Chapter 8: Parent-Adolescent Interactions Flashcards
Role of Parents in Adolescents’ Cognitive Development
What occurs during adolescence that contributes to advances in cognition? (4)
- brain maturation
- additional years of education
- moral challenges
- increased independence
Development of Abstract Reasoning
What is a significant change in cognition that occurs during adolescence?
development of abstract thought
Development of Abstract Reasoning
What is abstract thought?
higher-level reasoning
Development of Abstract Reasoning
What do abstract thinking abilities result in the tendency if adolescents to do?
- engage in self-reflection, which affects how they feel about themselves and others around them
- question authority, and challenge previously established rules and boundaries
Development of Abstract Reasoning
How does adolescent egocentrism differ from young children’s egocentrism?
- aware that others have their own thoughts
- tends to distort what others are thinking, especially about them
Development of Abstract Reasoning
Where is a reflection of adolescents’ egocentrism seen?
in their acute self-consciousness, which is higher during early adolescence (age 10-14) than late adolescence
(young adolescents prefer to blend in with their peers and do not like to stand out)
(they believe that others are as egocentric as they are)
Development of Abstract Reasoning
What are the two aspects of adolescent egocentrism?
- invincibility fable
- imaginary audience
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Development of Abstract Reasoning
From “What Is” to “What If”
abstract thought also allows adolescents to consider other options than the reality they are experiencing or have experienced in the past
begin to consider life’s problems and challenges in terms of possibilities – questioning parental authority, challenge previously established rules
Development of Abstract Reasoning
What are some things parents should do to adjust parenting?
- be aware of heightened egocentrism (ie. easily embarrassed by parents in public)
- monitoring and guidelines are necessary for adolescents who tend to think they are invincible and are prone to take unwise risks
- guidance helps when adolescents’ heightened intuitive thinking and limited experience overcome their logical reasoning
Academic Achievement
What parental influences influence academic success of adolescents? (4)
- parent child-rearing patterns
- parental academic expectations
- quality of parent-adolescent communication
- parent-adolescent school-related conflict
Academic Achievement – Childrearing Pattern
Which patterns are associated with favourable academic outcomes?
- authoritative (most favourable)
- traditional (non-Western countries, ethnic minority families in societies such as US and Canada)
Academic Achievement – Childrearing Pattern
What is one of the advantages for adolescents in traditional families?
childrearing efforts of their parents typically are buffered by the support of members of their extended families
Academic Achievement – Childrearing Pattern
What patterns negatively affect adolescent academic achievement?
- authoritarian
- permissive
- indulgent
- uninvolved
Academic Achievement – Parental Expectations
How do parental expectations affect achievement?
children whose parents have high academic expectations for them usually have higher academic self-efficacy
(students’ own expectations can also influence parents’ expectations, which influences and is influenced by students’ achievement)
Academic Achievement – School-Related Parent-Adolescent Conflict
How do conflicts arise?
- school transitions in adolescence (which brings with it higher academic demands and a need for more complex study habits)
- early adolescent’s need for more independent thinking
- boys are at greater risk for decline in academic achievement during this transition
Adolescents and Self Esteem
As adolescents are transforming from children to adults, what do parents remain a source of?
love, support, protection, and comfort
parents are among the people to whom adolescents are most closely attached
Adolescents and Self Esteem
What is one of the most significant contributors to adolescent self-esteem?
secure attachment to parents – related to the level of emotional closeness between parents and adolescents, and the degree to which adolescents feel that their parents are accepting of them
Adolescents and Self Esteem
How does level of parental involvement impact self-esteem?
perceive high level of positive involvement = higher level of self-esteem
Adolescents and Self Esteem
What are 3 factors that impact adolescent self-esteem?
- secure attachment to parents
- parental involvement
- parenting patterns
Adolescents and Self Esteem
What is identity achievement?
being able to establish a clear and definite sense of who one is and where one fits into one’s particular culture
Adolescents and Self Esteem
What is adolescent identity achievement linked to? (3)
- family interaction patterns
- attachement to parents
- parenting styles
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
How do early-developing girls compare to “on-time” girls in their relationship with parents?
- more conflict with parents
- less communication with parents
- “more heated” conversations with parents
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
What is common to both early-developing boys and girls?
poorer psychosocial adjustment/development
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
How do early-maturing boys compare to “on-time” boys?
- more satisfied with their physical appearance
- higher rates of internalized distress and physical illness
- higher rates of externalizing problems, such as expressing hostile feelings
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
What are some risk factors of late-maturing males?
- higher rates of depressive symptoms
- higher rates of externalizing behaviours
- higher difficulties with peers during early and mid-adolescence
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
What are some family stress factors that contribute to acceleration of puberty for girls?
- maternal depression
- stepfather presence
- marital or family discord
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
What are some family stress factors that contribute to acceleration of puberty for boys?
