Early Adolescent Peer Foundations of Late Adolescent and Young Adult

Psychological AdjustmentJoanna M. Chango

Joseph P. Allen, Ph.DDavid SzwedoMegan Schad

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Self Determination Theory

Autonomy

Competence

Relatedness

Positive Self- Motivation and

Personality Development

Self Determination Theory

Autonomy

Competence

Relatedness

Positive Self- Motivation and

Personality Development

Autonomy and Relatedness• Related to range of positive adolescent

outcomes:– High self esteem– Ego development– Attachment security– Lack of depressive symptoms– Closer friendships, higher social acceptance

–Highly correlated, combination is most important

Peer Relationships in Adolescence

Overarching Question• What are the long-term consequences of

failing to establish autonomy and relatedness in early adolescent close friendships?

Depression and Peer Relationships• Depression linked to broad markers of

problematic peer relationships:– Peer rejection– Lack of popularity– Lack of interpersonal support

• Undermining relatedness with peers linked with increases in depressive symptoms over short term in early adolescence

Social Withdrawal and Peer Relationships

• Peer difficulties also related to child and adolescent social withdrawal

• Social withdrawal show powerful links to long-term psychological and health outcomes– Loneliness– Cardiovascular disease– Earl mortality

Intervening experiences?

• Social support found to mediate the link between stress and depressive affect

• Friendship quantity and quality found to mediate the link between peer acceptance and loneliness and depression

Research questions• How does a lack of autonomy and connection

predict close friendship abilities in late adolescence?

• How does a lack of autonomy and connection predict depression and social withdrawal in young adulthood?

• Does close friendship competence mediate the expected long-term predictions to depressive symptoms and social withdrawal?

Sample• 184 Adolescents, and their closest peer

• Intensive Interviews and Observations with all parties

• Assessed Annually, utilizing Ages 13, 18, and 21

• Equal numbers of Males and Females

• Socio-economically Diverse (Median Family Income= $40- $60K)

• Racially Diverse (31% African American; 69% European American)

• Very low Attrition

Research questions• How does a lack of autonomy and connection

predict close friendship abilities in late adolescence?

• How does a lack of autonomy and connection predict depression and social withdrawal in young adulthood?

• Does close friendship competence mediate the expected long-term predictions to depressive symptoms and social withdrawal?

Observed Autonomy and Relatedness• 8-min disagreement task with close peer

• Hypothetical dilemma, try to come to a consensus

• Coded using Autonomy and Relatedness Coding System for Peer Interactions (Allen et al., 2001)

• Combined scale for behaviors undermining autonomy and connection with close peer:– Avoiding conflict– Overpersonalizing the disagreement– Pressuring– Interruptions/ignoring– Hostility

Close Friendship Competence• Close peers reported on teens’ close friendship

competence using the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (Harter, 1988)

• Two contrasting descriptors, rate the extent to which choice is sort of true or really true about teen

• “Some people don’t have a friend that is close enough to share really personal thoughts and feelings with/some people do have a friend that is close enough to share personal thoughts and feelings with.”

Predicting Relative Increases in Close Friendship Competence

Age 13 Age 18

Gender

Income

Close Friendship

Competence

Lack of Autonomy and

Relatedness with Peers

β = .05

β = -.20***

Close Friendship

Competence

Inability to establish autonomy and connection with friends predicts decreases in close

friendship competence at age 21

Research questions• How does a lack of autonomy and connection

predict close friendship abilities in late adolescence?

• How does a lack of autonomy and connection predict depression and social withdrawal in young adulthood?

• Does close friendship competence mediate the expected long-term predictions to depressive symptoms and social withdrawal?

