Familial Roots of Adolescents’ Autonomy with Peers: Family Interactions as Predictors of Susceptibility to Peer Influence Joseph P. Allen University of

Familial Roots of Adolescents’ Autonomy with Peers:

Family Interactions as Predictors of

Susceptibility to Peer Influence

Joseph P. Allen University of Virginia

Collaborators:Maryfrances PorterChristy McFarlandPenny MarshKathleen McElhaney

Heather TencerSally KaufmanFarah WilliamsDebbie Land

Martin HoJess MeyerMindy SchmidtGlenda Insabella

Copies of Today’s Talk & Related Papers will be available at:www.faculty.virginia.edu/allen/pubs.html

The Transition from Parent- to Peer-Orientation

• Parents vs. Peers as influences?

• or, Parents via Peers as influences??

• Peer Pressure and Negative Peer Influence as Primary Adolescent Challenges

• Susceptibility to Peer Pressure as an Autonomy Challenge

• “Giving in” as a lack of autonomy

• Links to Family Interactions??

Overarching Question:

Does Autonomy with Parents Predict Developing

Autonomy with Peers (i.e. resistance to peer influence)?

Sample

• 168 Adolescents, their Parents, and Best Friends

• Equal numbers of Males and Females

• Assessed Annually, Beginning at Age 13

• Community-based Sample from a small urban area.

• Highly Socio-economically Diverse (Median Family Income= $38,000)

• 31% African American; 69% European American

Measures: Susceptibility to Peer Influence

• Experimental Paradigm “The Mars Task”

• 2 best friends separately decide which hypothetical characters will be rescued first following a space accident.

• The 2 friends are then brought together and come to a “consensus” answer.

Susceptibility to Peer Influence =

# of Disagreements where the Target Teen’s Position is NOT Adopted X 100% # of Total Disagreements

Mean Score = 51% (i.e. teens and friends each change the other’s mind ~ half the time.)

Susceptibility to Peer Influence:Correlates, Predictors, and Sequelae

Susceptibility toPeer Influence (13)

Behavioral Markers:

?

Predicting Alcohol and Drug Use Problems from Susceptibility to Peer Influence

Target Teen Problems with

Alcohol and Drug Use R2 Total R2

Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) .04

Race (1=White; 2= Afr. Amer.) .18+ .04 .04

II. Susceptibility to Peer

Influence .24**.06** .10**

More susceptible teens have greater difficulty with alcohol and drug use.

Predicting Alcohol and Drug Use Problems from Susceptibility to Peer Influence

Target Teen Problems with

Alcohol and Drug Use R2 Total R2

Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) .04Race (1=White; 2= Afr. Amer.) .18+

.04 .04II. Susceptibility to Peer

Influence

.24** .06** .10**

III. Peer Alcohol & Drug Usage

IV. Peer Usage X Teen Susceptibility

.25**

.19*

.10**

.03*

.16***

.19***

.Susceptibility moderates the effect of peer drug use on teen use.

Interaction of Peer Substance Use & Teen Susceptibility to Peer Influence Predicting Teen Substance Use

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

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0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

-1 1

Peer Alcohol & Drug Use

Tar

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Tee

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Dru

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se High Teen Susceptibility

Low Teen Susceptibility

More susceptible teens more closely mimic their peers’ levels of alcohol and drug use.

Predicting Likelihood of Prior Sexual Intercourse from Susceptibility to Peer Influence

Previously Had Sexual Intercourse χ 2 Odds Ratio

Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) -.40* 5.41* 0.48*

II. Susceptibility to Peer

Influence

.43* 5.76* 2.20*

11.51**

Odds ratios are based on standardized predictor variables.

More susceptible teens are twice as likely to become precociously sexually active as average teens.

Predicting Changes in Depressive Symptoms from Susceptibility to Peer Influence

Depressive Symptoms Age 14 R2 Total R2

Step I.Depressive Symptoms (Age 13)

.60***.36*** .36***

II. Gender (1= M; 2=F) .05 .01 .37***

III. Susceptibility to Peer

Influence

.14* .02* .39***

Note: β weights are from variable’s entry into model.

Susceptibility predicts increasing levels of depressive symptoms over time



Behavioral Markers:• Drug/Alcohol Use• Depression• Early Sex




Family Correlates:

?