- greater emotional distance from mother
- parental conflict
- father absence
- economic anxiety
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
What is economic anxiety?
when adolescents worry about themselves or their parents for not having a job or not having enough money to pay for things
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
What is the connection between overweight and obesity, and puberty for girls?
overweight and obesity contributes to early puberty for girls
Puberty and Relationships – Off-time Puberty
What is the connection between overweight and obesity, and puberty for boys?
higher BMI during early and mid-childhood is related to later onset of puberty
Puberty and Relationships – Sexuality
Who is at risk for for at-risk sexual behaviours?
early-maturing girls – tend to have an earlier age of sexual initiation
Puberty and Relationships – Sexuality
Why are early-maturing girls do more at-risk sexual behaviours? (3)
- earlier first romantic relationships
- more boyfriends, as well as older boyfriends
- more unsupervised outings with boys
Puberty and Relationships – Sexuality
How can parents support both boys and girls?
both boys and girls benefit from conversations with parents regarding what to expect concerning the physical changes in their bodies, and how to handle the feelings and behaviours that might be associated with these changes
Puberty and Relationships – Sexuality
What should parents focus on when discussing sexuality and body image with their children?
focus on encouraging adolescents to feel positively about their changing bodies and the sexual feelings they may be experiencing
Puberty and Relationships – Sexuality
How should parents discuss ways to manage the responses of others to their child’s early physical maturity?
should include discussions of sexual coercion, and ways to prevent and manage those situation
Parent Adolescent Conflict
Family Systems Theory
significant alterations in the behaviour of one family member brings about changes in the behaviour of all other family members
therefore, developmental changes that occur during adolescence modify behaviours of the adolescent, and simultaneously contribute to changes in the behaviours of parents, siblings, and any other members of the household
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Family Disequilibrium
When does the time of greatest disequilibrium in the family system occur?
during early adolescence (ages 10 to 14) when:
- puberty and sexual maturity occur
- cognitive capability for abstract thought is achieved
- psychological quest for a unique identity begins
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Family Disequilibrium
What is the growth-producing aspect of the disequilibrium that occurs in the family system when children reach adolescence?
when enfranchising their adolescent children into increasingly more responsible roles, parents and adolescents both benefit, and the family system is marked by vitality and growth
Parent Adolescent Conflict
What are the types of arguments that usually occur?
“series of minor disputes” (rather than a period of “storm and stress”)
although parents and adolescents often disagree, their arguments are mostly over minor issues such as curfew, and cannot be characterized as highly conflicted
Parent Adolescent Conflict
Do the majority of adolescents like, trust, and admire their parents?
yes
Parent Adolescent Conflict
What is an important contributor to adolescent well-being?
parent-adolescent communication – talking with parents about problems enhances adolescents’ life satisfaction
Parent Adolescent Conflict
When during adolescence is conflict the highest?
highest during early adolescence
- less frequent, but more forceful, in middle adolescence
- substantial decrease in late adolescence
Parent Adolescent Conflict
What does effectively managed parent-adolescent conflict foster?
interpersonal adaptations necessitated by the physical, social, and cognitive changes of adolescents
- psychosocial development – identity formation, development of social cognitive skills
Parent Adolescent Conflict
Does conflict occur with authoritarian parenting?
authoritarian parents restrict their children’s interactions and short-circuit interpersonal family conflicts by imposing rules intended to prevent conflict from occurring
Parent Adolescent Conflict
What are ineffective parent-adolescent conflict resolution styles linked to?
- lower self-esteem
- delinquency
Parent Adolescent Conflict
How do father-adolescent conflict resolution styles differ from mother-adolescent styles?
have different effects on delinquency
- father conflict: demand–withdraw pattern is related to delinquency
- mother conflict: mutual hostility is associated with delinquency
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Sources
What are some sources of conflict?
- adolescents’ biological, cognitive, and psychosocial changes
- cultural norms
- mismatch between parent and adolescent expectations of autonomy for the adolescent
- sexual maturity (concerns about sexual behaviours)
- privacy coordination (family boundaries, discrepant expectations)
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Sources
How do adolescents’ biological, cognitive, and psychosocial changes cause conflict?
biological: increased size and strength of adolescents make it more difficult for parents to impose their authority on the youth than when they were younger
cognitive: adolescents’ increased capacity for abstract thinking makes them more capable of presenting an argument in the face of parental directives
Parent Adolescent Conflict
Do parents and adolescents generally agree on adolescent independence?
both parents and adolescents in Western societies generally agree on the ultimate goal of adolescent independence, BUT conflicts often arise related to the pace of that independence
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Culture
What is conflict like in traditional cultures?
- rare for parents and adolescents to engage in the kind of frequent bickering that occurs in American culture
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Culture
Why is there low parent-adolescent conflict in traditional cultures?
economic interdependence of parents and adolescents
BUT this does not explain the low conflict seen between parents and adolescents in highly industrialized traditional cultures (ie. Japan)
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Conflict
Is cultural beliefs regarding parental authority or economics more important?
findings of low parent-adolescent conflict in traditional cultures of developing countries, and in traditional cultures of highly industrialized societies, suggest that cultural beliefs regarding parental authority are more important
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Culture
Role of Acculturation
cultural norms that govern parent-adolescent conflict and harmony are likely to be challenged by the acculturation process when families move to different countries
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Culture
What are acculturation gaps related to?
