Abstract
Models of reciprocal biological-psychosocial relations may be quite usefully studied in adolescence. This period of life represents a “natural laboratory” for assessing these relations, and may be an ideal “sample case” illustrating their role in life-span development. In this article a dynamic interactional model of these relations is described and evaluated. This model stresses that on the basis of his or her characteristics of individuality (e.g., bodily characteristics that result from his/her maturational status), an adolescent will evoke differential reactions in his/her socializing others; these reactions will feed back to the adolescent and influence his/her further development. The nature of the feedback (e.g., its positive or negative valence) will depend on the goodness of fit between the adolescent's individual characteristics and the “demands” (e.g., the preferences, expectations, values, or behaviors) of significant others (e.g., parents, peers, teachers). The model is evaluated in regard to its use in understanding data pertinent to the role of characteristics of physical individuality in adolescent development. Conclusions pertain to the importance of studying the processes by which adolescents, and particularly early adolescents, attain good fits with their contexts.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anastasi, A. (1958). Heredity, environment, and the question “how?”Psychol. Rev. 65: 197–208.
Anthony, E. J. (1969). The reactions of adults to adolescents and their behavior. In Caplan, G., and Lebovici, S. (eds.),Adolescence, Basic Books, New York.
Baltes, P. B., Reese, H. W., and Lipsitt, L. P. (1980). Life-span developmental psychology.Ann. Rev. Psychol. 31: 65–110.
Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority.Dev. Psychol. Monogr. 4(1, Pt. 2).
Belsky, J. (1984). The determinants of parenting: A process model.Child Dev. 55: 83–96.
Belsky, J., Lerner, R., and Spanier, G. (1984).The Child in the Family, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass.
Berscheid, E., and Walster, E. (1974). Physical attractiveness. In Berkowitz, L. (ed.),Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Academic Press, New York.
Block, J. H. (1973). Conceptions of sex roles: Some cross-cultural and longitudinal perspectives.Am. Psychologist 28: 512–526.
Blyth, D. A., Simmons, R. G., and Bush, D. (1978). The transition into early adolescence: A longitudinal comparison of youth in two educational contexts.Sociol. Educ. 51: 149–162.
Blyth, D. A., Simmons, R. G., and Zakin, D. F. (1985). Satisfaction with body-image for early adolescent females: The impact of pubertal timing within different school environments.J. Youth Adoles. 14: 00–00.
Brooks-Gunn, J., and Petersen, A. C. (eds.) (1983).Girls at Puberty: Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives, Plenum, New York.
Brooks-Gunn, J., and Ruble, D. N. (1980). Menarche: The interaction of physiology, cultural, and social factors. In Dan, A. J., Graham, E. A., and Beecher, C. P. (eds.),The Menstrual Cycle: A Synthesis of Interdisciplinary Research, Springer, New York.
Brooks-Gunn, J., and Ruble, D. N. (1982). The development of menstrual-related beliefs and behaviors during early adolescence.Child Dev. 53: 1567–1577.
Brooks-Gunn, J., and Ruble, D. N. (1983). The experience of menarche from the developmental perspective. In Brooks-Gunn, J., and Petersen, A. C. (eds.),Girls at Puberty: Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives, Plenum, New York, pp. 155–177.
Brooks-Gunn, J., Warren, M. P., Samelson, M., and Fox, R. (1985). Psychical similarity and disclosure of menarcheal status to friends: The effects of grade level and pubertal status.J. Early Adoles.
Dion, K. (1973). Young children's stereotyping of facial attractiveness.Dev. Psychol. 9: 183–188.
Dornbusch, S. M., Carlsmith, J. M., Gross, R. T., Martin, J. A., Jennings, D., Rosenberg, A., and Duke, P. (1981). Sexual development, age, and dating: A comparison of biological and social influences upon one set of behaviors.Child Dev. 52: 179–185.
Elder, G. H., Jr. (1974).Children of the Great Depression, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Elkind, D. (1967). Egocentrism in adolescence.Child Dev. 38: 1025–1034.
Faust, M. S. (1983). Alternative constructions of adolescent growth. In Brooks-Gunn, J., and Petersen, A. C. (eds.),Girls at Puberty: Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives, Plenum, New York.
