Longitudinal Assessment of Autonomy and Relatedness in Adolescent-Family Interactions as Predictors of Adolescent Ego Development and Self-Esteem

Abstract

This study examined links between processes of establishing autonomy and relatedness in adolescent-family interactions and adolescents' psychosocial development. Adolescents in 2-parent families and their parents were observed in a revealed-differences interaction task when adolescents were 14, and adolescents' ego development and self-esteem were assessed at both 14 and 16. Developmental indices were strongly related to autonomy and relatedness displayed by both parents and adolescents. Significant variance was explained even after accounting for the number and quality of speeches of each family member as rated by a different, well-validated family coding system. Increases in adolescents' ego development and self-esteem over time were predicted by fathers' behaviors challenging adolescents' autonomy and relatedness, but only when these occurred in the context of fathers' overall display of autonomous-relatedness with the adolescent. The importance of the mutually negotiated process of adolescents' exploration from the secure base of parental relationships is discussed.

Developmental Changes in Adolescents’ Perceptions of Relationships with Their Parents

“…This perspective would thus imply that higher levels of conflict lead to a decrease in parental power and support and also that parental support would stay low during middle and late adolescence. According to the autonomyrelatedness perspective (Allen et al 1994;Grotevant and Cooper 1985), during early adolescence, conflict initiated by adolescents may lead to adjustment of relationships as parents relinquish their power (Collins et al 1997). This perspective therefore implies that conflicts stimulate a decrease in parental power, but are not predictive of changes in parental support.…”

How Do I Connect? Attachment Issues in Adolescence

“…The nature of exploration also differs dramatically from that demonstrated in earlier developmental stages. Specifically, in adolescence emotional and cognitive independence from one's parents is the primary objective as opposed to a secure infant's strong desire to explore the limits of the physical environment (Allen, Hauser, Bell, & O'Connor, 1994). A secure attachment in adolescence is measured more in terms of the ability to coherently talk about attachment experiences and affect as opposed to the specific behaviors exhibited during separation from and reunion with primary attachment figures and=or the content of the actual recollections (Allen et al, 2007).…”

The Broader Context of Relational Aggression in Adolescent Romantic Relationships: Predictions from Peer Pressure and Links to Psychosocial Functioning

“…Establishing autonomy, both from parents during early adolescence and from peers in the later teenage years, has become recognized as a critical aspect of individuals' normative development during adolescence (Allen et al 1994a;Grotevant and Cooper 1985;Hill and Holmbeck 1986). Previous research has documented a number of associations between adolescents' lack of autonomy from parents and different problematic behaviors, including increases in depressive affect, drug use, and delinquency (Allen et al 1994b;Casas et al 2006).…”