3A/B Relational influences: Adolescents

Question 1

Diversity in groups; categories

Answer 1

• Dyads: pair of close friends or lovers.
• Cliques: small groups of friends who interact frequently.
• Crowds: larger groups of adolescents or others, with similar identities.

Question 2

Adolescent relationships; parents, peers

Answer 2

• Peers more important than parents during adolescence- due to Generation Gap.
• Doesn’t affect long-term relationship w parents
• Many peers, small # of Peer groups.
• Opportunities to affiliate with others who have similar dress, attitudes.
• Social conformity: similar dress codes, attitudes, behaviours. These can potentially be superficial characteristics of the group.
• Adolescent relationships with peers and parents -> serve diff. functions
• General principle = peer groups don’t displace parents during adolescence-> 2 have different places in social life of young person.

Question 3

Dunphy 1960’s study method; basic findings

Answer 3

• Participant observation- followed up contacts with young pppl, various settings (café, beach, home) -> 6 mth period.
• Identified 3 groups ( Dyads, Cliques, Crowds)
• Found out social structure and function of adolescents.

Question 4

Stage 1-5 Dunphy

Answer 4

Stage 1: Early adolescence:
• Form cliques; 4-10 ppl of same sex
• Indiv. Cliques isolated from others
• Plan social activities, share secrets, gossip.
• Leader, authority figure
• Conformity, dress interests, attitudes
• Conform to group interests with opps. Sex (lack of/interest)

St. 2: Unisex cliques interact
• Interactio b/w boys, girls-> social interaction and bantering b/w sexes.
• Only part of group if you already belong to the clique

St.3:
• High ranking clique members form heterosexual cliques
• Members of the groups begin to date

St.4:
• Fully developed crowd
• # of couples very close to each other.

St5: Disintegration:
• Couples begin to go their own ways.

Question 5

Functions of adolescent groups; The Breakfast club methodlogy

Answer 5

• Students asked to identify themselves to the following crows, based on the breakfast club movie;
-Princess
-Jock
-Brain
-Basket case
-Criminal
• Identified with a group/ character in year 10, examined how this predicted after school life.

-STUDY: Examined what activities 10th grade students did, how this predicted substance abuse, psychological adjustment (?!?!?), educational and occupational outcomes after high school.

Question 6

Results of le Breakfast club (researchers Barber, Eccles, Stone)

Answer 6

• Prosocial activity participation (Church, volunterring). — Sunstanve use, +++ self esteem, up to 8yrs later.
• Didn’t predict educational outcomes or occupational outcome.
• Preforming arts (music/dance), +++ alcohol use 18-21yrs, +++ substance use, psychological service use. +++ Graduation rates from uni
• Sports, +++ educational outcome, occupational outcomes up to 8yrs later. +++ use of drinking, marijuana use.

Question 7

Group representations; Breakfast club study

Answer 7

• Jocks = team sports
• Brains = prosocial activites
• Princesses = school activities, performing arts
• Basket cases = performing arts
• Criminals = sports.

Question 8

Positive/Negative adjustment; Breakfast club

Answer 8

-Jocks: Most +++ adjustment
Highest frequency for drinking
More years of education

-Brains: Most +++ adjustment
Lower rates of substance abuse and higher self-esteem

-Princess: Mixed long term outcomes
High lvls of educational outcomes
Low levels of substance abuse

-Basket cases: linked to suicide attempts
Visits to the psych

-Criminal: — postiv adjustment
Highest frequency of drinking

Question 9

Sexual relationship development

Answer 9

• Crowd provides the transition; same sex to opposite sec relationships.
• Big groups-> non threatening environment for transistioning to intimate relationships.
• Sexual relationships develop
• Adolescents reaching adulthood
• Allows for different ways of intimacy to develop; social, physical and emotional effects of a relationship.
• Health risks associated with sexual relationships
-STD’s
-Unwanted pregnancy

Question 10

Functions of adolescent groups

Answer 10

• Activity participation can predict long-term social, educational and occupational outcomes.
• Do ppl choose ppl of the groups activities?

-Participation in social actives forms social identities and vice versa.
• Social identity validiated through norms
• Identities eveloped as a result of crows membership-> carries to adulthood
• Reflected in social, educational an occupational outcomes.

Question 11

KEY PT/S:

Answer 11

• Peer group influence: part of a nessesary development of socialisation.
• Socialisation: accepted by peer groups, establishing identity, forming sexual relationships.