title: Development and Lability in the Parent-Child Relationship During Adolescence: Associations With Pubertal Timing and Tempo.
abstract: Adolescents' and parents' reactions to pubertal development are hypothesized to contribute to changes in family dynamics. Using 7-year longitudinal data from the NICHD-SECCYD (488 boys, 475 girls) we examined relations between pubertal development (timing, tempo) and trajectories (developmental change and year-to-year lability) of parent-child conflict and closeness from age 8.5 to 15.5 years. Changes were mostly characterized by year-to-year fluctuations -lability. Parent-child conflict increased and closeness decreased some with age. Pubertal timing and tempo were more consistently associated with lability in parent-child relationships than with long-term trends, although faster tempo was associated with steeper decreases in parent-child closeness. Findings provide a platform for examining how puberty contributes to both long-term and transient changes in adolescents' relationships and adjustment.
authors: Kristine
authors: K
authors: Marceau
authors: Nilam
authors: N
authors: Ram
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Susman
keywords: Father-child; Lability; Longitudinal; Mother-child; Puberty