Ch 8: Families Flashcards
What did Freud say about adolescence and families, and what has been the result of his teaching?
“Conflict is inevitable, intense, and necessary.”
This mindset leads parents to expect conflict as normal
What is the correlation between relationship with parents and conflict?
AD who are close to parents –> moderate amount of conflict
AD who are not close to parents/poorly adjusted –> no conflict or lots of conflict
What is meant by “transformation of power”?
The relationship between adolescents and parents is “renegotiated” as ADs age
Parents gradually grant independence to their AD
Two tips for parenting AD
1) Avoid extremes (smothering them/becoming detached)
2) Be more rule-based with 12-yr-olds than 18-yr-olds
How do arguments change over early to late adolescence?
Early and mid-adolescents:
Occur over everyday items (curfew, clothes, visiting grandparents, etc.)
Late adolescence:
Occur over more important issues (premarital sex, cohabitation, university vs. no university, etc.)
What are the two models of sibling-adolescent relationships?
The Confluence Model: the number of siblings we have impacts our IQ, academic success, and vocational achievements.
The Resource Dilution Model: parental resources (time, money) are important, and the more children, the more persons among whom resources have to be divided.
The Only Child
“Only child syndrome” –stereotype: spoiled, selfish, impatient, etc.
Research does not support the stereotype: only children have higher IQ, better grades, better jobs, and are more socially skilled.
Disadvantages of being an Only Child
- High parental expectations
- 3-person family results in 2-against-1 scenarios
- Adolescents are aware of the stereotype that exists in being an only children
- Less competitive
- Concern over future care of aging parents (full responsibility will fall to them)
What is the function of the “sibling” for ADs?
- Giver of advice
- Companion
- Helper
- Support
- Protector
How does relationships with siblings change during AD?
More egalitarian (equal, same level)
Less emotionally intense
Less conflictual
Are siblings more similar or different?
Children living in the same household are more likely to be different than alike (especially in terms of negative characteristics and behaviours)
Why are siblings so different?
- Genetics
- Environments are different (and siblings perceive them as different)
Treating Siblings Differently
Parents admit they treat siblings differently
Leads to jealousy, anger, and conflict—siblings are sensitive to differential treatment
Does unequal treatment ever NOT lead to problems?
Yes— if it is the result of a difference in needs.
AD Behaviours Learned from Dads
- Self-reliance
- Assertiveness
- Self-discipline/self-control
Fathers and Daughters
- Dad’s impact can be just as significant as Mom’s
- Not as close during childhood
- Dad’s attitude about gender roles greatly affects his daughter
Fathers and Sons
- Impact on vocational development
- Helps control the boy’s aggressive impulses
- Absence of father leads to exaggerated notions of masculinity (extreme aggression, abusive behaviour)
- Greater concern for boys without fathers than girls without mothers
What leads to conflict between fathers and sons?
Time spent together
Fathers not as conciliatory as mothers
Father jealous of son’s youth
Son wants father’s approval and becomes angry when he doesn’t get it
Competition with father boosts son’s self-confidence and self-reliance
Arguments
Oedipus Complex resurfaces?
How does a mother influence an AD?
Moms determine an adolescent’s explanatory style (pessimistic or optimistic)
Psychological health influences AD psychological health
Moms influences the way ADs think and behave towards other people
Mothers and Sons
Mothers influence son’s development of:
- Social maturity
- Self reliance
- Individuation
- Psychological well-being
Mothers and Daughters
Mothers influence their daughters in these areas:
- Vocational development
- Sexuality and physical self-confidence
What leads to conflict between mothers and daughters?
Time spent together
Daughter trying to become more independent
Mother is jealous of her daughter’s youth
Each sees herself as “a reflection of the other”
Conflict if daughter sees herself being treated differently than her brothers
Daughter may feel ashamed of mother
What do adopted ADs tend to do during conflict with parents?
Fantasize about their biological parents (“foundling fantasy”)
Are adopted adolescents at higher risk for psychological, educational, or behavioural problems?
The results are contradictory:
Problems are more likely if the adolescent was adopted as an older child or adolescent
Problems are less likely if the adolescent was adopted as a child or adopted by a family member (e.g., an aunt).
What are some struggles that adopted ADs experience?
- Feeling rejected
- Questioning the reason for adoption
- More difficult search for identity
- Concerns about genetic illnesses/siblings
- Whether/how to find biological parents