- negatively related to family cohesion and acceptability
- adolescent behavioural problems
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Culture
Why do acculturation gaps occur?
parents and adolescents undergoing the acculturation process differ in their expectations across a number of important domains (ie. privacy, trust, relationships)
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Culture
Both the frequency and intensity of disagreements between Hmong adolescents and their parents were associated with problem behaviours of…
- delinquent peer affiliation
- gang involvement
- truancy
- poor school performance
Parent Adolescent Conflict – Culture
Is culture-of-origin involvement and biculturalism related to problem behaviours?
no
these are cultural assets that have a positive effect on parent-adolescent relations
Adolescents and Media – Benefits
What does adolescent use of technology demonstrate?
- greater use of technology over adults demonstrate their ever-expanding cognitive abilities
- use of social media reflects their psychosocial search for identity and individuation from parents
- internet usage by family members has the potential to positively influence family dynamics
Adolescents and Media – Benefits
What do adolescents’ sophisticated understanding and use of technology reflect?
- capability for abstract reasoning
- ongoing brain development
(ie. robots, creating apps)
Adolescents and Media – Benefits
What does online social networking facilitate?
identity exploration
themes that reflect identity exploration and individuation from parents have been shown to be present in online profiles – mainly in areas of self-disclosure, peer relations, risk behaviours, and sexual exploration
Adolescents and Media – Benefits
What does content posted to adolescent blogs follow?
predictable paths of identity and role experimentation as originally conceptualized by Erikson’s developmental stages
Adolescents and Media – Benefits
How does Internet usage within and outside the family microsystem relate to individual and family well-being?
- social media technology has the potential to strengthen family bonds (better able to keep in touch with each other through the use of cell phones)
- although cell phones increase communication between teens and parents, there are certain rules of cell phone etiquette that adolescents need to know
Adolescents and Media – Challenges
What are some of the main challenges?
- exposure to media content that includes violence and sexual references
- internet addiction
- being contacted by sexual predators on the internet
Adolescents and Media – Challenges
What are the 3 characteristics of someone who has an internet addiction?
- relying on internet as a source of friendships
- favouring online locations for communicating with friends
- demonstrating low self-esteem
Specify the role of parents in adolescents’ cognitive development and academic achievement.
- when adolescents acquire the capability for abstract thought, it is normal for them to question parental authority and challenge previously established rules and boundaries
- therefore, it is necessary for parents to make adjustments in their guidance style that allow for the exploration of possible exceptions to the usual rules
- parents also play an important role in adolescent academic achievement – linked to parental expectations as well as authoritative and traditional parenting pattern
Identify the influence of parents on adolescents’ social-emotional development.
- relationships adolescents have with their parents influence the adolescents’ levels of self-esteem as well as their sense of identity
- adolescents have higher self-esteem when they have a secure attachment with their parents, experience parental closeness, and have relationships with parents that help them believe that they matter
- parental involvement and authoritative parenting also promote adolescent self-esteem
- adolescents’ quest for identity is supported when there is effective parent-adolescent communication
- two important aspects of parent-adolescent communication support the adolescent quest for identity – when adolescent disagreements are allowed, and when adolescents are permitted to develop their own opinion
Describe how the onset of puberty affects the parent-adolescent relationship and demonstrate an understanding of the factors that influence the timing of the onset of adolescent puberty.
- puberty influences adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment as well as their relationships with parents and peers
- those relationships are more problematic, however, when puberty occurs at an earlier or later than the normal age
- two factors that influence off-time puberty include family stress and overweight or obesity
- effects of stress and weight problems on puberty timing differ for males and females with overweight related to early puberty for girls and later puberty for boys
- type of family stress experienced by the adolescents also has different effects on puberty timing for males and females
Define the ways in which developmental changes in the adolescent contribute to alterations in the family system and escalated parent-adolescent conflict.
- developmental changes that occur during adolescence contribute to alterations in adolescents’ behaviours
- these behavioural changes contribute to modifications in the behaviours of other family members
- changes in behaviour of all family members bring about modifications in the family system, which result in family disequilibrium
- although family disequilibrium is associated with parent-adolescent conflict, the degree of parent-adolescent conflict that has been attributed to that stage has been largely exaggerated
- has been demonstrated that effectively managed parent-adolescent conflict fosters the interpersonal adaptations necessitated by the physical, social, and cognitive changes of adolescent
Describe the benefits and challenges of media and other technology in the lives of adolescents and their parents.
- adolescents’ sophisticated use of technology demonstrates their ever-expanding cognitive abilities
- their usage of social media reflects their psychosocial search for identity as well as their individuation from parents
- use of cell phones and the Internet by family members also has the potential to positively influence family dynamics
- some of the risks related to the use of media and technology by adolescents include exposure to media content, which is increasingly infused with violence and sexual references; challenges related to Internet addiction; and dangers associated with adolescents being contacted by sexual predators on the Internet
