The Psychology of Puberty: What Aren’t We Studying That We Should?

Abstract

In the past half‐century, developmentalists have produced a rich, diverse, and substantial literature on the psychology of puberty, establishing the transition from childhood to adolescence as one of the most pivotal phases of life. In this article, we identify three domains of research on puberty that are prime for new scientific inquiry: (a) hormones, (b) cohort trends, and (c) alternative measures and methods. Although these areas differ from each other in concept, scientific implementation, and ramifications for research, they are alike in their potential to advance developmental science and to strengthen theories, concepts, and understanding of this period of psychological change.

The role of self‐referential and social processing in the relationship between pubertal status and difficulties in mental health and emotion regulation in adolescent girls in the UK

“…Similarly, pubertal development in girls leads to changes in societal expectations and the adoption of new societal roles. Gender norms become more salient with pubertal development (gender intensification) (Bone et al., 2020; Barrett & White, 2002), with girls being more likely to be sexualised (Zurbriggen et al., 2007) and ‘adultified’ (perceived as older and less innocent) (Mendle & Koch, 2019), than before puberty. Gender intensification can translate to increased pressures to meet heightened expectations in the academic and social domains (Schaffhuser et al., 2017).…”

Better relationships do not always feel better: Social relationships interact in predicting negative emotions in early adolescence.

“…Although such increase is partly expected as a result of both puberty and adolescent-parental conflict (K. J. Kim et al, 2001; Laursen & Collins, 1994; Mendle & Koch, 2019), further research is needed to understand negative emotions in this developmental stage. This is especially true given that negative emotions at ages 10–12 play a central role in predicting psychopathology (e.g., Bai & Repetti, 2018; Schneiders et al, 2007), difficulties in social functioning (e.g., K.…”

Biologically Universal yet Ethnically Diverse: Puberty and Its Psychological Effect on Adolescent Girls' Mental Health

“…This can be seen in the research of African American girls' experience of adultification, a process where others misperceive and mistreat them as more adult-like and less innocent than warranted [10]. Originally, it was speculated that early puberty might exacerbate this adultification process [5], which may then lead to downstream mental health consequences, especially for African American girls. However, as puberty timing or tempo did not significantly impact depression or anxiety among black girls in the study by Deardorff et al, the mental health implications of puberty-associated adultification need to be further investigated.…”

“…For instance, thelarche, the onset of breast development, arrives earliest for African American girls, followed by Hispanic, non-Hispanic white, and Asian American girls [4]. The secular trend in puberty [4,5] further makes African American and Hispanic girls the groups at the forefront of historically early puberty.…”