The effects of pubertal timing on externalizing behaviors in adolescence and early adulthood: A meta-analytic review

Using a meta-analytic approach, this investigation examines the association between early pubertal timing and externalizing behaviors in adolescence and early adulthood. The findings showed that the effect size of early pubertal maturation on externalizing behaviors was r = 0.180. This small, yet significant effect size is consistent with the models of early pubertal maturation in that early maturation is associated with higher levels of externalizing behaviors. Using contrast analyses, we examined three potential moderators of this association: sex, the concurrent versus long-term effect of early puberty, and types of puberty assessments. Neither sex nor type of pubertal timing assessment moderated the effect significantly. However, results indicated that the effect was stronger for studies that measured pubertal timing and externalizing behaviors concurrently rather than longitudinally (i.e., examining prospective effect of pubertal timing on later externalizing behaviors). The findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research.