Mother-infant attachment in adoptive families

Data from 2 separate samples using the Strange Situation paradigm were combined to assess the quality of attachment relationships in adoptive and nonadoptive mother-infant pairs. Infants were between 13 and 18 months at the time of observation. Results indicated no differences in mother-infant attachment between nonadopted and intraracial adopted subjects or between intraracial and interracial adopted subjects. Interracial adoptive mother-infant pairs did show a higher incidence of insecure attachment in comparison to nonadoptive pairs. Mothers of interracial adopted infants also were less comfortable having others care for their babies and perceived less emotional support from extended family and friends for their decision to adopt a child prior to the actual adoption than did other mothers. No relation was found, however, between quality of mother-infant attachment and either perceived social support, infant developmental quotient, infant temperament, number of foster homes experienced by the infant, or infant's age at the time of adoption placement. It was suggested that the higher incidence of psychological problems found among adoptees in middle childhood and adolescence cannot be explained in terms of insecure attachment relationships during the infancy years.     

School achievement differences among Chinese and Filipino American students: acculturation and the family

The general belief that Asian American adolescents are successful has led researchers to ignore variations in Asian adolescents’ academic success. Using samples of Chinese and Filipino adolescents drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examined whether differences between these two groups in acculturation, parent–adolescent attachment, and parental school involvement could account for academic achievement differences. Results revealed that Chinese adolescents generally performed better in school than their Filipino counterparts. Factors that predicted academic achievement were ethnicity, acculturation, and parents’ academic involvement. An interaction was found between ethnicity and acculturation, indicating that acculturation is a predictor of academic performance among Filipino youth but not among Chinese youth. Cultural values in parent–adolescent attachment, acculturation, and parents’ school involvement are discussed.     

Dropping out of school as a meaningful action for adolescents with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties

This study examines and discusses dropping out of school related to adolescents with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). It is based on in‐depth interviews of 10 adolescents between the ages of 16 and 20, three girls and two boys with internalised problems, and two girls and three boys with extroverted behavioural problems. Given this group of students' challenges at school, the aim of this paper is to explore the narratives of this adolescent group as they relate to the significance they attach to their dropout behaviour. An additional objective is to draw attention to what these findings are likely to mean for implementing preventive practices in school. Results show that adolescents with SEBD perceive a non‐supportive classroom environment to be a primary explanation for why they are dropping out from school. Additionally, lack of support from teachers and parents and family problems are, according to the adolescents, an important reason for dropping out. Findings are discussed in relation to future implications for this group of adolescents in the context of school.     

A Prospective Study of Life Stress, Social Support, and Adaptation in Early Adolescence

This study employed a 2-year longitudinal design to examine the relation of stressful life events and social supports to psychological distress and school performance among 166 early adolescents (mean age = 13.5 years). A prospective approach was utilized to control for initial levels of adjustment when examining the relation of Time 1 stress and support variables to Time 2 psychological distress and school performance. Both stress and support variables made significant contributions to the prediction of subsequent psychological distress. Stresses, but not supports, made a significant contribution to the prediction of subsequent school performance. Evidence for reciprocal and interactive linkages was also found, including effects of psychological distress and school performance on subsequent stresses and supports, and greater adaptive impact of school-based supportive resources under conditions of heightened risk outside of school. Implications for ecological and transactional models of development relating to the targeting and efficacy of preventive efforts are discussed.     

Perfectionism and depressive symptoms in early adolescence

The Adaptive/Maladaptive Perfectionism Scale (AMPS; K.G. Rice & K.J. Preusser, 2002) was developed on samples of 9‐ to 11‐year‐old children. A primary purpose of the current research was to examine whether the AMPS could be useful in studies of adolescents, and in particular, studies of adolescent depression. This study of 145 early adolescents revealed (1) a somewhat different AMPS factor structure than has been evident in studies of younger children; (2) no significant mean differences between boys and girls on perfectionism, although girls were significantly more depressed than boys; (3) a pattern of perfectionism‐depression correlations that differed somewhat between boys and girls; and (4) several interactions of different dimensions of perfectionism in accounting for depression. Results are discussed by addressing differences between children and adolescents in school cultures, physical and psychological changes from childhood to adolescence, and the importance of considering the positive as well as the negative aspects of perfectionism among school‐age children. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 139–156, 2007.     

