Interdisciplinary Work Is Essential for Research on Puberty: Complexity and Dynamism in Action

Abstract

Puberty is associated with changes in behavior and psychosocial well-being, and is important in lifelong health. We present five different facets regarding interdisciplinary research that are important to puberty. A short history of philosophical issues instrumental in promoting early interdisciplinary research is first presented. We discuss then what is hard and what is easy about interdisciplinary research, the purpose of which is to alert scientists to challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary research on puberty. Readers then are introduced to advances and obstacles in interdisciplinary research on development. Recommendations for tailoring graduate education toward interdisciplinarity are introduced. Finally, issues related to publication, education of scientists, and policy makers are described. The report concludes with a discussion of funding and policy issues.Requests for reprints should be sent to Elizabeth J. Susman,

Puberty and the Evolution of Developmental Science

“…Articulating a more expansive model of puberty that incorporates multiple systems, psychobehavioral capacities, and temporospatial contexts should capitalize on the wealth of extant data, led by advances in biostatistical modeling (Susman et al., ). But the identification of novel biomarkers indicates opportunities to develop a more comprehensive understanding of puberty.…”

“…Expanded use of biomarkers for measuring puberty, along with new studies capable of integrating across data streams and including genetic information, have progressed together with advances in biostatistics. Core methodological issues and exciting future directions are discussed in detail elsewhere (Susman et al., ). Here, we highlight two major recent biostatistical contributions to our understanding of puberty: modeling developmental processes themselves, and capitalizing on new interdisciplinary techniques in genetics.…”

“…Similar advances are being made in remote sensing and portable technology that allow tracking of experience and behavior (Epstein et al., ; Odgers, Caspi, Bates, Sampson, & Moffitt, ; Shiffman, Stone, & Hufford, ). Used in tandem with biomarkers and appropriate statistical analysis, these techniques open powerful possibilities for understanding puberty and adolescence (Adam, ; Adam, Snell, & Pendry, ), but exceed the remit of the current review (Susman, Marceau, Dockray, & Ram, ). Taken together, such innovations reflect the value of interdisciplinary collaboration.…”

Puberty in the Last 25 Years: A Retrospective Bibliometric Analysis

“…Future research needs to lead by example, prioritizing and increasing publications that use proper methodology for measuring puberty mapping onto the construct of interest. A continued and strengthened emphasis on interdisciplinary science, and particularly for experts on puberty research to engage more with experts in related and relevant fields, would enhance the quality of future research where puberty is a relevant and important domain but not the central focus (see Susman, Marceau, Dockray, & Ram, 2019, in this issue). The other most egregious limitation of the abstracts was clarity in defining the role of puberty, for example, as a covariate, predictor, or moderator.…”

The New Biobehavioral Developmental Science of Puberty

“…Interdisciplinary Work Is Essential for Research on Puberty: Complexity and Dynamism in Action Susman, Marceau, Dockray, and Ram (2019) present crucial points about new developments regarding the interdisciplinarity of research on puberty, given that puberty is an inherently interdisciplinary phenomenon involving biological, psychological, and contextual changes. Major advances have been made, based on the collaborative work of behavioral-biological interdisciplinary scientists working on complex problems.…”