Freud, A. (1969). Adolescence as a developmental disturbance. In Caplan, G., and Lebovici, S. (eds.),Adolescence, Basic Books, New York.
Gollin, E. S. (1981). Development and plasticity. In Gollin, E. S. (ed.),Developmental Plasticity: Behavioral and Biological Aspects of Variations in Development, Academic Press, New York.
Gottlieb, G. (1983). The psychobiological approach to developmental issues. In Haith, M. M., and Campos, J. J. (eds.),Handbook of Child Psychology: Infancy and Biological Bases, (4th ed., Vol. 2), Wiley, New York.
Hamburg, B. (1974). Early adolescence: A specific and stressful stage of the life cycle. In Coelho, G., Hamburg, D. A., and Adams, J. E. (eds.),Coping and Adaptation, Basic Books, New York.
Hill, J. P. (1980). The family. In Johnson, M. (ed.),Toward Adolescence: The Middle School Years, Seventy-Ninth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part I, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Hill, J. P., Holmbeck, G. N., Marlow, L., Green, T. M., and Lynch, M. E. (1985). Menarcheal status and parent-child relations in families of seventh-grade girls.J. Youth Adoles. 14: 00–00.
Iwawaki, S., and Lerner, R. M. (1974). Cross-cultural analyses of body-behavior relations: I. A comparison of body build stereotypes of Japanese and American males and females.Psychologia 17: 75–81.
Iwawaki, S., and Lerner, R. M. (1976). Cross-cultural analyses of body-behavior relations: III. Developmental intra- and inter-cultural factor congruence in the body build stereotypes of Japanese and American males and females.Psychologia 19: 67–76.
Iwawaki, S., Lerner, R. M., and Chihara, T. (1977). Development of personal space schemata among Japanese in late childhood.Psychologia 20: 89–97.
Jones, M. C., and Bayley, N. (1950). Physical maturing among boys as related to behavior.J. Educ. Psychol. 41: 129–148.
Kagan, J. (1966). Reflection-impulsivity: The generality and dynamics of conceptual tempo.J. Abnorm. Psychol. 71: 17–24.
Kelley, G. A. (1970). A brief introduction to personal construct theory. In Bannister, D. (ed.),Perspectives in Personal Construct Theory, Academic Press, London.
Kuo, Z. Y. (1967).The Dynamics of Behavior Development, Random House, New York.
Langlois, J. H., and Stephan, C. W. (1981). Beauty and the beast: The role of physical attraction in peer relationships and social behavior. In Brehm, S. S., Kassin, S. M., and Gibbons, S. X. (ed.),Developmental Social Psychology: Theory and Research. Oxford University Press, New York.
Lehrman, D. S. (1953). A critique of Konrad Lorenz's theory of instinctive behavior.Quart. Rev. Biol. 28: 337–363.
Lerner, R. M. (1969a). The development of stereotyped expectancies of body build-behavior relations.Child Dev. 40: 137–141.
Lerner, R. M. (1969b). Some female stereotypes of male body build-behavior relations.Percept. Mot. Skills 28: 363–366.
Lerner, R. M. (1971). “Richness” analyses of body build stereotype development.Dev. Psychol. 7: 219.
Lerner, R. M. (1973). The development of personal space schemata toward body build.J. Psychol. 84: 229–235.
Lerner, R. M. (1976).Concepts and Theories of Human Development, Addison-Wesley. Reading, Mass.
Lerner, R. M. (1978). Nature, nurture, and dynamic interactionism.Hum. Dev. 21: 1–20.
Lerner, R. M. (1979). A dynamic interactional concept of individual and social relationship development. In Burgess, R. L., and Huston, T. L. (eds.),Social Exchange in Developing relationships, Academic Press, New York.
Lerner, R. M. (1981). Adolescent development: Scientific study in the 1980s.Youth Soc. 12: 251–275.
Lerner, R. M. (1982). Children and adolescents as producers of their own development.,Dev. Rev. 2: 342–370.
Lerner, R. M. (1984).On the Nature of Human Plasticity, Cambridge University Press, New York.
Lerner, R. M., and Brackney, B. (1978). The importance of inner and outer body parts attitudes in the self-concept of late adolescents.Sex Roles 4: 225–238.
