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The Social and Psychological Effects of Puberty on White Females

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Girls at Puberty

Abstract

There is general consensus that adolescence is an important stage in the life cycle. It is certainly a period of dramatic physical, emotional, and social changes. However, whether it is also a time of stress and disturbance is an issue of controversy (Douvan and Adelson, 1966; Douvan and Gold, 1966; Bealer, Willits, and Maida, 1969; Offer, 1969; Bandura, 1972). Furthermore, it is unclear what the contribution of the phyical changes of puberty is in exacerbating or alleviating whatever stress occurs at this age (see Eichorn, 1963; Clausen, 1975). The present study focuses on the latter problem, in particular on the impact of pubertal development on a wide variety of social-emotional reactions of the adolescent girl. To be investigated are the effects of pubertal change on the girl’s self-concept and on many of her behaviors, values, and attitudes.

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Simmons, R.G., Blyth, D.A., McKinney, K.L. (1983). The Social and Psychological Effects of Puberty on White Females. In: Brooks-Gunn, J., Petersen, A.C. (eds) Girls at Puberty. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0354-9_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0354-9_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0356-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0354-9

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