The effects of perceived peer and parent closeness on problem trajectories in affluent adolescents.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The objective of this study was to explore the influence of perceived peer and parent closeness as predictors of trajectories of externalizing and internalizing problems in high-school-aged upper middle class adolescents. A predominantly white, high-income suburban sample of adolescents participated in this 3 year longitudinal study (N=285 students). The study began when the adolescents were in the 10th grade (M age = 15.9). Initial analyses consisted of utilizing hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) in order to investigate the trajectories of externalizing and internalizing problems, separately by gender. HLM was further used to investigate the impact of perceived parent and peer closeness, as measured in Grade 10, on the initial level and rate of change of adolescents' externalizing and internalizing problems, as well as to investigate individual variation in the trajectories of change in these domains. Finally, an interaction effect between parent closeness and peer closeness was explored. Each of these analyses was carried out separately by parent and adolescent gender. Results revealed that trajectories of externalizing and internalizing problems in this sub-sample of youth did not follow the normative developmental path. Specifically, in this group of affluent youth, externalizing problems increased from 10th to 12th grades and internalizing problems remained unchanged over the three years. When investigating the role of peer and parent closeness as predictors of problem trajectories, results revealed that, while level of closeness to mother was associated with initial levels of internalizing and externalizing problems for boys and girls, it was not associated with rate of change for these indicators of maladjustment. Gender differences emerged when investigating the role of perceived closeness to father and peers, with both variables predicting the trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems for girls, but not for boys. These results suggest that while girls might be affected by their relationship with fathers and friends, boys' rate of change in these problem domains is not influenced by their perceived closeness to their parents or peers. The results are discussed through a contextual and cultural lens as findings contrast from the normative developmental literature. Additionally, limitations of this study and implications for future research are discussed.