Pseudomaturity among adolescents : construct validation, sex differences, and associations in adulthood

FRANÇAIS :
Cette théorie de la pseudo-maturité des adolescents entend démontrer combien certains évènements du passage à l'état d'adulte vécus précocément peuvent perturber l'acquisition des capacités psychosociales nécessaires à la tenue des rôles de l'adulte. Trois aspects de ce développement précoce sont particulièrement examinés ici : construction mentale liée à ces évènements de l'adolescence, influence du sexe et corrélation entre les évènements précoces et certaines activités ultérieures de l'adulte (vie privée, états de détresse, stabilité dans le travail, intégration socio-économique, toxicomanie, délinquance).
ENGLISH :
A theory of pseudomaturity or precocious development has been suggested to explain how mis-timing of adult transition events (occuring too early) can generate difficulties later in life. In a community sample, the age at which 30 adlut activities (including various types of drug involvement) were begun were examined for an underlying factor structure, sex differences, and general and specific correlates with various aspects of adult functioning. Five factors were identified, confirmed, and moderately correlated including age of : drug initiation, financial autonomy, independent living, intimacy involvement, and deviant activities. Pseudomaturity as reflected in a general construct and specific scales was significantly associated with numerous aspects of later adult role functioning, including drug abuse, socioeconomic status, intimacy involvement, emotional distress, divorces, criminal activities, and job instability. Although certain pseudomature behaviors consistently had adverse later consequences (early drug initiation to later drug abuse), others had differential impact on adult role functioning based on whether the transition event occurred in isolation (financial autonomy alone had beneficial long-term effects) or whether it was associated with a general lifestyle of pseudomaturity (with overall negative consequences). (From author's abstract).