Physical maturation rate and cognitive performance in early adolescence: A longitudinal examination.

Abstract

A longitudinal study was undertaken to examine (a) the development of the relationship between physical maturation rate and cognitive performance as children become adolescent and (b) the specific components of cognitive processing that are most closely linked to physical maturation rate. Seventy-eight girls and 67 boys were examined prepubertally on a battery of cognitive ability and perceptual asymmetry measures and reexamined 2 years later when secondary sex characteristics could be evaluated as a measure of pubertal status. At that time, extreme groups of early and late maturers were selected for examination on a more detailed battery designed to assess specific components of cognitive processing. Although there were no maturation-related differences in performance on the cognitive ability tasks, differences were detected on the cognitive process tasks. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Sex‐related differences in hemispheric lateralization: A function of physical maturation

“…These results directly contrast with those reported by Waber (1976). Most recently, Waber et al (1985) conducted a longitudinal study to assess 78 girls and 67 boys both before puberty and 2 years later. At the later time, children who could be classified into extreme groups of early and late maturers were reassessed on a battery of cognitive measures and a dichotic CV discrimination task.…”

“…However, Waber's suggestion that hemispheric lateralization may be the mechanism accounting for this effect has not been replicated by the few investigators that have attempted to do so (Meyer-Bahlburg et al, 1985;Rovet, 1983;Waber et al, 1985). For example, Meyer-Bahlburg et al (1985) administered monotic word discrimination and dichotic consonantvowel syllable (CV) discrimination listening tests to 12 idiopathic precocious puberty (IPP) adult females and their matched controls.…”

“…Hiñes & Shipley, 1984;Rovet, 1983) and nonclinical samples (Diamond et al, 1983;Newcombe & Bandura, 1983;Ray, Newcombe, Semon, & Cole, 1981;Sanders & Soares, 1986;Waber, Bauermeister, Cohen, Ferber, & Wolff, 1981;cf. Berenbaum & Resnick, 1982;Petersen, 1976;Rierdan & Koff, 1984;Strauss & Kinsbourne, 1981;Waber, Mann, Merola, & Moylan, 1985).…”

Developmental Changes in Cognitive Control through Adolescence

“…There is no clear association between puberty and cognitive processes. Some studies have found a link between spatial abilities and pubertal timing (Petersen, 1976; Waber, Mann, Merola, & Moylan, 1985), but others have not (Orr, Brack, & Ingersoll, 1988; Strauss & Kinsbourne, 1981). Puberty may influence the degree to which one can exert cognitive control in situations of high arousal but in itself may not be directly linked to the development of cognitive control.…”

Age of sexual maturation and adult spatial ability

“…Later maturation, independent of gender, was found to be associated with better performance on spatial ability measures; however, age of sexual maturation was not related to performance on measures of language-related ability. Several subsequent studies have replicated, or partially replicated, this relationship between age of pubertal onset and spatial ability in samples of adolescents (Diamond, Carey, & Back, 1983;Newcombe & Bandura, 1983;Waber, Bauermeister, Cohen, Ferber, & Wolff, 1981), while other studies have failed to find such a relationship (Petersen, 1976;Waber, Mann, Merola, & Moylan, 1985).…”