Adolescent Perceptions of Parental Behaviors,Adolescent Self-Esteem,and Adolescent Depressed Mood

Using symbolic interaction, we developed a research model that proposed adolescent perceptions of parental support and psychological control would be related to adolescent depressed mood directly and indirectly through self-esteem. We tested the model using self-report questionnaire data from 161 adolescents living with both of their biological parents. To examine possible gender of adolescent differences, we tested two multigroup models separately for adolescents’ perceptions of mothers’ and fathers’ parental behaviors. Both the fathers’ and mothers’ models yielded (a) direct paths from self-esteem to depressed mood (for boys and girls), psychological control to depressed mood (for boys) and (b) an indirect path from support to self-esteem to depressed mood (for girls and boys) and an indirect path from psychological control to self-esteem to depressed mood (for girls). In addition, in the fathers’ model a significant direct path was found between fathers’ support and depressed mood (for girls).     

父母冲突、青少年应对策略及其与青少年社会适应的关系

以736名小学、初中、高中学生为被试,着重探讨了父母冲突内容、青少年应对策略和青少年社会适应之间的关系。研究发现:(1)父母冲突中指向孩子和指向父母自身的冲突普遍较少,但指向孩子的冲突显著地多于指向父母自身的冲突。指向孩子的冲突存在显著的性别和年级主效应;(2)青少年所使用的间接应对策略要显著地多于直接应对策略,直接应对和间接应对策略均存在显著的性别和年级主效应;(3)青少年的不良行为存在显著的性别主效应,学习问题、抑郁和主观幸福感存在显著的年级主效应;(4)父母冲突多的青少年和使用应对策略少的青少年出现的不良行为、学习问题和抑郁要显著地高于父母冲突少、使用应对策略多的青少年,但前者感受到的主观幸福感要显著地少于后者;(5)指向孩子的冲突和直接应对策略可以显著地预测青少年的不良行为,指向孩子和指向父母自身的冲突可以显著地预测青少年的学习问题。间接应对策略和指向父母自身的冲突可以显著地预测青少年的抑郁情绪,同时,间接应对策略可以显著地影响青少年的主观幸福感。     

Oedipal Shame,Rejection, and Adolescent Development

The definition of oedipal shame, dramatized in Sophocles' tragedy, is the painful affect resulting from accepting the reality of one's origins. A clinical example focusing on shame arising from adoption links oedipal shame to the theme of rejection. Furthermore, in adolescence the revival of the oedipal conflict may reactivate oedipal shame in which unconscious idealized fantasies of personal perfection and the object carried over from childhood have to be renegotiated. This process, illustrated by two clinical vignettes, may reveal entrenched masochistic defenses. An examination of a final scene from a film underscores the significance of oedipal shame in clinical practice.     

Gender,Parental Control,and Adolescent Risk-Taking

This study examines the relationship between gender, control, and adolescent risk-taking in a sample of 599 adolescents and explores the relation of paternal and maternal direct and indirect control with adolescent risk-taking, controlling for potentially confounding effect of family-related stressors and differential association. Gender differences in levels and effects of direct and indirect control, in levels and effects of family-related strain and in differential association are found. Although the variables related to direct control had a larger explanatory power in girls than in boys—and were in part mediated by differential association—none of the variables explains a substantial part of the gender gap in aggressive and/or non-aggressive risk-taking.     

Structural, Relative, and Absolute Agreement between Parents' and Adolescent Inpatients' Reports of Adolescent Functional Impairment

This study assessed agreement between parents' and adolescent inpatients' scores on caretaker and self-report versions of the Functional Impairment Scale for Children and Adolescents (FISCA and FISCA-SR). Self-report data describing impairment in eight domains were collected from 375 inpatients (M age = 15.0 years, 55% females), with parent data available for 233 (62%). Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated structural congruence between a hypothesized, three-factor model, based on a prior study of the parent FISCA, and an observed model, based on responses to the FISCA-SR (GFI = .95). Correlations (measuring relative agreement) and paired comparisons of means (assessing absolute agreement) generally identified stronger agreement in public than private domains of impairment, and greater relative than absolute agreement in covert, antisocial domains.     

