Showing papers in "Adolescence in 2002"

Difficulties and coping strategies of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean immigrant students

Abstract: An exploratory study was conducted to investigate mental health concerns and coping strategies in a sample of 274 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean immigrant junior high and high school students. Participants responded to two open-ended questions relating to difficulties associated with coming to the United States and attendant coping strategies. Data were coded into several categories, and chi-square and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results indicated that the most common problem across all three Asian immigrant groups was communication difficulties. The most frequently reported coping strategy was the use of social support networks. In addition, Japanese students were more likely to experience interpersonal problems than were their Chinese and Korean counterparts. Korean students tended to utilize religious practices as a coping strategy more than did Chinese and Japanese students. The implications for research and counseling are discussed.

An evaluation of the construct of body image.

Abstract: The two studies reported in this paper were designed to evaluate the efficacy of a multidimensional model of body image that incorporated the dimensions of perception, affect, cognition, and behavior. Study 1 selected items from established measures that were judged to reflect these four dimensions. This four-factor model was then tested in Study 2. The participants for Study 2 were 175 females. The results did not support the hypothesized four-factor model. An exploratory factor analysis revealed a model that consisted of three factors: Cognitions and Affect Regarding Body, Body Importance and Dieting Behavior, and Perceptual Body Image. Below-average-weight respondents rated the Cognitions and Affect Regarding Body factor as more important than did above-average-weight respondents. Below-average-weight respondents overestimated their body size, whereas average-weight and above-average-weight respondents made underestimates, with above-average-weight respondents underestimating their body size to a greater extent than average-weight respondents. The results highlight the multidimensionality of the body image construct and the difficulty in attempting to simplify this construct. Implications of these findings for better understanding problems among people with disturbed body image are discussed.

The effects of a mentoring program on at-risk youth.

Abstract: This study examined an intensive mentoring program that focuses on youth deemed at-risk for juvenile delinquency or mental illness. Mothers and teachers completed the Child Behavior Checklist, and youth completed the Hopelessness Scale for Children, the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, and the Self-Report Delinquency Scale. The youth (ages 10 to 17) either participated in the mentoring program (intervention, n = 34) or remained on the waiting list (nonintervention, n = 34) for 6 months. Repeated-measures ANOVAs assessed changes from preintervention to postintervention and indicated significant improvement in problematic behaviors for the intervention group. Mentoring appeared to affect African American youth differently than Caucasian and Latino youth. There were no significant interactions involving gender. The findings of this study supported the positive influence of mentoring on at-risk youth.

Close online relationships in a national sample of adolescents.

Abstract: This paper uses data from a national survey of adolescent Internet users (N = 1,501) to describe online relationships. Fourteen percent of the youths interviewed reported close online friendships during the past year, 7% reported face-to-face meetings with online friends, and 2% reported online romances. Two hundred forty-six youths provided details about one close online relationship. Most of these relationships were with same-age peers (70%) and crossed gender lines (71%). Many intersected with face-to-face social networks because they were initiated by introductions from friends or family (32%), involved people who lived in the vicinity (26%), were known to parents (74%), included offline contact by mail or telephone (70%), or involved face-to-face meetings (41%). Few youths reported bad experiences with online friends.

The relationship between positive parental involvement and identity achievement during adolescence.

Abstract: Parental support and provision of structure are linked to positive outcomes in adolescents, yet the influence of parental involvement on identity development during adolescence has not been clearly established. The present study examined the relationship between adolescent identity achievement and parental support, social monitoring, and school monitoring among 10th and 12th graders. It was hypothesized that parental support and monitoring would be associated with higher identity achievement. It was also our goal to clarify the relationship between gender and adolescent identity achievement. The girls in this study reported higher levels of each of the positive parental involvement factors than did boys, but there were no gender differences in identity achievement. Parental support and monitoring of social and school activities were significant predictors of identity achievement across age and gender. Results also suggested that the association between parental involvement and identity achievement differs by gender and it changes as a function of age.

Factors influencing adolescents' decisions to engage in risk-taking behavior.

Abstract: Few studies have assessed adolescent risk-taking from a decision-making perspective while also looking at sensation-seeking and locus of control. In this study, 171 older adolescents completed a risk-taking inventory to measure risk involvement. Sensation-seeking and locus of control, as well as perceived benefits and costs, were assessed to determine their effects on risk-taking. Results showed that perceived risks affected risk-taking more significantly than did perceived benefits. Higher sensation-seeking tendencies were affiliated with more risk-taking. Locus of control was not related to risk-taking.

