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Family contexts of pubertal timing

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Abstract

This study examined the influence of pubertal timing upon family interactions in normal and psychiatric adolescent samples. An important feature of our approach is its emphasis upon micro-analysis of family behaviors (individual speeches) and family processes (theoretically specified speech pairings). Rather than assume that global family patterns (e.g., power) shift in response to pubertal changes, we follow how types of speeches and speech sequences are associated with different pubertal timing. Using the previously constructed family coding system, the Constrainig and Enabling Coding System, we found that on-time adolescents and their parents differed from both off-time groups (early or late). These results are discussed in terms of current implications and suggestions for future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adolescent Family Development Project, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, USA

    Stuart T. Hauser (Associate Professor of Psychiatry), Gil G. Noam (Lecturer), Bedonna Weiss (Research Associate and Chief Coder) & Donna Follansbee (Research Associate)

  2. Adolescent and Family Development Project, Harvard Medical School, USA

    Stuart T. Hauser (Associate Professor of Psychiatry), Wendy Liebman (Former Research Assistant), Sally I. Powers (Instructor in Psychiatry) & Alan M. Jacobson (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry)

  3. Academic Computing Center, Boston University, USA

    John Houlihan (Statistical Consultant)

  4. Department of Psychology, Harvard Medical School, USA

    John Houlihan (Statistical Consultant) & Gil G. Noam (Lecturer)

  5. Radcliffe College, UK

    Sally I. Powers (Instructor in Psychiatry)

  6. Mental Health Unit, Joslin Diabetes Center, USA

    Alan M. Jacobson (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry)

  7. Education Services, Hall-Mercer Children's Unit, McLean Hospital, USA

    Gil G. Noam (Lecturer)

  8. Judge Baker Guidance Center, Parent Place, USA

    Donna Follansbee (Research Associate)

Authors
  1. Stuart T. Hauser
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  2. Wendy Liebman
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  3. John Houlihan
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  4. Sally I. Powers
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  5. Alan M. Jacobson
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  6. Gil G. Noam
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  7. Bedonna Weiss
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  8. Donna Follansbee
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Additional information

Received his Ph.D. from Harvard University. Research interest is adolescent development within the family and impact of chronic illness on adolescent development and family interaction.

Received her B.A. from Wellesley College. Research interests are in humor and attractiveness.

Received his M.A. from Boston University. Research interests are in methodology and statistics.

Received Ed.D. from Harvard University. Research interests are in adolescent development within the family, and family coping with stress.

Received M.D. from University of Chicago. Research interests are in psychosocial aspects of diabetes.

Received Ed.D. from Harvard University. Research interests are in developmental psychopathology, and moral and ego development.

Received Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Research interests are in assessment of ego development and family systems.

Received Ph.D. from University of Miami. Research interests are in family studies and adolescent development.

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Hauser, S.T., Liebman, W., Houlihan, J. et al. Family contexts of pubertal timing. J Youth Adolescence 14, 317–337 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02089237

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