青少年个性特征、最要好同伴吸烟行为与青少年吸烟行为的关系

本研究旨在探讨最要好同伴吸烟、青少年个性特征与青少年吸烟行为的关系.对北京市一所普通中学和一所重点中学的1042名初一至高三学生进行问卷调查,让被试自我报告他们和最要好同伴的吸烟行为,以及他们的个性特点.结果表明:(1)吸烟和不吸烟的青少年在遵从动机、自我效能感上存在着显著的差异.与不吸烟青少年相比,吸烟的青少年表现出更高的遵从动机和更低的自我效能感;(2)青少年的遵从动机、自我效能感与最要好同伴吸烟行为间存在显著关系.遵从动机高、自我效能感低的青少年,其最要好同伴吸烟率要显著地高于遵从动机低、自我效能感高的青少年;(3)最要好同伴吸烟行为与青少年吸烟行为间存在极其显著的相关;(4)最要好同伴吸烟行为既对青少年吸烟行为产生直接作用,又通过自我效能感、遵从动机对青少年吸烟行为产生间接影响.但最要好同伴吸烟行为对青少年吸烟行为的直接作用要大于间接作用.     

Adolescent storm and stress, reconsidered.

G. S. Hall's (1904) view that adolescence is a period of heightened "storm and stress" is reconsidered in light of contemporary research. The author provides a brief history of the storm-and-stress view and examines 3 key aspects of this view: conflict with parents, mood disruptions, and risk behavior. In all 3 areas, evidence supports a modified storm-and-stress view that takes into account individual differences and cultural variations. Not all adolescents experience storm and stress, but storm and stress is more likely during adolescence than at other ages. Adolescent storm and stress tends to be lower in traditional cultures than in the West but may increase as globalization increases individualism. Similar issues apply to minority cultures in American society. Finally, although the general public is sometimes portrayed by scholars as having a stereotypical view of adolescent storm and stress, both scholars and the general public appear to support a modified storm-and-stress view.     

Adolescent alcoholism in Benin City, Nigeria

The consumption of alcohol by Nigerian adolescents is investigated. Adolescence and alcoholism as applied in this study are defined, and the financial costs and physical and mental effects of alcohol use are described. The author used unobtrusive methods to gather data, visiting three nightclubs and an amusement park where alcohol is served in order to observe and interview adolescents. The findings show that adolescents begin drinking at an early age and consume large quantities of beer. The findings are consistent with those of other epidemiological studies. Finally, recommendations for controlling adolescent alcohol use are made.     

Personality,Problem Solving,and Adolescent Substance Use

The major aim of this study was to examine the role of social problem solving in the relationship between personality and substance use in adolescents. Although a number of studies have identified a relationship between personality and substance use, the precise mechanism by which this occurs is not clear. We hypothesized that problem-solving skills could be one such mechanism. More specifically, we sought to determine whether problem solving mediates, moderates, or both mediates and moderates the relationship between different personality traits and substance use. Three hundred and seven adolescents were administered the Substance Use Profile Scale, the Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised, and the Personality Experiences Inventory to assess personality, social problem-solving ability, and substance use, respectively. Results showed that the dimension of rational problem solving (i.e., effective problem-solving skills) significantly mediated the relationship between hopelessness and lifetime alcohol and marijuana use. The theoretical and clinical implications of these results were discussed.     

Parenting Stress,Parenting, and Adolescent Externalizing Problems

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Although the association between parenting stress and child behavioral outcomes is well established, there is limited research with families of adolescents....     

Adolescent Girls,Women and Sexuality:

No abstract available for this article.     

