Parental Predictors of Adolescents’ Negative Peer Influence Behaviors

• In Event: Poster Session 05
  In Poster Session: PS 05 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

This research aims to identify familial developmental factors during early adolescence that may predict the characteristics of an adolescent who negatively influences their peers into greater substance use. Though previous literature has examined what factors may lead to adolescent susceptibility to peer pressure, there is little research examining family-of-origin factors that predict which adolescents become negative influences on their peers. This study thus aims to examine several parental-teen relationship qualities that may be predictive of teens’ influence behaviors and increases in close friend substance use. Importantly, this longitudinal study relies on multiple methods and reporters to assess these constructs. It is hypothesized that these negative parent-teen constructs (described below) will together account for significant variability in both teen influence behavior and relative increases in friends’ substance use.

Data for this study were obtained from a community sample of 184 adolescents (86 males, 98 females) at ages 13-15. The sample was demographically diverse (63% European-American, 27% African American, and 14% mixed race or other race/ethnicities); baseline median family income was within $40,000 - $59,000 range. Age 13 parental predictors include: Attachment style via the Adult Attachment Interview; Parental psychological control, behavioral control, and rejection via the Childhood Report of Parenting Behavior (mom/dad/teen report); Parent negative autonomy and relatedness via a coded parent-teen interaction task; Parent-teen conflict via the Conflict Tactics Scale (mom/dad/teen report). Age 14 influence asserted by teens was measured by the Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (ICQ). Age 15 substance use was measured for the teen and their best friend by the CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey (e.g. cigarette, alcohol, marijuana use; also assessed for each at baseline age 13).

Data collection for this study is now complete and data preparation is in progress. Analyses will begin this Fall and be completed in time to prepare a poster presentation for SRCD. Analyses will be conducted using hierarchical regression with FIML estimation. Regression analyses will control for participant gender and participant household income. Age 13 parent-teen variables will first be entered as a block in a model to predict teen influence behavior at age 14. Next, parent-teen variables will be entered as a block in a second model to predict best friend substance use outcomes at age 15 (controlling for teen and best friend baseline substance use). Teen influence will be added to this model to determine its status as a potential mediator. Finally, interactions between parent-teen qualities and teen influence will be added to determine which combinations of specific parent qualities may interact with teen influence to predict the largest relative increases in best friend substance use.

This study thus has the potential to elucidate parent-teen processes that may contribute to adolescent negative influence behavior, as evidenced by teens’ likelihood of asserting influence with peers and changes in best friends’ substance use. It may also help identify the types of early psychological experiences that teens’ have who become negative influences, and thus inform interventions that may serve to reduce this behavior in teens.

Authors

• Lauren Alexander, James Madison University
  Presenting Author

• David E. Szwedo, James Madison University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joseph P Allen, University of Virginia - Charlottesville
  Non-Presenting Author