Suicide and prostitution among street youth: A qualitative analysis

Abstract: This study presents the results of a qualitative analysis of the narratives of 29 street youth in which they describe their experiences with, and understanding of, suicide. A history of attempted suicide was reported by 76% of the participants and the analysis revealed themes of isolation, rejection/betrayal, lack of control, and most centrally, low self-worth as forming the basis of their experiences concerning suicide. Additionally it was found that trading sex, in which most participants had been or were currently involved, was linked with their suicidal experiences and may account for the high attempt rate. Finally, variables related to suicide were found that have not been examined previously in the literature on street youth, including loss of control, assault during prostituted sex, drug abuse as a "slow suicide," and breakups in intimate relationships.

Sources of support and psychological distress among academically successful inner-city youth.

Abstract: Study 1 examined the relationships between parental attachment, academic achievement, and psychological distress among a multiethnic sample of academically successful inner-city high school students (19 White, 54 Black, 9 Asian, 18 Hispanic) These students participated in an enrichment program designed to prepare high school students for college success The results suggest that the affective quality of maternal attachment is positively associated with grade point average, and the affective quality of paternal attachment is negatively associated with depressive symptoms In Study 2, case examples provide an examination of sources of support, life stress, and patterns of resilience Implications for prevention and intervention are also discussed

The relationship between reading beauty and fashion magazines and the use of pathogenic dieting methods among adolescent females.

Abstract: Recent research suggests that as many as two-thirds of all high school females are either on a diet or planning to start one (French, Perry, Leon, & Fulkerson, 1995; Garner & Kearney-Cooke, 1996; Story, Neumark-Sztainer, Sherwood, Stang, & Murray, 1998; Gordon, 2000). In fact, dieting has become so common that some researchers contend that what is now considered "normal" eating by many female adolescents may actually border on what has been traditionally considered to be pathogenic or eating-disordered (Polivy & Herman, 1987). Those who study this trend have expressed concern that adolescent females who diet are substantially more likely to engage in health-compromising behaviors and are more likely to develop an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, than are nondieters (Grigg, Bowman, & Redman, 1996; Lowe, Cleaves, DiSimone-Weiss, Furgueson, Gayda, Koisky, Neal-Walden, Nelson, & McKinney, 1996). It is not uncommon for dieting adolescent females to experiment with pathogenic practices that include using laxatives, diet pills, or intentional vomiting (Story et al., 1998; Lowe et al., 1996). A 1989 national study of female students in the 8th and 10th grades by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in conjunction with the Public Health Services, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institute on Drug Use, reported that 45.2% of the respondents said they skipped meals, 11.3% said they used diet pills, and 7.6% said they had made them selves vomit. In a more recent study of 1,015 high school females, French, Perry, Leon, and Fulkerson (1995) reported that 11.6% of the respondents skipped meals, 5.4% used diet pills, and 4.4% made themselves vomit. Similar results were reported by Nichter, Ritenbaugh, Nichter, Vuckovic, and Aickin (1995), who studied 231 high school females and reported that 3% of their respondents had made themselves vomit for weight control purposes and 4% had used diet pills. Researchers who study eating-disordered cognitions and behaviors have suggested that the mass media, women's magazines in particular, may play a role in triggering these practices (see, for example, Stice, Schupak-Neuberg, Shaw, & Stein, 1994; Hamilton & Waller, 1993; Shaw, 1995; Harrison & Cantor, 1997; Duncan, 1994; Eskes, Duncan, & Miller, 1998). Specifically, it is believed that reading beauty and fashion magazines leads many young women to internalize and embrace the sociocultural "thin ideal" and, in turn, motivates them to attain it, sometimes through pathogenic practices. While most of this body of research focuses on the relationship of media consumption with the development of disordered attitudes and cognitions, the purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between reading beauty and fashion magazines and the incidence of several specific eating-disordered weight loss practices among a group of high school females. These practices included extreme caloric restriction, the use of appetite suppressants or weight loss pills, self-induced vomiting, skipping two meals a day, and the use of laxatives. RELEVANT LITERATURE The American Psychiatric Association (1994) characterizes anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as biopsychosocial disorders that result in distortions in self-image and self-perception. Young women who suffer from these disorders develop abnormal attitudes about food and eating. Anorectics develop such an intense fear of food, as well as an obsessive desire to control intake, that they often literally starve themselves to death. Bulimics, on the other hand, suffer from self-distorted body images that lead them to sessions of binging, or excessive eating, followed by purging, which most often, but not always, takes the form of self-induced vomiting. The onset of these two diseases typically occurs during early adolescence or early adulthood when most young women are not only susceptible to cultural pressure for thinness but also likely to be heavily involved with, and influenced by, the mass media (Smolak & Striegel-Moore, 1996; Heatherton, Mahamedi, Striepe, Field, & Keel, 1997; Polivy & Herman, 1987; Levine & Smolak, 1996; Arnett, 1995; Arnett, Larson, & Offer, 1995; Steele & Brown, 1995; Levine, Smolak, & Hayden, 1994). …

