title: Psychosocial concomitants of biological maturation in preadolescence.
abstract: The authors studied 8 sets of healthy twins, ranging in physical maturity from prepubertal to late pubertal, and their parents to assess psychological changes in early adolescence. Interview and questionnaire data suggested that self-doubt, avoidance of responsiblity, resentment of parents, and anxiety about social relationships peaked in early puberty; emotional upset peaked in early puberty to mid-puberty. The results support a hypothesis of phase-specific psychosocial regression correlated with the biological onset of puberty. Children in all pubertal stages were shifting their interests away from parents and toward peers.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010379:Peer Group; D011247:Pregnancy; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011627:Puberty; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014427:Twins