Adolescent Research

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Abstract
Adolescent research can be productively conceptualized and integrated within a life span developmental framework. Research on pubertal timing and adolescent stress is presented in order to illustrate the application and utility of the life span perspective. Reasons for an apparent dearth of life span oriented investigations are discussed; relatively few studies actually examine the childhood precursors and/or adult derivatives associated with adolescent behavior. The necessity for long-term longitudinal designs is underscored as a major obstacle for life span oriented investigations. Alternative strategies by which life span oriented research can be implemented are considered. Such strategies include: reanalyses of data in longitudinal archives, utilization of retrospective data, employment of sequential data collection procedures, and analyses of interindividual differences assumed to reflect developmental differences. While a variety of strategies are available for the life span oriented adolescent researcher, it is concluded that life span developmental principles ultimately must be substantiated by longitudinal data.