Perceptions of autonomy support, parent attachment, competence and self-worth as predictors of motivational orientation and academic achievement: an examination of sixth- and ninth-grade regular education students.

Abstract: This project examined the hypothesis that students' perceptions of teacher autonomy support, parent attachment, competence, and self-worth would predict motivational orientation and achievement test performance. Participants were 135 sixth-grade and 91 ninth-grade regular education students from a large, ethnically diverse school district. Stepwise regression analyses indicated that autonomy support, parent attachment, scholastic competence, and self-worth predicted the academic criterion variables. Interestingly, scholastic competence was a significant predictor in all of the regression models. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of classroom practices.

College women: eating behaviors and help-seeking preferences.

Abstract: Late adolescent women at a large, mid-Atlantic university were surveyed. Of the 578 who completed the survey, 17% were found to have eating disorders as defined by a score of 20 or above on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26; Garner, Olmstead, Bohr, & Garfinkel, 1982). Participants who scored 20 or above were younger and more likely to be white, in a sorority, and Christian than were those who scored below 20 on the EAT-26. No correlation was found between EAT-26 scores and participation in organized athletics. In addition, the participants were asked about their choice of help and support should they have any worries about their eating. They were most likely to say that they would prefer a close friend to support them when dealing with disordered eating, followed by their parents and their significant other. In terms of professional services, most women reported that they would prefer individual assistance such as a consultation with a physician, a nutritionist, or a therapist, followed by family therapy, if they ever had questions about eating or thought they needed professional help with disordered eating.

Body Piercing, Tattooing, Self-Esteem, and Body Investment in Adolescent Girls

Abstract: Postmodern perspectives of body piercing and tattooing interpret these as signifiers of the self and attempts to attain mastery and control over the body in an age of increasing alienation. In this exploratory study, 79 adolescent females, ages 15 to 18 (M = 16.08, SD = 1.36), completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI; Coopersmith, 1981), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, 1978), the Body Investment Scale (BIS; Orbach & Mikulincer, 1998), and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2; Spielberger, 1996). Analyses revealed that body piercings and tattoos were significantly correlated with trait anger (Angry Reaction subscale scores). A multiple regression analysis indicated that three of the dependent variables (Trait Anger-Reaction, BDI, and Feeling subscale of the BIS) were predictors of the total number of body piercings and tattoos.

Parent-child communication, perceived sanctions against drug use, and youth drug involvement.

Abstract: To explore the relationship of parent-child communication to youth drug involvement, we analyzed secondary data from substance-abuse surveys given to 82,918 7th-12th graders in the U.S. It was found that: (a) parents are most often identified as the individuals who have talked to a child about drugs; (b) youth consider parents to be credible sources of information about drugs; (c) as perceived family sanctions go up, drug involvement goes down; (d) youth with the highest levels of drug involvement are the group most likely both to have had no one talk to them and to have had the largest number of people talk to them about drugs; and (e) perceived family sanctions increase dramatically for highly drug-involved youth once they have been talked to by one person.

The relationship of gender and achievement to future outlook among African American adolescents.

Abstract: This study examined the connection between future outlook and school achievement among low-income, urban African American adolescents. Eight males and eight females, ranging in age from 14 to 16 years, completed a pen- and-paper questionnaire and two semi-structured interviews assessing the anticipation and expected timing of major life events. Findings suggested gender and achievement differences in adolescents' goals and expectations. Higher achieving girls expressed more future goals and expectations and considered more long-term goals than higher achieving boys and lower achieving girls and boys. Goals and expectations were shaped by family and significant others, who served as models for what to expect in the future. The study highlights the importance of understanding the historical and cultural contexts that may shape adolescents' perceptions of the future.