西方父母控制研究的新特点

近十年来,研究者们把父母控制划分为心理控制和行为控制两方面,心理控制是强加在儿童心理和情绪发展过程中的控制意图,行为控制是父母为儿童行为制定的规则、限制以及对其活动的觉察。有研究表明,心理控制与青少年的外显和内隐问题有关,行为控制与青少年的外显问题有关;青少年认为,父母对个人领域的控制是心理控制;父母过量使用心理控制会阻碍青少年自主的发展;父母的完美主义能够预测心理控制。进一步的研究将呈现实证研究增多、范围扩大和对父母人格特点研究等新的特点。     

Patterns of Competence and Adjustment among Adolescents from Authoritative, Authoritarian, Indulgent, and Neglectful Families

In order to test Maccoby and Martin's revision of Baumrind's conceptual framework, the families of approximately 4,100 14-18-year-olds were classified into 1 of 4 groups (authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, or neglectful) on the basis of the adolescents' ratings of their parents on 2 dimensions: acceptance/involvement and strictness/supervision. The youngsters were then contrasted along 4 sets of outcomes: psychosocial development, school achievement, internalized distress, and problem behavior. Results indicate that adolescents who characterize their parents as authoritative score highest on measures of psychosocial competence and lowest on measures of psychological and behavioral dysfunction; the reverse is true for adolescents who describe their parents as neglectful. Adolescents whose parents are characterized as authoritarian score reasonably well on measures indexing obedience and conformity to the standards of adults but have relatively poorer self-conceptions than other youngsters. In contrast, adolescents from indulgent homes evidence a strong sense of self-confidence but report a higher frequency of substance abuse and school misconduct and are less engaged in school. The results provide support for Maccoby and Martin's framework and indicate the need to distinguish between two types of "permissive" families: those that are indulgent and those that are neglectful.     

Child sexual abuse consequences in community samples of Latino and European American adolescents

ObjectiveResearch investigating the impact of child sexual abuse (CSA) in community samples of adolescents has been limited. This study aims to identify sexual abuse among ethnically diverse high school adolescents of both genders and evaluate their psycho-emotional consequences.MethodThrough the use of self-report instruments, a sample of 223 Latino and European American 16–19-year-old high school students were identified as either victims of CSA or as nonabused. The emotional impact of sexual abuse was also investigated among these ethnically diverse adolescent males and females.ResultsInitial findings revealed that those adolescents who gave inconsistent responses to CSA assessments questions were much more similar in patterns of psychological distress to CSA victims compared to nonabused teenagers. Prevalence analyses revealed that females (45%) were nearly two times more likely to report CSA than males (24%). Latinos (44%) were significantly more likely to experience CSA compared to European Americans (27%), and Latinas (54%) had the highest prevalence overall. Other findings indicated substantial differences in type of perpetrator. While female victims of CSA identified male perpetrators in 91.9% of cases, male victims of CSA identified female perpetrators in 52.9% of cases. Consistent with past research, sexually abused adolescents reported significantly greater psychological distress than their nonabused peers, regardless of gender or ethnic group. Gender differences emerged with females reporting greater psychological symptoms, but these differences were substantially reduced when CSA was controlled. European Americans reported greater anxious arousal symptoms compared to Latinos.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the prevalence of CSA among adolescents is higher than existing research has noted for both males and females and particularly higher for Latinos compared to European Americans. Perpetration by females upon males may also be higher than research has noted. Our findings also revealed many ethnic and gender similarities and fewer differences in the psychological impact and circumstances of sexual abuse in this diverse sample of adolescents.Practice implicationsThe high prevalence of CSA among adolescent males and particularly Latinas emphasize the need to intervene on a community level and with parents for both prevention and intervention regarding issues of sexual victimization. The numbers of female perpetrators, especially when boys are the targets of abuse, may be higher than previously imagined and thus must be assessed tactfully and thoroughly. This study found that adolescents who reported CSA inconsistently had similar symptoms as those with confirmed CSA and therefore warrant greater attention and more persistent intervention. When treating victims of CSA, the Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI) is effective in identifying specific areas of emotional distress to treat in sexually abused ethnically diverse male and female adolescents. Culturally relevant prevention efforts are needed for ethnically diverse children of both genders.     