Lerner, R. M., and Busch-Rossnagel, N. (1981) Individuals as producers of their development: Conceptual and empirical bases. In Lerner, R. M., and Busch-Rossnagel, A. (eds.),Individuals as Producers of Their Development: A Life-Span Perspective, Academic Press, New York.
Lerner, R. M., and Gellert, E. (1969). Body build identification, preference, and aversion in children.Dev. Psychol. 1: 456–462.
Lerner, R. M., and Iwawaki, S. (1975). Cross-cultural analyses of body-behavior relations: II. Factor structure of body build stereotypes of Japanese and American adolescents.Psychologia 18: 83–91.
Lerner, R. M., and Karabenick, S. A. (1974). Physical attractiveness, body attitudes, and self-concept in late adolescents.J. Youth Adoles., 3: 307–316.
Lerner, R. M., and Korn, S. J. (1972). The development of body build stereotypes in males.Child Dev. 43: 912–920.
Lerner, R. M., and Lerner, J. V. (1977). Effects of age, sex, and physical attractiveness on child-peer relations, academic performance, and elementary school adjustment.Dev. Psychol. 13: 585–590.
Lerner, R. M., and Pool, K. B. (1972). Body build stereotypes: A cross-cultural comparison.Psychol. Rep. 31: 527–532.
Lerner, R. M., and Schroeder, C. (1971a). Kindergarten children's active vocabulary about body build.Dev. Psychol. 5: 179.
Lerner, R. M., & Schroeder, C. (1971b). Physique identification, perference, and aversion in kindergarten children.Dev. Psychol. 5: 538.
Lerner, R. M., and Spanier, G. B. (1978). A dynamic interactional view of child and family development. In Lerner, R. M., and Spanier, G. B. (eds.),Child Influences on Marital and Family Interaction: A Life-Span Perspective, Academic Press, New York.
Lerner, R. M., Karabenick, S. A., and Stuart, J. L. (1973). Relations among physical attractiveness, body attitudes, and self-concept in male and female college students.J. Psychol. 85: 119–129.
Lerner, R. M., Karabenick, S. A., and Meisels, M. (1975a). Effects of age and sex on the development of personal space schemata towards body build.J. Genet. Psychol. 127: 91–101.
Lerner, R. M., Karabenick, S. A., and Meisels, M. (1975b). One-year stability of children's personal space schemata towards body build.J. Genet. Psychol. 127: 151–152.
Lerner, R. M., Venning, J., and Knapp, J. R. (1975c). Age and sex effects on personal space schemata towards body build in late childhood.Dev. Psychol. 11: 855–856.
Lerner, R. M., Iwawaki, S., and Chihara, T. (1976a). Development of personal space schemata among Japanese children.Dev. Psychol. 12: 466–467.
Lerner, R. M., Orlos, J. B., and Knapp, J. R. (1976b). Physical attractiveness, physical effectiveness, and self-concept in late adolescents.Adolescence 11: 313–326.
Lerner, R. M., Iwawaki, S., Chihara, T., and Sorell, G. T. (1980). Self-concept, self-esteem, and body attitudes among Japanese male and female adolescents.Child Dev. 51: 847–855.
Lynch, M. E. (1981). Paternal androgeny, daughters' physical maturity level, and achievement socialization in early adolescence. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Cornell University.
Mussen, P. H., and Bouterline-Young, H. (1964). Relationships between rate of physical maturing and personality among boys of Italian descent.Vita Humana 7: 186–200.
Mussen, P. H., and Jones, M. (1957). Self-conceptions, motivations, and interpersonal attitudes of late- and early-maturing boys.Child Dev. 28: 249–256.
Nesselroade, J. R., and Baltes, P. B. (1974). Adolescent personality development and historical change: 1970–1972.Monogr. Soc. Res. Child Dev. 39(1, Serial No. 154).
Padin, M. A., Lerner, R. M., and Spiro, A., III. (1981). The role of physical education interventions in the stability of body attitudes and self-esteem in late adolescents.Adolescence 16: 371–384.
Paige, K. E. (1983). A bargaining theory of menarcheal responses in preindustrial cultures. In Brooks-Gunn, J., and Petersen, A. C. (eds.),Girls at Puberty: Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives, Plenum, New York, pp. 301–322.