Changes in the Parental Bond and the Well-Being of Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract: Changes in the parental bond and the well-being of adolescents and young adults were investigated in this longitudinal study among Dutch youngsters aged 12 to 24 years (their ages ranged from 15 to 27 years when they were assessed for the second time three years later, and from 18 to 30 years when assessed for the third time). A total of 1,078 adolescents/young adults (459 males and 619 females) participated. We found a curvilinear pattern in the bond between daughters and their parents. For most of the boys, there was a deterioration in the parental bond during the transition from early to midadolescence, which does not subsequently improve. The general conclusion, however, is that adolescents and young adults maintain a rather good and reasonably stable relationship with their parents. Parents prove to be of lasting importance for the well-being of their growing children. For adult children, the parental bond appears to be as important for their well-being as having a partner or a best friend.

Violence and touch deprivation in adolescents.

Abstract: The increasing incidence of violence among children and adolescents highlights the importance of identifying at-risk profiles as well as assessing interventions for preventing violence. Empirical research has suggested behavioral, central nervous system, and neurotransmitter/neurohormone dysregulation in violent individuals, including (1) an underaroused central nervous system characterized by right frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) hypoactivation, and (2) a neurotransmitter/neurohormone profile of lower norepinephrine, serotonin, and cortisol, and elevated dopamine and testosterone. The literature also suggests a disproportionate incidence of physical abuse and neglect or the lack of positive physical contact in violent individuals. In the studies we have conducted to date, there has been a relatively high incidence of anger and aggression in high school samples, even those that were relatively advantaged, as well as high levels of depression (one standard deviation above the mean), suggesting significant disturbance in these youth. Adolescents with these profiles also had less optimal relationships with their families, used illicit drugs more frequently, had inferior academic performance, and had higher depression scores. In our cross-cultural comparisons, preschoolers and adolescents were less physically affectionate and more aggressive in the United States versus France. Further, the U.S. youth received less physical affection as preschoolers, and as adolescents they engaged in more self-stimulating behaviors, perhaps to compensate for receiving less physical affection from their parents and peers. This supports the notion that less physical affection (or more physical neglect) can contribute to greater aggression. Massage therapy has been effective with violent adolescents, perhaps because the physical stimulation reduced their dopamine levels and increased their serotonin levels. Their aggressive behavior decreased and their empathetic behavior increased. These preliminary data need to be replicated in a larger sample with a more comprehensive set of measures in the context of identifying a diagnostic profile.

Aggressive adolescents benefit from massage therapy.

Abstract: Seventeen aggressive adolescents were randomly assigned to a massage therapy group or a relaxation therapy group to receive 20-minute therapy sessions, twice a week for five weeks. The massaged adolescents had lower anxiety after the first and last sessions. By the end of the study, they also reported feeling less hostile and they were perceived by their parents as being less aggressive. Significant differences were not found for the adolescents who were assigned to the relaxation group.

Adolescents' parent and peer relationships.

Abstract: High school seniors (N = 89) from a suburban private high school were administered a comprehensive questionnaire to determine differences between adolescents who rated the quality of their parent and peer relationships as high or low Adolescents with high parent and high peer relationship scores had more friends, greater family togetherness, lower levels of depression and drug use, and a higher grade point average

Young dads: the effects of a parenting program on urban African-American adolescent fathers.

Abstract: Sixty urban African-American adolescent first-time fathers were randomly assigned to two groups to study intervention strategies that would help them develop better and more consistent relationships with their young children. The fathers were administered a pretest interview schedule to determine their present quality of life as well as their relationships with their children. In addition to biweekly parenting classes, each member of the experimental group was assigned a social worker with whom he met weekly to assist him with his life needs. The control group was offered weekly parenting classes that focused on learning how to meet the infants' needs. At the end of six months, both groups were interviewed again. Findings indicated that the experimental group made significant gains in employment, vocational planning, feeling positive about their current relationships with their children, using birth control, being able to plan for the future, and increasing the number of close friends.

The Role of Ethnic Identity and Self-Construal in Coping among African American and Caucasian American Seventh Graders: An Exploratory Analysis of Within-Group Variance

Abstract: Much coping research has been conducted comparing members of different ethnic groups using discrete racial classifications. However, the past two decades have seen the construct of ethnicity evolve into a complex variable that must be assessed in a more comprehensive way. This study explored how ethnicity, a discrete variable, and the continuous variables of a person's ethnic identity and self-construal contribute to the use of particular coping strategies across various situations. One hundred twelve seventh graders (67 African Americans and 45 Caucasian Americans) from three suburban middle schools completed questionnaires assessing ethnic identity, self-construal, and coping strategies for medical, test, and social criticism stressors. Results supported the hypothesis that ethnicity as a discrete variable is not associated with coping, but that ethnic identity and self-construal are. It was also found that high scores on the ethnic identity and self-construal scales were indicative of more positive psychological adjustment. Implications for future research and methodological considerations are discussed.

