Peer Influence during Adolescence: The Moderating Role of Parental Support

Abstract

Although many studies show that peers influence the development of adolescent internalizing and externalizing difficulties, few have considered both internalizing and externalizing difficulties in the same study, and fewer have considered the contributions of parents. Using a longitudinal sample of 385 adolescents, the contributions of best friends’ internalizing and externalizing difficulties (as assessed in Grade 6; G6: Mage = 13.64 years; 53% female; 40% ethnic or racial minority) were examined as they predicted subsequent adolescent internalizing and externalizing difficulties (at G8); in addition, the moderating role of both maternal and paternal support (at G6) was explored. Structural equation modelling revealed that best friend internalizing difficulties predicted decreases, but that best friend externalizing difficulties predicted increases in adolescents’ externalizing difficulties over time. Significant interactions involving both maternal and paternal support revealed that the negative impact of a G6 best friend having internalizing problems on later G8 adolescent externalizing problems was stronger at low levels of maternal and paternal support. The findings highlight the complex, and interactive, influences of friends and parents on the development of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology during adolescence, and underscore the importance of targeting both sources of social influence in research and clinical work.

USA and Portuguese Young Adolescents’ Perceived Qualities and Satisfaction in Their Relationships with Mothers, Fathers and Best-Friends

“…Further cross-cultural studies on family-peer relationships are needed [ 52 ] to explore the perceived qualities and satisfaction in close relationships among adolescents from a larger number of countries. Given that recent studies highlight the complex influences of friends and parents on the development of psychosocial difficulties during adolescence [ 53 ], the interaction between perceived qualities in the relationships with parents and best friends on adolescents’ perceived satisfaction in close relationships needs to be explored. Lastly, the mechanisms that may explain cultural and sex differences (e.g., parental autonomy-support [ 45 ]) in adolescents’ perceived qualities and satisfaction in close relationships) also require closer inspection.…”

Parents and Peers in Child and Adolescent Development: Preface to the Special Issue on Additive, Multiplicative, and Transactional Mechanisms

“…One innovation is the inclusion of both mothers and fathers in five of the six empirical studies in this Special Issue, an approach that was not often taken in past parent-peer literature. Additionally, child and adolescent samples are represented in the empirical papers: Assari et al [1] and Jespersen et al [2] studied children; Cox et al [3], Havewala et al [4], Hu et al [5], Lindsey [6], and Sigal et al's [7] samples comprised adolescents; and Gazelle and Cui's [8] included both age groups. This is in line with our belief that peer groups are critical contexts for socialization in both childhood and adolescence.…”

“…Existing mid-range models that guide the papers in this Special Issue include the Marginalization and Diminished Returns (MDR) Framework (Assari et al [1]); Coercion Theory (Cox et al [3]); a Risk and Protective Factor Framework (Havewala et al [4]); a Diathesis-Stress Model of Anxious Solitude (Gazelle & Cui [8]); Gateway Theory, Self-Derogation Theory, and Primary Socialization Theory of Substance Use/Abuse (Sigal et al [7]); multiple models of emotion socialization and regulation, including Meta-Emotion Theory, the Tripartite Model of Emotion Regulation, Eisenberg's Emotion Socialization Model, and Gottman's Meta-Emotion Philosophy and Typology of Emotion Socialization (Jespersen et al [2]); and the Extended Process Model (Lindsey [6]).…”

“…The first model depicts the independent (main) or additive effects of the parent or peer context to child/adolescent adjustment. Multiple studies in this Issue (Gazelle & Cui [8]; Havewala et al [4]; Lindsey [6]; Sigal et al [7]) presented evidence that parenting and peer relationships/characteristics were significantly and additively related to child/adolescent adjustment when examined simultaneously, suggesting that relationships with mothers/fathers and friends can serve as unique contexts for socialization. The second model focuses on mediation effects, in which potential underlying mechanisms linking parenting and peer relationships to child and adolescent outcomes are explored.…”

“…Moderators provide information regarding when or under what conditions the independent and dependent variables are related [15]. For example, the Special Issue results demonstrated that positive mother and father parenting moderated (i.e., attenuated) the link between peer and adolescent adjustment difficulties (see Havewala et al [4]), showing that positive parenting can serve as a protective factor for at-risk youth. In addition, evidence in this Special Issue demonstrates that the associations among parents, peers, and child/adolescent adjustment are moderated by child ethnicity, demonstrating that the specific linkages between parents, peers, and child/adolescent adjustment may vary by ethnic background.…”