Military Stressors,Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality,and Adolescent Adjustment

Elements of military life can create challenges for all family members, including military-connected adolescents, and can have detrimental consequences for their adjustment. Although research with samples of military-connected adolescents has examined the influences of military stressors for adolescent adjustment (e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety), less research has identified possible mechanisms responsible for these effects, particularly the role of specific familial factors. Drawing from social ecological theory and attachment theory, we examined the associations between military stressors (e.g., parental rank, combat deployments, permanent change of station moves) and self-reported adolescent adjustment (e.g., depressive symptoms, self-efficacy) along with examining adolescents’ perceptions of parent-adolescent relationship quality with both the active duty and civilian parent as a linking mechanism. Using a path analysis, data from 265 Army families were examined to identify the direct and indirect associations between military stressors and adolescent adjustment through parent-adolescent relationship quality. Most military stressors were not significantly related to relationship quality of either parent or indicators of adolescent adjustment. However, parent-adolescent relationship quality with each parent (active duty and civilian parent) was uniquely related to adolescents’ adjustment. Discussion is provided regarding how military stressors and familial factors are conceptualized within the context of military families and implications for future research, family therapy, and policies are suggested.

     

Adolescent health status, behaviors and cardiovascular disease

This study tracked levels of risk indicators over a four-year period in 356 matched high school students in central Illinois. Selected clinical measures of health status (height, weight, triceps skinfold thickness, body mass index, blood pressure and pulse) and self-reported behavior were assessed. From these measures, subjects were identified as potentially at risk if their scores equaled or exceeded the 75th percentile for their age, sex, and race. Results indicated that 54% of this at-risk group also had negative health behaviors (smoking, physical inactivity, high salt, red meat and fat consumption, and alcohol intake). Some of these behaviors demonstrated strong, positive correlations with health status as shown by chi-square, t test, analysis of covariance, and Pearson product-moment correlation statistics. Thus, those students warranting preventive intervention and referral follow-up programs before adulthood were identified.     

Adolescent self-monitoring

Self-monitoring attributes of 239 adolescents were studied from the viewpoint of providing psychologists and educators with insight into impression management both as a facilitator of youths' development, especially with regard to identity formation, and as a possible detriment due to its overuse in a defensive posture. Adolescents highly adept at self-monitoring displayed social competencies most related to interpersonal adequacy, poise and ascendance; however, medium levels of self-monitoring were associated most with interpersonal values, maturity, and responsibility. It is suggested that high self-monitors may sacrifice concern for others in the interest of self-serving attitudes. Adolescents low in self-esteem are likely to use self-monitoring techniques as a defense against inadequate feelings. Generally, self-monitoring attributes were related mainly to social, rather than intellectual characteristics. In contrast to past research, the use of moderate self-monitoring levels along with sex and self-esteem as variables, provided a means of examining some variation in the adaptive uses of self-monitoring not heretofore observed.     

Adolescent loneliness

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of loneliness in delinquent adolescents with regard to types of delinquency offenses committed, demographic characteristics, and personality characteristics in the areas of interpersonal needs for inclusion, control, and affection. The types of delinquency offenses were categorized as burglary, runaway, drugs, assault, and incorrigible. The demographic variables examined were age, sex, race, family rank or birth order, family structure in terms of parental presence, family income level, religion, and geographic locale. A sample of 98 adolescents was obtained from juvenile detention facilities in three metropolitan areas in the United States. Subjects ranged in age from 12 to 18. Subjects were asked to complete the Loneliness Questionnaire as a self-reported measure of loneliness. Subjects also provided information about themselves relative to demographic characteristics and completed the FIRO-B Questionnaire, which measured interpersonal needs for inclusion, control, and affection. The results revealed no significant differences with regard to any of the demographic variables when the effect of each was considered alone. However, there was a significant effect on loneliness by income when considered jointly with other demographic variables. Adolescents from the middle income group expressed more loneliness than those from the upper and lower income groups. No significant differences were observed with regard to personality characteristics related to interpersonal needs for inclusion and affection, but delinquent adolescents with medium to high needs for control indicated significantly more feelings of loneliness than delinquent adolescents with low needs for control.     

Adolescent prostitution

Although juvenile prostitution has been documented since antiquity, its rise since 1970 has been overwhelming. Newsweek (1978) reported an alarming increase in arrests of prostitutes under the age of 25 in New York from 24% to 74% in the previous 10 years. In Boston the average age of prostitutes is 20 years old; in Miami it is 18. The purpose of this paper is to explore the conditions which lead to teenagers' becoming prostitutes, and how our institutions and legal system deal with them.