蒙古族青少年心理适应特征研究

采用《青少年心理健康素质调查表.适应分量表》,调查了1 768名蒙古族中小学生的心理适应状况及发展趋势和特征。结果表明:蒙古族青少年群体的心理适应水平存在显著的性别差异,其中生理适应和社会适应方面男生显著高于女生,人际适应方面女生显著高于男生;不同学校类型的蒙古族青少年心理适应水平存在显著差异,除生理适应外的所有因素,重点学校青少年适应水平均高于一般学校。独生子女与非独生子女家庭的蒙古族青少年在适应水平上没有显著差异;不同家庭来源的蒙古族青少年心理适应水平存在显著差异,呈现出城市>乡镇>农牧区的递进层次;蒙古族青少年心理适应水平存在显著的年级差异,初二和高一发展较好,初三出现低谷,随年级的增高,蒙古族青少年的适应性水平呈起伏式增长的发展趋势。     

Parents’ educational styles and adolescent autonomy

The purpose of this paper is to explore, by means of semi-structured interviews, how families of adolescents perceive and describe their educational styles and the development of adolescent autonomy. Specifically, the results of two different studies will be discussed: the first was conducted with a group of 83 parents (fathers and mothers) of 15- to 18-year-old adolescents, male and female, from different cultural backgrounds (medium-low and medium-high). The second study involved both adolescents and their parents of three age-groups (10 families with 13-, 15- and 17-year-old adolescents, for a total of 90 interviews), half male and half female. In the first study fathers and mothers were asked to describe the educational style they adopted in raising their children, its consistency across situations and similarities and differences with their partner’s style; moreover, parents’ beliefs about the process of separation/ /individuation of the adolescent were assessed. The second study focused on family members’ (father, mother, adolescent) perceptions and beliefs about the nature of autonomy and its development and on their degree of congruence or incongruence within the family; moreover, the inclusion of a group of younger subjects (13-year-olds) was intended to provide a picture of a larger age span. Results of content analysis conducted on subjects’ answers showed the presence of different “models” or “styles” of education adopted by fathers and mothers, as well as different conceptions of “autonomy” and patterns of autonomy development, which appear to differ according to the sociodemographic variables considered.     

Psychological Adjustment in Adolescents with Vision Impairment

The present study compared psychological adjustment of 158 adolescents with vision impairment and 158 sighted adolescents with a matched-pair design using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adolescent self-reports and teacher reports on emotional problems, peer problems, and total difficulties showed higher scores in students with vision impairment than in sighted students. However, the size of between-group differences was small, and adolescents who are blind and their peers with low vision showed similar levels of psychological adjustment. In addition, older students reported more emotional problems than younger students. Furthermore, differences between self-reported emotional problems of students with and without vision impairment were stronger in older participants. In both groups, girls showed more emotional problems and less conduct problems than boys. We conclude that most students with vision impairment are well adjusted but a minority may benefit from psychological interventions.     

Parenting styles and bullying. The mediating role of parental psychological aggression and physical punishment

Studies concerning parenting styles and disciplinary practices have shown a relationship between both factors and bullying involvement in adolescence. The scarce available evidence suggests that abusive disciplinary practices increase teenagers’ vulnerability to abuse in school or the likelihood of them becoming abusers of their peers in the same context. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the indirect effect of parenting styles in adolescents’ bullying involvement through disciplinary practices, although a relationship between parenting styles and disciplinary practices has been shown. The aim of this research was to determine the mediating role of punitive parental discipline (physical punishment and psychological aggression) between the dimensions of parents’ parenting styles and their children's involvement in bullying victimization and aggression. We used a sample comprising 2060 Spanish high school students (47.9% girls; mean age = 14.34). Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. The results confirmed the mediating role of parental discipline between the parenting practices analyzed and students’ aggression and victimization. Significant gender-related differences were found for aggression involvement, where boys were for the most part linked to psychological aggression disciplinary practices and girls to physical punishment. Victimization directly correlated with parental psychological aggression discipline behavior across both sexes. In conclusion, the results seem to suggest that non-democratic parenting styles favor the use of punitive discipline, which increases the risk of adolescents’ bullying involvement. Therefore, intervention programs must involve parents to make them aware about the important role they play in this process and to improve their parenting styles.     

