Early Adolescent Peer Foundations of Late Adolescent and

Early Adolescent Peer Foundations of Late Adolescent and Young Adult Psychological Adjustment Joanna M. Chango Joseph P. Allen, Ph. D David Szwedo Megan Schad Copies of this and related papers are available at: WWW. TEENRESEARCH. ORG

Self Determination Theory Competence Autonomy Relatedness Positive Self. Motivation and Personality Development

Self Determination Theory Competence Autonomy 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 longterm 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 - $60 K) • 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 18 Age 13 Close Friendship Competence β =. 05 Close Friendship Competence β = -. 20*** Gender Income Lack of Autonomy and Relatedness with Peers 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 others”

Correlation between depressive symptoms and social withdrawal at age 21 Depressive Symptoms β =. 05 Social Withdrawal

Predicting Relative Increases in Depressive Symptoms Age 13 Depressive Symptoms Age 21 β =. 18* β =. 08 Social Withdrawal Gender Income Autonomy and Relatedness Depressive Symptoms

Predicting Relative Increases in Depressive Symptoms Age 13 Depressive Symptoms Age 21 β =. 18* Depressive Symptoms β =. 08 Social Withdrawal Gender Income Lack of Autonomy and with Relatedness Peers β =. 34*** Inability to establish autonomy and connection with friends predicts increases in depressive symptoms at age 21

Predicting Relative Increases in Social Withdrawal Age 13 Social Withdrawal Age 21 β =. 08 β =. 04 Depressive Symptoms Gender Income Autonomy and Relatedness Social Withdrawal

Predicting Relative Increases in Social Withdrawal Age 13 Social Withdrawal Age 21 β =. 08 Social Withdrawal β =. 04 Depressive Symptoms Gender Income Lack of Autonomy and with Relatedness Peers β =. 18* 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?

Age 13 Age 18 Close Friendship Competence Lack of Autonomy & Relatedness Age 21 0. 38*** Close Friendship Competence 0. 19* -0. 18* 0. 34*** Depressive Symptoms Gender Income 0. 15* Depressive Symptoms

Age 13 Age 18 Close Friendship Competence Age 21 0. 38*** Close Friendship Competence -0. 23** -0. 24** Lack of Autonomy & Relatedness 0. 19* -0. 18* 0. 30*** Depressive Symptoms Gender Income 0. 15* Depressive Symptoms Indirect effect =. 06* Total R 2=. 22*** RMSEA= 0. 00 CFI= 1. 00

Age 13 Age 18 Close Friendship Competence -0. 23*** Age 21 0. 42*** Close Friendship Competence -0. 40*** Lack of Autonomy & Relatedness 0. 18* Social Withdrawal Gender Income Social Withdrawal

Age 13 Age 18 Close Friendship Competence -0. 24** -0. 23*** Age 21 0. 42*** -0. 27** Close Friendship Competence -0. 40*** Lack of Autonomy & Relatedness 0. 14 Social Withdrawal Gender Income Social Withdrawal Indirect effect =. 06 Total R 2=. 12* RMSEA= 0. 00 CFI= 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

Acknowledgements • Thanks to my co-authors Joe Allen, Ph. D, Dave Szwedo, and Megan Schad • Thanks to all of my lab collaborators: Kathleen Mc. Elhaney, Ph. D Caroline White Nell Manning, Ph. D Emily Marston, Ph. D Erin Miga, Ph. D Ann Spilker Amanda Hare, Ph. D Elie Hessel Emily Loeb Barbara Oudekerk Chris Hafen • I would also like to thank the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development for funding awarded to Joseph P. Allen, PI (Grant # 9 R 01 HD 058305 -A 11) to conduct and writeup this project. Copies of this and related papers are available at: WWW. TEENRESEARCH. ORG