Assessed Type A behavior pattern for 122 teenagers who had heart rate measured during rest and presentation of mental arithmetic stressor under timed and competitive conditions. Examined whether sex, age, task performance, and behavior pattern predicted heart rate reactivitiy. Found no significant main effects for behavior pattern, sex, or age;…

Treatment of sexually abusive youth was initially patterned after treatment of adult sex offenders. Article discusses the important differences in understanding the developmental progression and in treatment approaches that have evolved. Supports developmental perspective for treatment of youth which views abusive sexuality as evidence of deviant…

Healthy adolescents (79 girls, 66 boys), ages 9-17, completed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT; A. Bechara, A. R. Damasio, H. Damasio, & S. W. Anderson, 1994) as well as working memory (digit span) and behavioral inhibition (go/no-go) tasks. Cross-sectional age-related changes were seen on all 3 tasks. Gender differences were seen in IGT deck…

Affective disorder is characterized by maladaptive changes in mood, attitudes, energy level, and physical status. These changes constitute the basic dimensions of depression. Depression results from a combination of genetic and experiential factors. There are sex differences and age differences with regard to depression, and there is a high…

Frequent mood changes in adolescents are often attributed to the influence of shifting hormone levels. The presence and magnitude of menstrual-related mood changes in adolescent women were examined in 10th and 11th grade females (N=158) who completed the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ). Self-reports of the onset date for the next two…

This investigation reports the development of a measure of adolescent connectedness and estimates of its psychometric properties. A measure was developed to assess the ecological and developmental dimensions of adolescent connectedness, defined as adolescents' caring for and involvement in specific relationships and contexts within their social…

Presents a conceptual and empirical framework for examining the developmental changes that romantic relationships undergo over the course of adolescence. Describes several empirical studies that have examined age differences and delineates an agenda for subsequent developmental work. (JPB)

Examined adolescents' and mothers' understanding of children's self-determination and nurturance rights at home. Found that eighth- and tenth-graders were more likely than their mothers to endorse self-determination requests and less likely to support nurturance requests in hypothetical vignettes. Mothers of tenth- graders were more likely to…

This study compared articulatory movements of 30 adolescents (12-16 years) and 30 young adults. Trajectory variability, especially lip trajectories, was higher for the adolescents. Adolescents also had significantly longer movement durations, lower velocities, smaller displacements, and greater variability on these measures than young adults. No…

Boarding school adolescent boys (n=197) rated dormitory mates on each dimension of Marcia's levels of ego identity achievement (Identity Achievement, Moratorium, Foreclosure, and Diffusion) twice with interval of six months. Results indicated age differences in identity status for young adolescents, identity development associated with time, and…

Examined age differences in 9- to 15-year-olds' experiences with families and friends, and by themselves. Amount of time spent with family decreased with age. Affect with family became less positive through seventh grade; affect with friends became more favorable with age; affect when alone did not vary. (BC)

Black college students (n=172) completed survey of biographical, educational, and vocational information about themselves and immediate relatives. Results indicated that educational realism tended to increase across college years. Found no difference in satisfaction with school or intent to leave school as function of educational or salary…

Developed and validated Parents of Adolescents Separation Anxiety Scale with parents of sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders, and college freshmen and seniors. Factor analyses supported two subscales: Anxiety about Adolescent Distancing (AAD) and Comfort with Secure Base Role (CSBR); both showed distinctive change patterns with child age.…

It is possible that conflicts in families with adolescents are linked to the transitions and individual development that occur during adolescence. A study was conducted to describe domains of conflictual issues associated with adolescent grade in school, pubertal status, and gender. The sample was comprised of 78 seventh graders, 115 ninth…

Conflictual family issues appearing during adolescence have not been adequately dimensionalized. In addition to this problem, researchers have focused on age-related variations in family conflicts without investigating other characteristics. A study was conducted to describe organized domains of conflictual family issues and to describe variations…