No abstract

The definition of social competence is much debated among researchers. It is common to assess social competence based on relational outcomes, instead of individual traits, as it is believed that social competence underlies an individual's success in achieving these outcomes. Common indicators of social competence among adolescents include peer group status, friendship quality, and friendship stability. Researchers have recently paid increased attention to the different social skills needed to attain different forms of peer status (i.e., peer acceptance vs. popularity), but a similar level of attention has not been paid to the distinction between social skills needed for peer status compared with friendship success. In the current review, we call for increased attention to this distinction. In addition, we argue that social competence should be viewed in light of adolescents' personal social goals (e.g., whether they prioritize status over friendships), and their ability to effectively attain those goals. Finally, we argue that whereas friendship quality is a good marker of social competence, friendship stability is a poor marker of social competence because ending a friendship may actually be an indicator of social savvy in some instances.

The current study examined the experience of friendship dissolution among early adolescents, including the number of friendship dissolutions, the reasons for the dissolution, and the ways in which friendships ended. Participants were 354 middle school students ([Formula: see text] = 11.89 years, SD = .86). Results indicate that dissolutions are quite common, reported by 86% of the sample. Conflict/betrayal was the most common reason for friendship dissolution, and avoidance was the most common method used to end a friendship. The current study also investigated associations between dissolution experiences and emotional reactions following the dissolution and current depressive symptoms. Adolescents felt a nuanced mix of emotions including both sadness and happiness/relief following dissolution experiences. Emotional reactions differed based on why the friendship ended, how it ended, and who did the “breaking up.” The current findings provide a critical first step in understanding the experience of friendship dissolution and its implications for adolescents’ emotional well-being.

The primary goals of this longitudinal study were to examine the relationship between family functioning and adolescent alcohol use and to examine whether depressed mood mediates this relationship. An additional goal was to explore whether these relations were moderated by gender. The sample included 1,031 high school students from the Mid-Atlantic United States. Participants completed surveys in school during the spring of 2007, 2008, and 2009. Path analysis results indicated that family functioning predicted alcohol use for girls. Moreover, depressed mood mediated this relationship. None of the direct paths between family functioning and adolescent alcohol use were significant for boys. However, similar to girls, depressed mood negatively predicted alcohol use for boys. Taken together, the findings highlight the need for prevention programs targeting adolescent substance use to consider gender-specific trajectories.

The objective of the current study was to apply the novel technique of time-varying effect modeling to examine age-varying associations between specific coping strategies and depressive symptoms across adolescence and emerging adulthood (ages 14-24). The participants were drawn from a community sample and followed across 4 years of high school and once 5 years postgraduation (N = 1,251, 53% female, 58% non-Hispanic White). Coping and depressive symptom questionnaires were administered across all data collection time points. Time-varying effect modeling used all available data (N = 5,651 measurement occasions) and adjusted for gender. Venting emotions and denial were associated with more depressive symptoms at a similar magnitude across adolescence and emerging adulthood. A positive association between problem solving oriented strategies (planning, active coping) and depressive symptoms was not observed until age 17.5, after which the magnitude of the association strengthened. More frequent instrumental and emotional support seeking were linked to fewer depressive symptoms between ages 18.8 and 23.6. More frequent use of humor was associated with greater depressive symptoms from ages 14.0 to 14.6, but with fewer depressive symptoms from ages 16.8 to 18.8. The findings illuminate when and how associations between specific coping strategies and depressive symptoms may emerge and change across developmental age, generating both theoretical and clinical implications.

This longitudinal study sought to investigate associations between adolescent substance use and family functioning and whether internalizing symptoms play a mediating role in this relationship; based on growing evidence from the literature, we also explored gender differences. Participants ( N = 1,036) completed surveys in school during 2007, 2008, and 2009. Path analysis results indicated that boys’ alcohol use negatively predicted family functioning while marijuana use results indicate both significant impacts on family functioning. Further results show that boys’ depressive symptoms mediated the relationships between alcohol use and family cohesion and adaptability. For girls, depressive symptoms negatively predicted family functioning (cohesion, adaptability, communication with mother/father), whereas anxiety symptoms positively predicted this same set of family functioning outcomes with the exception of communication with father.

This study examined the relationship between daily time spent using social media and substance use in a national sample of 563 emerging adults from the United States (18-to 22-year-olds, 50% female, 63% non-Hispanic White). Results revealed that males reported more social media use and more substance use in comparison to females. In addition, greater daily social media use was related to more alcohol consumption, more problematic alcohol use, and more frequent drug use. A significant gender  social media use interaction was also observed for drug use, revealing that greater daily social media use was significantly related to more frequent drug use for females but not for males. Results from this study emphasize the importance of considering different types of social media in relation to substance use and abuse during emerging adulthood and the need to examine these relations by gender.

Findings highlight the utility of TVEM for advancing our knowledge on gender and coping across developmental time, as males and females used coping strategies at differing rates throughout adolescence and emerging adulthood. Implications for tailoring gender- and age-specific intervention efforts to improve coping and related health behaviors are discussed.