The Minnesota Adoption Studies: genetic differences and malleability

In 1974 we launched 2 large adoption studies for 2 quite different purposes. The Transracial Adoption Study was designed to test the hypothesis that black and interracial children reared by white families perform on IQ and school achievement tests as well as other adoptees because they are reared in the culture of the tests and the schools. In addition, transracial families provided a sample with large numbers of adopted and natural children in the same families. Sources of individual differences among siblings could be studied without fear of possible differences between adoptive families and those with their own children. The Adolescent Adoption Study was designed to assess the cumulative impact of differences among family environments at the end of the child-rearing period. All of the children were adopted in the first year of life and averaged 18.5 years at the time of the study. A comparison sample of families with their own adolescents was also studied. Black and interracial children scored as well on IQ tests as adoptees in other studies. Individual differences among them, however, were more related to differences among their biological than adoptive parents, whether they lived together or not. Young siblings were found to be intellectually quite similar, whether genetically related or not. Adolescents' IQ test scores were similar to those of their parents and siblings only if they were biologically related. Our interpretation of these results is that younger children are more influenced by differences among their family environments than older adolescents, who are freer to seek their own niches.     

Aggressive and nonaggressive rejected students: An analysis of their differences

The present study aimed to analyze differences between aggressive and nonaggressive rejected students in four sets of variables: personal, family, school, and social. Participants in the study were 843 Spanish adolescents ranging in age from 11 to 16 years old, of whom 47% were boys. Results indicated that these two subgroups of rejected students show a different profile. Aggressive rejected students informed of lower levels of family self‐esteem, less parental support, higher levels of aggression between their parents at home, and a more offensive parent–child communication in comparison with nonaggressive rejected adolescents. Moreover, aggressive rejected students showed lower levels of academic self‐esteem, a more negative attitude toward school and studies, poorer relationships with teachers, and more academic difficulties than did adolescents in the nonaggressive rejected subgroup. Finally, aggressive rejected students indicated the presence of more undesirable life events and changes in their lives and, in general, higher levels of perceived stress. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 387–400, 2006.     

The incidence of witnessing interparental violence and some of its psychological consequences among Arab adolescents

OBJECTIVES: The study had two aims. First, it sought to examine the incidence of interparental psychological aggression and physical violence witnessed by Arab adolescents. Second, it sought to assess the implications of such exposure on adolescents' feelings of hopelessness, psychological adjustment problems, and self-esteem. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a sample of 1640 Arab adolescents from Israel. Different forms of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS) were utilized to measure the extent of interparental psychological aggression and physical violence witnessed by adolescents. The Hopelessness Scale for Children (HSC), the Psychological Adjustment Scale (PAS), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) were used to measure the above-mentioned psychological states. RESULTS: The results indicate that Arab adolescents witness high rates of psychological aggression and physical violence between their parents. Furthermore, regression and multiple regression analyses revealed that significant amounts of the variance in adolescents' hopelessness, psychological adjustment problems, and low self-esteem are explained by witnessing different patterns of interparental psychological aggression and physical violence, beyond the amounts of variance in these criterion variables that can be attributed to some sociodemographic characteristics of the adolescents, their parents, and families. CONCLUSIONS: The results provided strong support for the hypothesis that witnessing interparental aggression and violence has a strong detrimental impact on adolescents' psychological states. Furthermore, the results emphasize the need for further research into the effects of witnessing other patterns of psychological aggression and physical violence in adolescents' nuclear and extended families. It would also be worthwhile to investigate the risk factors that predispose violence in the family and the consequences of those factors.     

