Longitudinal analysis of flexibility and reorganization in early adolescence: A dynamic systems study of family interactions.

Abstract

A dynamic systems (DS) approach was used to study changes in the structure of family interactions during the early adolescent transition period. Longitudinal observational data were collected in 5 waves prior to, during, and after the transition. Boys (n = 149 families) were videotaped problem solving with their parents at 9-10 years old and every 2 years thereafter until they were 18 years old State space grids (a new DS method) were constructed for all families across all waves. Two variables indexing the variability of the family interactions were derived from the grids. As hypothesized, the DS variables revealed a significant quadratic effect related to a peak in variability at 13-14 years of age.

A Model of Socioemotional Flexibility at Three Time Scales

“…Examples of emotional attractors include depression (Johnson & Nowak, 2002) and mutually hostile parent-child interactions (Granic & Lamey, 2002). Additionally, changes in system variability can reveal transitional periods of system-wide reorganization that are accompanied by temporary increases in (emotional) variability and unpredictability (Granic, Hollenstein, Dishion, & Patterson, 2003;Lichtwarck-Aschoff, Hasselman, Cox, Peppler, & Granic, 2012).…”

Procedural Justice in Family Conflict Resolution and Deviant Peer Group Involvement Among Adolescents: The Mediating Influence of Peer Conflict

“…The impact of the home environment in general, and of parenting skills in particular, is especially important in adolescent populations, as parent-child relationships undergo a period of flux at that time (Granic et al 2003). According to Granic et al, parent/adolescent relationships are characterized by an increasing variety of exchanges and a greater flexibility in the "repertoire" of interactions.…”

An Investigation of Multiple Pathways of Developmental Intervention Change

“…As Overton (2006) points out, transformational systems produce variation, and variation transforms a system. Structural organizational change has proven difficult to investigate with current methods (Granic, 2005;Granic, Hollenstein, Dishion, & Patterson, 2003). Non-linear, discontinuous changes in complexity of form, organization, or structure of the developmental system are not easily quantifiable and thus not easily measured with quantitative methods.…”

“…Like developmental processes, intentional intervention processes may generate structural organizational change that is discontinuous and transformational (e.g., Granic, 2005;Granic, Hollenstein, Dishion, & Patterson, 2003;Greenberg, Rice, & Elliott, 1996;Hayes, Laurenceau, Feldman, Strauss, & Cardaciotto, 2007;Hayes & Strauss, 1998;Mahoney, 1991) and also marked by variability along a number of behavioral dimensions, including problem outcomes (Hayes & Strauss, 1998;Mahoney, 1991). Granic and Patterson (2006) suggest that interventions may more efficiently access and manipulate mechanisms of change by strategically targeting the transformations that occur during normative developmental transitions when development is "strongly influenced by small effects" (Lewis, 2000, p. 39).…”