Personality
and Pubertal Development as Predictors of Girls' Health:
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A
decline in girls' psychological and behavioral health during the
transition to adolescence has been well documented. Pubertal development
has often been conceptualized as a "trigger" initiating
this gradual, and often consequential, deterioration in young girls'
health. However, little research has examined the influence of individual
differences (i.e., personality traits) on girls' health during this
important developmental period. It has been suggested that youths'
personalities may play an increasingly important role in determining
their health outcomes during the adolescent years; individual differences
that exist prior to the onset of puberty may make some girls' susceptible
to negative health outcomes during puberty as the stress associated
with the transition to adolescence makes individual differences
more pronounced (Caspi & Moffitt, 1991). While this developmental
shift, with personality becoming more influential, is consistent
with previous theorizing about deindividuation and identity development
during adolescence, few studies have longitudinally examined the
relative explanatory power of girls' pubertal development and their
personalities during the adolescent years. The present study examined personality and pubertal development as predictors of 67 preadolescent girls' psychological and behavioral health. Pubertal development was assessed using the Pubertal Development Scale and pediatrician reports of Tanner Ratings. Personality was assessed using maternal reports of the Five-Factor Model of personality. The health outcomes assessed included girls' depression and participation in risky behaviors. All predictors and outcomes were measured when girls were in 5th and 6th grade (mean age = 10.72 and 11.74 years, respectively), allowing for longitudinal analyses across one year. Results indicated that both pubertal development and personality traits predicted girls' susceptibility to psychological and behavioral health problems. Further, findings suggest a developmental trend with pubertal development being more consequential for girls health at the onset of puberty, and personality being more important later as girls equilibrate to puberty. In other words, maternal reports of the FFM explained more variance in girls' health outcomes when they were in 6th grade than when girls were in 5th grade. In contrast, girls' pubertal development explained less variance in girls' health outcomes in 6th grade than it explained in 5th grade. It appears that two distinct developmental trends may be occurring with girls' personality traits becoming more important predictors of their psychological and behavioral health as they progress through adolescence. These findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and applied implications. Theoretically, the increasingly important role of personality in determining girls' health during adolescence may have been overlooked in past models examining predictors of girls' health. These findings also have the potential to enhance intervention efforts aimed at improving the health of young girls by providing insight into girls who may be most at risk for negative psychological and behavioral health outcomes. Reference Caspi, A. & Moffit, T. E. (1991). Individual differences are accentuated during periods of social change: The sample case of girls at puberty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 157-168.
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Selected Publications: Markey, C.N., Ericksen, A.J., Markey, P.M., & Tinsley, B.J. (2001). Personality and family determinants of preadolescents’ participation in health-compromising and health- promoting behaviors. Adolescent and Family Health, 2, 83-90. Markey, C.N.,
Tinsley, B.J., Ericksen A.J., Ozer, D.J., & Markey, P.M. (2002).
Preadolescents’ perceptions of females’ body size and
shape: Evolutionary and social learning perspectives. Journal of
Youth and Adolescence, 31, 137-146. Ericksen, A.J., Markey, C.N., & Tinsley, B.J. (2002, accepted for publication). Familial Influences on Mexican American and Euro-American Preadolescent Boys’ and Girls’ Body Dissatisfaction. Eating Behaviors. Other Presentations: Markey, C.N.
& Gil-Rivas, V. (2000, December). Culture and Health: Methodological
Issues. Presentation at the University of California Health Conference,
Lake Arrowhead, CA. |
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