Petersen, A. C. (1983). Pubertal change and cognition. In Brooks-Gunn, J., and Petersen, A. C. (eds.),Girls at puberty: Biological and Social Perspectives, Plenum, New York, pp. 179–198.
Petersen, A. C. and Taylor, B. (1980). The biological approach to adolescence. In Adelson, J. (ed.),Handbook of Adolescent Psychology, Wiley, New York.
Richardson, S. A. (1971). Handicap, appearance and stigma.Soc. Sci. Med. 5: 621–628.
Ruble, D. N. (1977). Premenstrual symptoms: A reinterpretation.Science 197: 291–292.
Ruble, D. N., and Brooks-Gunn, J. (1979). Menstrual symptoms: A social cognition analysis.J. Behav. Med. 2: 171–194.
Ruble, D. N., and Brooks-Gunn, J. (1982). The experience of menarche.Child Dev. 53: 1557–1566.
Scarr, S., and McCartney, K. (1983). How people make their own environments: A theory of genotype — environment effects.Child Dev. 54: 424–435.
Schneirla, T. C. (1957). The concept of development in comparative psychology. In Harris, D. B. (ed.),The Concept of Development, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.
Sheldon, W. H. (1940).The Varieties of Human Physique, Harper, New York.
Simmons, R. G., Blyth, D. A., and McKinney, K. L. (1983). The social and psychological effects of puberty on White females. In Brooks-Gunn, J., and Petersen, A. C. (eds.),Girls at Puberty: Biologicla and Psychosocial Perspectives, Plenum, New York, pp. 229–272.
Simmons, R. G., Blyth, D. A., Van Cleave, E. F., and Bush, D. M. (1979). Entry into early adolescence: The impact of school structure, puberty, and early dating on self-esteem.Am. Sociol. Rev. 44: 948–967.
Simmons, R. G., Brown, L., Bush, D. M., and Blyth, D. A. (1978). Self-esteem and achievement of black and white early adolescents.Soc. Problems 26: 86–96.
Sorell, G. T., and Nowak, C. A. (1981). The role of physical attractiveness as a contributor to individual development. In Lerner, R. M., and Busch-Rossnagel, N. A. (eds.),Individuals as producers of Their Development: A Life-Span Perspective, Academic Press, New York.
Staffieri, J. R. (1967). A study of social stereotype of body-image in children.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 7: 101–104.
Steinberg, L. (1983). The varieties and effects of work during adolescence. In Lamb, M., Brown, A., and Rogoff, B. (eds.),Advances in Developmental Psychology, Vol. 3, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, N.J.
Tanner, J. M. (1962).Growth at Adolescence, 2nd ed., Blackwell, Oxford.
Thomas, A., and Chess, S. (1977).Temperament and Development, Brunner/Mazel, New York.
Tobach, E. (1981). Evolutionary aspects of the activity of the organism and its development. In Lerner, R. M., and Busch-Rossnagel, N. A. (eds.),Individuals as Producers of Their Development: A Life-Span Perspective, Academic Press, New York.
Tobin-Richards, M. H., Boxer, A. M., and Petersen, A. C. (1983). The psychological significance of pubertal change: Sex differences in perceptions of self during early adolescence. In Brooks-Gunn, J., and Petersen, A. C. (eds.),Girls at Puberty: Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives, Plenum New York, pp. 127–154.
Tobin-Richards, M. H., Boxer, A. M., McNeill-Kavrell, S. A., and Petersen, A. C. (1984). Puberty and its psychological and social significance. In Lerner, R. M., and Galambos, N. L. (eds.),Experiencing Adolescents: A Sourcebook for Parents, Teachers, and Teens, Garland Publishing, New York.
Westney, O. E., Jenkins, R. R., and Benjamin, C. A. (1983). Sociosexual development of preadolescents. In Brooks-Gunn, J., and Petersen, A. C. (eds.),Girls at Puberty: Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives, Plenum, New York, pp. 273–300.
Additional information
The preparation of this article was supported in part by grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and from the William T. Grant Foundation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lerner, R.M. Adolescent maturational changes and psychosocial development: A dynamic interactional perspective. J Youth Adolescence 14, 355–372 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02089239
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02089239