The development and adjustment correlates of parent-child social (parent, child, and others present) and dyadic time (only parent and child present) from age 8 to 18 were examined. Mothers, fathers, and firstborns and secondborns from 188 White families participated in both home and nightly phone interviews. Social time declined across…

This is the first prospective study to investigate psychosocial adjustment in male and female former child soldiers (ages 10-18; n = 156, 12% female). The study began in Sierra Leone in 2002 and was designed to examine both risk and protective factors in psychosocial adjustment. Over the 2-year period of follow-up, youth who had wounded or killed…

Drawing on cultural-ecological and person-environment fit perspectives, this study examined links among Mexican-American adolescents' time with peers and parents, parents' cultural orientations, and adolescents' psychosocial adjustment and cultural orientations. Participants were 492 Mexican-American adolescents (Ms=15.7 and 12.8 years for older…

A 2-wave longitudinal study of personality in adolescence was conducted with data obtained at ages 12 and 17 years from approximately 60 European American and 60 second-generation Chinese American youth. At Time 1 they completed the Children's Personality Questionnaire and at Time 2 they completed the High School Personality Questionnaire and…

Investigated children's and adolescents' involvement in mutual antipathies. Found that children and boys of all ages were more frequently involved in same-sex antipathies; involvement in mixed-sex antipathies was comparable for both genders. Same-sex antipathies were associated with antisocial behavior and social withdrawal for both age and gender…

Compared parent-child relationships and early adolescent well-being in families with children conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), adoptive families, and families with a naturally conceived child. Found that IVF children were functioning well and did not differ from other children in social or emotional adjustment. (Author/KB)

Hypothesized a model linking three perceived support variables--level of support, quality of support, and hope about future support--to false self-behaviors (not the "real me"). The best fitting model for the parent and peer data revealed that perceived quality and level of parental support predicted hope about future parental support,…

Compared psychological adjustment of adopted adolescents and their siblings born to adoptive parents. Found poorer adoptee adjustment in areas of delinquency, licit drug use, and school adjustment. Nonclinically referred adopted boys were better adjusted than norm subjects on withdrawal; nonreferred adopted girls were better adjusted on social…

Examined whether associations between marital discord and trajectories of adolescent depression and delinquency varied as a function of intrapersonal attributes. Found that difficult temperament potentiated effects of marital discord on adjustment trajectories. Heightened perceived family support protected adolescents from adverse marital discord…

Results indicate that socially maladjusted girls with histories of delinquency involving aggressive, disruptive, and antisocial behavior resulting in placement in institutional custody can, through training in social perspective-taking, increase their understanding of others in interpersonal situations. Subjects were 16 girls of 10-16 years of…

Examined adjustment problems from late childhood to early adulthood among 500 Swedish girls. Found a diversified pattern of multisyndrome formation in late childhood. The syndrome structure in early adolescence identified externalizing adjustment problems and peer problems. An externalizing syndrome was stable between late childhood and early…

Explored sociometric status group differences in psychosocial adjustment and academic performance among Greek elementary and secondary school students. Findings extended previous descriptions of rejected, neglected, and controversial groups. Gender and age differences were found in profiles of rejected and controversial groups, which were…

Investigated parenting behavior, parent/adolescent relationship, and adolescent attitudes and behaviors in three family types. Results showed minimal support for the hypothesis that welfare is negatively related to family processes and adolescent attitudes and behavior, although mothers receiving welfare reported fewer effective parent-management…

Examined technical and adaptive competence in coping among 97 African-American adolescents with learning disabilities. Findings indicated that short-term, reactive, technical competence was a better predictor of feelings of efficacy, and longer-term, developmental adaptive competence was a better predictor of behavioral problems. Gender subsample…