Latina adolescents: predicting intentions to have sex.

Abstract: This study utilized the theory of reasoned action to examine how Latina adolescents' intentions to have sex in the coming month were influenced by their general attitude toward having sex and their perceptions of general social norms about having sex Eighty-four Mexican American and Central American adolescent females ages 14 to 19 participated in telephone interviews One group of 41 Mexican American adolescents was obtained through a telephone survey and the second group of 43 pregnant or parenting Mexican American and Central American adolescents was recruited from health clinics Path analysis conducted separately for the two groups indicated that, for the clinic group, perceptions of general social norms, but not general attitude, predicted intentions to have sex; and for the survey group, whether they were sexually active directly predicted perceptions of general social norms and intention to have sex Adolescents' perceptions of what significant others desired of them, but not their motivation to comply, predicted perceptions of general social norms about having sex Results underscore the importance of social norms for Latina adolescents when they are considering whether or not to have sex

Adolescent mothers' depression after the birth of their babies: weathering the storm.

Abstract: This phenomenological study explored the experiences of adolescent mothers with depression following the birth of their babies. A sample of 20 English-speaking participants, between the ages of 16 and 18, were asked to reflect upon and describe their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions about being depressed after the birth of their babies. Significant statements were extracted from each of the transcribed interviews and meanings formulated that reflected the intent of the statements. The meanings were organized into six theme clusters. A written, exhaustive description was reviewed by study participants for credibility and trustworthiness of the findings. The metaphor of being hit by a nor'easter storm emerged from the participants' descriptions of their experiences and was threaded throughout the description of the themes. Implications for practice and directions for future research are presented.

Understanding Adolescent Suicide: A Psychosocial Interpretation of Developmental and Contextual Factors.

Abstract: Adolescent suicide remains an international tragedy, yet a common denominator continues to elude researchers. Some adolescents internalize rejection and respond with suicide; other troubled adolescents engage in homicide before ending their own lives. One factor underlying suicide concerns the failure to construct a healthy identity. Using Erikson's theories on identity development as a framework, this paper examines the motives for and contexts of suicide among preadolescents, adolescents, and young adults, identifies specific school-age populations that are vulnerable to suicide, and discusses implications.

Parental enabling attitudes and locus of control of at-risk and honors students.

Abstract: Parental enabling attitudes and behavior interfere with the child's ability to take responsibility for his or her behavior. Enabling is expressed in overprotectiveness and manipulation in which parents insulate their children from unpleasant circumstances and from making mistakes. Unfortunately, these are the very situations in which most children learn self-control, independence, and strategies to correct aberrant behavior. Children of enabling parents often fail to learn that their actions have consequences. The Lynch Enabling Survey for Parents (LESP), a forty-item questionnaire designed to assess the enabling behavior of parents, was evaluated to establish its psychometric properties. In Experiment 1, 416 parents responded to the LESP. The instrument was determined to be reliable (rs = .84 and .92 for split-half and test-retest reliability, respectively) and valid. Factor analysis established four factors, assessing Direct Enabling Parent Involvement, Indirect Nonenabling Parent Involvement, Direct Nonenabling Parent Involvement, and Indirect Enabling Parent Involvement. In Experiment 2, the LESP and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale were used to assess the differences between ninth-grade at-risk and honors students and their parents. The responses of parents of at-risk students on the LESP were significantly more enabling than were the responses of the parents of honors students. At-risk and honors students were also significantly different in their locus of control. Lastly, there was a significant relationship between parents' LESP scores and their children's locus of control scores.

An investigation of age and gender differences in physical self-concept among Turkish late adolescents.

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to evaluate age and gender differences in physical self-concept of Turkish university students. The Physical Self-Perception Profile was administered to participants for assessing physical self-concept. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect for gender, but no significant main effect for year in school. There was also no year in school by gender interaction. Univariate analysis indicated significant gender differences in sport competence, physical condition, body attractiveness, and physical strength (favoring males except for body attractiveness).

The Impact of Parental Attachment and Supervision on Fear of Crime among Adolescent Males.

