Adolescent Development and Parental Warmth: A Family Systems Perspective

Background: Previous research has demonstrated the effect of family cohesion on adolescent outcomes.  However, little attention has been given to the effect of adolescence on the family environment.  Family systems theory suggests that as adolescents develop, their development will impact the family environment.  The current study examined the impact of adolescent development on family cohesion. 

 

Method: The Mobile Youth Study is a 14-year longitudinal study of adolescents living in low-income neighborhoods in Mobile, Alabama. Data were collected annually between the years of 1998 and 2011.  Participants were age 13-16 years, 46% (n=495) identifying as "male", 54% (n=575) identifying as "female", and 96% identifying as Black American.  Family cohesion dimensions measured included maternal warmth (α = .80) and paternal warmth (α = .82), each measured by a six item scale.  Responses were dichotomous (agree or disagree).  Responses to the six items were summed, resulting in a range between 0 and 6 points.  Three specific aspects of adolescent development were examined including hopelessness, self-worth, and identity style. Hopelessness was measured with a six-item inventory developed from the Hopelessness Scale for Children (α = .84). Self-worth was measured using a 9-item inventory from the Perceived Competence Scale for Children (α = .67). Identity style was measured by 15 items from the Identity Style Inventory (α = .64).  Linear growth modeling was conducted with adolescent development as the independent variable, parental warmth as the dependent variable, and gender as a covariate.

 

Results: Females had significantly lower levels of maternal warmth across time as compared to males (γ = -0.37, t (1431) = 1.26, p = .21).  Male and female adolescents with higher levels of self-worth had higher maternal warmth across time (γ = 0.07, t (1431) = 5.68, p < .001). As males and females aged, trajectories were significantly different for self-worth.  Males saw a positive benefit from high self-worth over time, with a significant increase in paternal warmth as their self-worth increased (γ = 0.04, t (1429) = 2.64, p = .008).  Females, however, showed a decrease in paternal warmth over time in conjunction with higher self-worth (γ = -0.06, t (1429) = -4.21, p < .001).  Similarly, this effect was consistent over time for males with high diffuse/avoidant identities, with stable paternal warmth trajectories over time.  Females, however, exhibited significant differences in their paternal warmth trajectories over time.  Females with higher diffuse-avoidant identity styles decreased in paternal warmth over time when they exhibited higher levels of diffuse-avoidant identity style (γ = -0.06, t (1429) = -2.63, p = .009).         

 

Implications: Adolescent development has an impact upon family cohesion as predicted by family systems theory.  Family systems theory predicts that each member of the family responds to the other.  Therefore, as the adolescent develops, the family must change in response.  Low self-worth and high diffuse/avoidant identity styles are associated with negative outcomes in adolescents, yet high family cohesion may reduce these negative effects.