A Meta-Analysis of Morphological Interventions in English: Effects on Literacy Outcomes for School-Age Children

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of morphological instruction on language and literacy outcomes by synthesizing 92 standardized mean differences (d) from 30 independent studies. Findings show a moderate overall effect of morphological instruction ([dbar] = 0.32), suggesting that children receiving morphological instruction performed significantly better on measures of literacy achievement than comparison groups. Moderator analyses showed that intervention effect varied depending on the literacy outcome. There were significant and moderate intervention effects on morphological knowledge ([dbar] = 0.44), phonological awareness ([dbar] = 0.48), vocabulary ([dbar] = 0.34), decoding ([dbar] = 0.59), and spelling ([dbar] = 0.30) but not on reading comprehension or fluency. Results also suggested differences in effectiveness related to age and research design but not unit of intervention, scope, length, and learner type. Effect sizes decrease by school level (e.g., greater for younger students than middle school and upper elementary students). Also, there were larger effects for quasi-experimental than experimental studies and for researcher-designed measures than for standardized measures. Implications for educational settings and research agendas are discussed.     

Minority status,sex, and school psychological services

The sex and minority status of 355 students referred for psychological services from a random sample of schools in an urban school system were examined in relation to the frequency of referral, type of problem, and the nature of subsequent psychological services. A significantly higher percentage of both minority students and males were referred for psychological services; males were referred approximately twice as often as females. When referral problems were categorized as either academic or behavior problems, there were no differences between majority and minority students nor between males and females on percentage referred for each type of problem. Parent contacts were made significantly more often for majority students and for females, and recommendations to parents of majority students were more varied than those made to parents of minority students. Special Education resource services were recommended significantly more often for minority students. Possible reasons and implications of these findings are discussed.     

初中聋生心理健康状况与家庭环境的相关研究

目的:探讨影响初中聋生心理健康的家庭因素,为促进聋生心理健康,改善家庭环境提供依据。方法:采用整群和分层整群抽样的方法,使用《心理健康诊断测验量表》(MHT)和《家庭环境量表》(FES)对河北省85名初中聋生和120名健听学生进行了问卷调查。结果:初中聋生和健听学生心理健康水平没有差异;聋女生的心理健康状况显著高于男生;初中聋生与健听学生家庭环境在亲和度、成功性、娱乐性和控制性四个因子方面差异极显著;父母亲的文化程度与聋生的自责倾向、冲动倾向显著相关。结论:初中聋生的心理健康状况受性别、父母文化程度、家庭环境等多因素影响。     

Family Conflict,Mood, and Adolescents' Daily School Problems: Moderating Roles of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

Using daily diary data, this study examined cross‐day associations between family conflict and school problems and tested mediating effects of daily negative mood and moderating effects of psychological symptoms. For 2 weeks, parents and adolescents (N = 106; M_age = 15.4) reported daily conflict; adolescents reported daily negative mood and school problems. Results indicated bidirectional, multiday spillover between parent–adolescent conflict and school problems with daily negative mood statistically accounting for spillover both within and across days. Externalizing symptoms strengthened links between father–adolescent conflict and school problems, whereas depressive and anxious symptoms strengthened links between parent–adolescent conflict and daily negative mood. By demonstrating cross‐domain transmission of daily problems, these findings highlight the salience of everyday events as possible intervention targets.     

Psychosocial adjustment, school outcomes, and romantic relationships of adolescents with same-sex parents

This study examined associations among family type (same-sex vs. opposite-sex parents); family and relationship variables; and the psychosocial adjustment, school outcomes, and romantic attractions and behaviors of adolescents. Participants included 44 12- to 18-year-old adolescents parented by same-sex couples and 44 same-aged adolescents parented by opposite-sex couples, matched on demographic characteristics and drawn from a national sample. Normative analyses indicated that, on measures of psychosocial adjustment and school outcomes, adolescents were functioning well, and their adjustment was not generally associated with family type. Assessments of romantic relationships and sexual behavior were not associated with family type. Regardless of family type, adolescents whose parents described closer relationships with them reported better school adjustment.