Abstract: This paper examines the effect of parental attachment and supervision on fear of crime among adolescent males. Earlier work has suggested that feelings of powerlessness and association with deviant peers have a significant impact on adolescent fear of crime. As the nature of the parent-adolescent relationship is also a key predictor of adolescent self-concept and quality of peer relationships, we felt that parental attachment and supervision should also impact fear of crime. Using self-report surveys from 318 incarcerated adolescent males, we examine the effect of parental attachment and supervision, along with other demographic and contextual variables, on fear of criminal victimization, perceived safety, and perceptions of risk. The results indicate that those boys who are most attached to their parents are less fearful of criminal victimization and feel safer in their environment than do their counterparts with weaker parental attachments. Additionally, those boys whose parents supervise them closely are more fearful of criminal victimization, but have lower levels of perceived risk of victimization. Implications and ramifications for social policies and future research are also discussed.

Relationship between poverty and health among adolescents.

Abstract: Although the effect of low socioeconomic status on the health of adolescents has been documented, the mechanism by which this occurs is not well understood. Furthermore, improving adolescent health through public health policy typically requires the presence of one or more modifiable risk factors which can be targeted for intervention. In spite of the well-documented negative associations between poverty and health, few modifiable risk factors have been identified. This study used the Evans-Stoddart Model of Health and Well-Being as a framework to examine data on 1,759 adolescents, aged 12 to 19, collected as part of the 1994 National Population Health Survey. Results not only confirm the relationship between income and health, but suggest how the pathway operates through the social environment, lifestyle differences, access to health care, and a reduced sense of self-esteem and self-mastery. Bivariate and multivariate analyses found positive associations between physical activity levels and self-esteem and mastery. We interpret these findings as preliminary evidence that it might be possible to buffer the impact of poverty on health through policies which increase physical activity levels among those living in poverty. Such policies could also include a secondary goal of increasing the activity levels among inactive adolescents who are not living in poverty, as they will derive benefits from this increase, both psychologically and physiologically.

The role of perceived social support and dysfunctional attitudes in predicting Taiwanese adolescents' depressive tendency.

Abstract: This study examined the moderating effect of perceived social support on the association of dysfunctional attitudes with depression among Taiwanese adolescents. Seventh graders (N = 458) completed the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (Weisman & Beck, 1978), Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends (Procidano & Heller, 1983), Stressful Life Events (Chiu, 1988), and Children's Depression Inventory (Kovacs, 1981). The results indicated that perceived social support from friends moderates the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depression, implying that as peer support increases, the positive relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depression weakens.

Family transitions during the adolescent transition: implications for parenting.

Abstract: This study explored how family transitions affect parenting practices in a sample of 7,000 ethnically diverse students in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade over a period of 2 years. Adolescent perceptions of parental control and parental responsiveness were assessed in three groups: (1) adolescents moving into mother-custody households following a marital separation or divorce, (2) adolescents from stable never-divorced households, and (3) adolescents from stable mother-custody households. The study examined pre- and posttransition data to determine whether adolescents in newly formed single-parent families experienced a larger drop in parental control and responsiveness than did adolescents in stable nondivorced and stable mother-custody households. Adolescents from all family types reported significant declines in behavioral control, but not parental responsiveness. However, the lack of family-type differences contrasts sharply with findings from the childhood-divorce literature. Findings suggest that adolescent individuation may overshadow family-type differences during middle adolescence. As expected, boys reported lower parental control than did girls. Ethnic differences revealed that European American adolescents reported the highest levels of parental responsiveness, and African American adolescents reported the highest levels of parental control. Contextual and individual pathways in adolescence are discussed.

Adolescent psychosocial maturity and alcohol use: quantitative and qualitative analysis of longitudinal data.

Abstract: Based on a psyschosocial developmental framework, this study used a mixed model design, including both quantitative and qualitative methods, to examine the relationship between adolescents' psychosocial maturity and their alcohol use A sample of 1,198 10th-grade students (51% female) was surveyed and followed up two years later Both concurrent and longitudinal findings indicated that the more psychosocially mature adolescents were less likely to drink heavily than those who showed less maturity At age 15 this relationship was even stronger for those whose peers also drank Further, at age 17, this linear relationship was more pronounced for those who drank less heavily at age 15 Of the three psychosocial competencies examined, the construct of personal meaning was more strongly related to adolescent alcohol use than were the constructs of interpersonal understanding and interpersonal skills To illustrate this construct, two of the adolescents were interviewed, a girl and a boy, individually at the end of both school years Thematic and developmental analyses of the interviews revealed individual variations in how the adolescents made meaning of their drinking; these encourage speculations that go beyond the general pattern found in the study