Poster #148 - Parental Consulting and Adolescents' Social Adjustment Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Mother-Adolescent Conflict About Peers

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Despite adolescents’ desire for autonomy from their parents (Steinberg, 1990), parents may still be directly involved in managing their peer relationships by acting as consultants (Mounts, 2011). An imbalance between adolescents’ expectations for autonomy and parents’ willingness to grant autonomy results in disagreements (Darling, Cumsille, Caldwell & Dowdy, 2006; Smetana & Asquith, 1994). These conflicts can foster socio-emotional skills (Moed et al., 2015) or result in externalizing problems (Branje, van Doorn, van der Valk & Meeus, 2009). Mounts (2011) suggested that conflict about peers moderates the relationship between consulting and adolescents’ social skills. This investigation extends the prior research on this topic and focuses on three research questions. First, how is consulting related to relational aggression, physical aggression, relational victimization, physical victimization and prosocial behavior? Second, how is conflict about peers related to the outcome variables? Third, does conflict about peers moderate the relationship between consulting and the outcome variables?
Seventy mothers and early adolescents (Mage=12.39; Girls=51%, Boys=49%) participated in the study. Consulting was assessed using the Parental Management of Peer Relationships Inventory (Mounts, 2004; α=.72). The Parent-Child Conflict about Peers measure was completed (Mounts, 2007; α=.90). The Children’s Social Behavior Scale (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995) assessed prosocial behavior (α=.77), relational aggression (α=.74), and physical aggression (α=.81). The Child Social Experiences Questionnaire (Crick & Grotpeter, 1996) assessed relational victimization (α=.75) and physical victimization (α=.81). Mothers’ reports of consulting and conflict about peers were used. Adolescents’ reports of aggression, victimization, and prosocial behavior were used.
Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. First, gender was entered. Next, consulting and conflict about peers were entered. Finally, the consulting x conflict interaction term was entered. Consulting was not related to relational aggression (b=-.200, p=.415), physical aggression (b=-.020, p=.952), or relational victimization (b=.254, p=.316). In addition, conflict about peers did not moderate any of these relationships. Higher levels of consulting were related to higher levels of physical victimization (b=.582, p=.0097). Higher levels of conflict about peers were related to higher levels of physical victimization (b=4.27, p<.001). Conflict about peers moderated the relationship between consulting and physical victimization (b=-1.19, p=.0001). Follow-up analyses (Figure 1) suggested that lower levels of consulting in combination with higher levels of conflict about peers were related to higher levels of physical victimization (b=-.796, p=.0067). Lower levels of consulting in combination with lower levels of conflict about peers were related to lower levels of physical victimization (b=.582, p=.0097). In the absence of consulting from the mother, adolescents may respond poorly to conflict about peer relationships. Thus, setting the stage for physical victimization.
Consulting was not related to prosocial behavior (b=-.145, p=.647). Conflict about peers was related to lower levels of prosocial behavior (b=-4.41, p=.001). Conflict about peers moderated the relationship between consulting and prosocial behavior (b=1.33, p=.0015). Follow-up analyses suggested that lower levels of consulting in conjunction with higher levels of conflict about peers were related to lower levels of prosocial behavior (b=1.39, p=.0012; Figure 2). At low levels of consulting, conflict about peers appears to undermine prosocial behavior.

Authors

• Natalie Low, Northern Illinois University
  Presenting Author

• Nina S Mounts, Northern Illinois University
  Non-Presenting Author