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PHYSIOLOGICAL MATURATION AND MENTAL GROWTH AT PRE‐ADOLESCENCE AND PUBERTY *
Author(s) -
KohenRaz Reuven
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1974.tb01245.x
Subject(s) - psychology , growth spurt , developmental psychology , cognition , cognitive development , psychiatry , endocrinology , biology
SUMMARY Three hundred and fifty boys and 350 girls of average mental level at elementary grades 5 to 8 from Higher and Lower Middle Class environments in Israel were followed up for two years. In the Higher Level group, physiological maturation was related to cognitive variables predominantly at grades 5, 6, 7 in girls and at grades 7, 8 in boys, i.e. during the respective physical growth spurts. In the Lower Level group the relationship between physiological and intellectual growth was inconsistent. Performance on Non Verbal Tests correlated higher with physiological growth in boys. Season of birth turned out to be an important intervening variable. Results which are in accordance with findings of a pilot study demonstrate environmental and possibly genetic differences in relationships between cognitive and physiological maturation, but do not unambiguously confirm the occurrence of a pubertal mental growth spurt.