Longitudinal associations between adolescent information management and mother–teen relationship quality

Between- versus within-family differences

Bibliographic Data

ID9795061
AuthorsWendy M Rote (0000-0001-7456-6056, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, corresponding author), Judith G Smetana (0000-0002-7951-1772, University of Rochester), Lovia Feliscar (0000-0001-7717-3485, University of Rochester)
Year2020
Volume56
Issue10
Pages1935-1947
Publication date2020-10-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopmental Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0012-1649 • E-ISSN: 1939-0599
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/dev0000947
PMID32700947
OpenAlexW3045143231
LanguageEN
Citations received10

Parent-adolescent relationships are related to adolescents' disclosure and concealment, but these associations may represent between-family differences (e.g., families with more negative interactions have adolescents who disclose less) or within-family processes (e.g., when a family has more negative interactions, their adolescent discloses less). This study used cross-lagged panel modeling (CLPM) and random-intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM) to separate these elements. U.S. adolescents (N = 214, Mage = 16.0, 52% female) reported on their disclosure, concealment, positive relationships, and negative interactions with mothers 3 times over a year. Consistent with prior research, adolescent disclosure was transactionally associated with more positive and less negative relationships with mothers over time in between-family (CLPM) analyses. However, in the within-family (RI-CLPM) analyses, which controlled for the fact that more positive and less negative families had adolescents who disclosed more, changes in relationship quality within a family were not linked with changes in disclosure. In contrast, negative interactions and greater concealment were reciprocally related over time both between families and within families, even when considering that families with more negative interactions also had adolescents who concealed more. Positive relationships were associated with less adolescent concealment, but only relative to other families (at the between level) and not over time. Results confirm the importance of examining disclosure and concealment as separate processes, particularly at the within-family level, and indicate that the cycle of concealment and negative interactions among troubled families may be a particularly ripe area for intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

Adolescent development · Developmental psychology · Longitudinal study · Parenting styles · Quality (philosophy · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Psychology