Depressive Symptoms• Teens self reported on their depressive

symptoms using:

– the Childhood Depression Inventory at age 13 (Kovacs & Beck, 1977)

– The Beck Depression Inventory at age 21 (Beck & Steer, 1987)

Social Withdrawal• Age 13: Closest peer rated teens’ social

withdrawal using the Pupil Evaluation Inventory (Pekarik et al., 1976)– “S/he often doesn’t want to hang out or do things with other kids”

• Age 21: social withdrawal assessed using closest friend ratings on the Adult Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2003). – “S/he would rather be alone than with other others”

Correlation between depressive symptoms and social withdrawal at age 21

Depressive Symptoms

Social Withdrawal

β = .05

Predicting Relative Increases in Depressive Symptoms

Age 13 Age 21

Gender

Income

Depressive Symptoms

Autonomy and

Relatedness

β = .18* Depressive Symptoms

Social Withdrawal

β = .08

Autonomy and

Relatedness

Predicting Relative Increases in Depressive Symptoms

Age 13 Age 21

Gender

Income

Depressive Symptoms

Autonomy and

Relatedness

β = .18* Depressive Symptoms

Social Withdrawal

β = .08

β = .34***

Lack of Autonomy and

Relatedness with Peers

Inability to establish autonomy and connection with friends

predicts increases in depressive symptoms at age 21

Predicting Relative Increases in Social Withdrawal

Age 13 Age 21

Gender

Income

Social Withdrawal

Autonomy and

Relatedness

β = .08 Social Withdrawal

Depressive Symptoms

β = .04

Predicting Relative Increases in Social Withdrawal

Age 13 Age 21

Gender

Income

Social Withdrawal

Autonomy and

Relatedness

β = .08 Social Withdrawal

Depressive Symptoms

β = .04

β = .18*

Lack of Autonomy and

Relatedness with Peers

Inability to establish autonomy and connection with friends predicts increases in social

withdrawal at age 21

Summary so far• Lack of autonomy and connection with close

peers in early adolescence predicts:

– Increased difficulties in close friendships in late adolescence

– Increased depressive symptoms in young adulthood

– Increased socially withdrawn behaviors in young adulthood

Research questions• How does a lack of autonomy and connection

relate to close friendship abilities in late adolescence?

• How does a lack of autonomy and connection relate to depression and social withdrawal in young adulthood?

• Does close friendship competence mediate the expected long-term predictions to depressive symptoms and social withdrawal?

Lack of Autonomy & Relatedness

Depressive Symptoms

Close Friendship

Competence

Close Friendship

Competence

Depressive Symptoms

Close Friendship

Competence

Age 13 Age 18 Age 21

0.34***

0.38***

Gender

Income

-0.18* 0.19*

0.15*

Lack of Autonomy & Relatedness

Depressive Symptoms

Close Friendship

Competence

Close Friendship

Competence

Depressive Symptoms

Close Friendship

Competence

Age 13 Age 18 Age 21

-0.23**

-0.24**

0.30***

0.38***

Indirect effect = .06*Total R2= .22***RMSEA= 0.00CFI= 1.00

Gender

Income

-0.18* 0.19*

0.15*

Lack of Autonomy & Relatedness

Social Withdrawal

Close Friendship

Competence

Close Friendship

Competence

Social Withdrawal

Close Friendship

Competence

Age 13 Age 18 Age 21

Gender

Income

0.42***

0.18*

-0.23*** -0.40***

Lack of Autonomy & Relatedness

Social Withdrawal

Close Friendship

Competence

Close Friendship

Competence

Social Withdrawal

Close Friendship

Competence

Age 13 Age 18 Age 21

Gender

Income

-0.24**

0.42***

-0.27**

0.14

-0.23*** -0.40***

Indirect effect = .06†Total R2= .12*RMSEA= 0.00CFI= 1.00

Limitations• Data are non-causal

• Community-based sample, not at-risk for high levels of psychopathology

• More research into adulthood is needed

Conclusions• Critical developmental processes show

implications for functioning 8 years later

• Some continuity in early to late adolescent friendship abilities

• Support a stress generation hypothesis of depression (Hammen, 1991)

Conclusions• Partial mediation for depression, less so for

social withdrawal

• If causal links are supported, may be able to inform psychosocial interventions

• Thanks to my co-authors Joe Allen, Ph.D, Dave Szwedo, and Megan Schad

• Thanks to all of my lab collaborators: Kathleen McElhaney, Ph.D Caroline White

Nell Manning, Ph.D Emily Marston, Ph.DErin Miga, Ph.D Ann SpilkerAmanda Hare, Ph.D Elie Hessel

Emily Loeb Barbara OudekerkChris Hafen

• I would also like to thank the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development for funding awarded to Joseph P. Allen, PI (Grant # 9R01HD058305-A11) to conduct and write-up this project.

Copies of this and related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG

Acknowledgements