Family Context and the Development of Undivided Interest

A Longitudinal Study of Family Support and Challenge and Adolescents' Quality of Experience

Bibliographic Data

ID15029477
AuthorsK Rathunde (0000-0002-5173-4077, corresponding author)
Year2001
Volume5
Issue3
Pages158-171
Publication date2001-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueApplied Developmental Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1088-8691 • E-ISSN: 1532-480X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1207/s1532480xads0503_4
OpenAlexW1993820927
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited23

Adolescents' perceptions of family support and challenge, and their quality of subjective experience and interest, were investigated over a 2-year period in a national sample of adolescents (Grades 6-12). In Years 1 and 3 of the study, 247 adolescents with diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds responded to the Experience Sampling Method and completed questionnaires that contained items on family support and challenge. The main findings show that adolescents who perceived more family support in Year 1 reported more positive moods 2 years later. Adolescents who perceived more family challenge in the base year reported a stronger focus on goals in Year 3. Perceptions of increased family support across the 2 years of the study were linked to positive changes in adolescents moods. Increases in family challenge combined with increases in support were associated with a stronger focus on goals perceived as important by adolescents. Increases in support and challenge were also linked with the development of undivided interest, or a synchrony of positive moods while engaging important goals. In contrast, adolescents from more permissive families (high support and low challenge) and from more authoritarian families (low support and high challenge) reported more divided interest (i.e., an asynchrony of moods and goals) 2 years later. These findings are discussed in terms of how family contexts may influence the development of undivided interest and adolescents' capacities for self-regulation and lifelong learning

Context (archaeology · Developmental psychology · Ethnic group · Experience sampling method · Family support · Perception · Population · Social support · Socioeconomic status · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Demography · Medicine · Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology

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