified a peer socialization hypothesis as a satisfactory reason behind the link between early puberty and problematic adjustment. In a nutshell, this hypothesis posits that early developing girls accompany older peers and boyfriends since they feel more mature than their same age peers, and through these peers and boyfriends the early developed females are channeled into more socially advanced behaviors, including normbreaking. This should be particularly true in contexts where heterosexual relationships are approved and where there is an abundance of deviant youth…
Contents: On the developmental significance of female pubertal timing
1. Introduction
1.1 The developing body
1.1.1 Endocrine changes
1.1.2 Maturation of primary sexual characteristics
1.1.3 Appearance of secondary sexual characteristics
1.1.4 Growth spurt
1.2 Pubertal status and pubertal timing
1.3 Measuring puberty
1.4 Adolescent implications of pubertal timing
1.4.1 Somatic implications
1.4.2 Psychosocial implications
1.5 Adult implications of pubertal timing
1.5.1 Somatic implications
1.5.2 Psychosocial implications
1.6 Explaining the link between pubertal timing and adjustment
1.7 Remaining questions – limitations of the existing literature
2. Aims of the dissertation
2.1 The biopsychosocial approach
2.2 The peer socialization hypothesis
2.2.1 The role of contexts
2.3 Purpose of the papers in the dissertation
3. Method
3.1 Participants and procedures
3.1.1 Sample I
3.1.2 Sample II
3.1.3 Sample III
3.1.4 Sample IV
3.1.5 Sample V
3.1.6 Sample VI
3.2 Measures
3.2.1 Paper I
3.2.2 Paper II
3.2.3 Paper III
3.2.4 Paper IV
3.3 Statistical analyses
4. Results
4.1 Paper I
4.1.1 The research question of Study 1
4.1.2 The i ndings of Study 1
4.1.3 The conclusion of Study 1
4.1.4 The research question of Study 2
4.1.5 The i ndings of Study 2
4.1.6 The conclusion of Study 2…
Source: Örebro University
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