Relation of Susceptibility to Peer Influence to Teen Recanting Behavior with Mother


(Observed) R2 Total R2

Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) .08 .01 .01

Step II.

Teen Recanting Behavior withMother (Observed during Interactions – Teen gives in without appearing persuaded)

.28***.08*** .09***

Teens who give in overly easily to their mothers also give in very easily with their peers.

Relation of Susceptibility to Peer Influence toMaternal Psychological Control



Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) .08 .01 .01

Step II.

Maternal Psychological Control(Teen report, CRPBI, Guilt-inducing, Pressuring, and Autonomy-Undermining Behavior)

.19* .03* .04*

Teens whose mothers are more psychologically controlling give in more easily to their peers.

Relation of Susceptibility to Peer Influence toMaternal Firm Control



Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) .08 .01 .01

Step II.

Maternal Firm Control(Maternal report, CRPBI)

.24***.05*** .06***

Teens whose mothers exert more firm control give in more easily to their peers.

Relation of Susceptibility to Peer Influence toUnresolved Teen-Parent Disagreements



Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) .08 .01 .01

Step II.

Unresolved Disagreements (Paternal report, % of disagreements where “no one” decides the outcome)

.21* .04* .05*

When “no one” resolves family disagreements, teens may avoid disagreements with peers by giving in easily.

Relation of Susceptibility to Peer Influence toMarital Dyadic Consensus



Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) .08 .01 .01

Step II.

Marital Dyadic Consensus (Maternal report, Dyadic Adjustment Scale)

-.18* .03* .04*

When teens’ see that their parents can’t agree with each other, they give in more easily to their peers.

Conjoint Predictors of Susceptibility to Peer Influence



Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) .08 .01 .01

Step II.

Unresolved Familial ArgumentsMatn’l Psychological ControlMatn’l Firm ControlAdolescent Recantations with Mthr.Marital Dyadic Consensus Statistics for Step

.33***

.27**

.22*

.19*-.10

.26*** .27***These familial factors “add up” to a striking degree to predict teen susceptibility to peer influence. (Multiple R = .51***)




Family Correlates:• Unresolved Arguments• Teen recanting behavior• Hi Maternal Control





Family Predictors:

?


Predicting Change In Susceptibility to Peer Influence from Unresolved Parent-Teen Arguments

Susceptibility to Peer Influence (Age 14)


Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) -.05 .00 .00

Step II.Susceptibility to Peer Influence (Age 13) .09 .01 .01

Step III.

Unresolved Parent-Teen Arguments (Maternal report)

.18* .04* .05*

When “no one” resolves family disagreements, teens increasingly give in to their peers one year later.

Predicting Change In Susceptibility to Peer Influence from Overpersonalized Arguments by Mother



Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) -.05 .00 .00


Step III.

Overpersonalized Arguments by Mother (observed)

.18* .04* .05*

Teens whose mothers’ overpersonalize disagreementsincreasingly give in to their peers one year later.

Predicting Change In Susceptibility to Peer Influence from Maternal Confidence in Arguments



Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) -.05 .00 .00


Step III.

Maternal Confidence in Arguments (observed)

.25** .07** .08*

Teens whose mothers’ are highly confident in disagreements,increasingly give in to their peers one year later.

Predicting Change In Susceptibility to Peer Influence from Paternal Physical Aggression Toward Teen



Step I.Gender (1=M; 2=F) -.05 .00 .00


Step III.

Paternal Physical Aggression Toward Teen (Paternal report)

.24* .07* .08*

Teens whose fathers’ are physically aggressive toward themincreasingly give in to their peers one year later.





Family Predictors:• Overpersonalized Arguments• Maternal Confidence in Arguing• Unresolved Arguments• Paternal Phys. Aggression


Conclusions

Copies of this paper are available at: www.faculty.virginia.edu/allen/pubs.html

• Susceptibility to Peer Influence as an Autonomy Issue

• Linked to Critical Behavioral Outcomes

• Correlated With and Predicted by Familial Autonomy Processes

• Peers May be Quite Influential, but Parents DO Matter

• Autonomy Challenges Begin, But don’t End, In the Family

Documents

Familial Roots of Adolescents’ Autonomy with Peers: Family Interactions as Predictors of Susceptibility to Peer Influence Joseph P. Allen University of