Profiles of Family Relationship Dynamics: Associations with Adolescent Flourishing

• In Event: 1-178 - Focusing on Family Strengths: Understanding Positive Development in a Family Context

Integrative Statement

Flourishing is a multifaceted construct that includes individuals’ strengths, competences, constructive relationships, and other positive indicators of well-being (e.g., Bethell, 2013; Keyes, 2007; Lippman et al., 2014). Flourishing adolescents are less likely to exhibit mental and behavioral problems, experience more positive feelings and perceptions of their life, have better academic achievement and healthy relationships, and are more likely to maximize their potential and contribute to society (Damon, 2004; Lerner et al., 2005; Lerner & Benson, 2003). Therefore, it is important to know how developmental environment support and facilitate adolescent flourishing. Family is one of the most influential contexts for adolescent development, but little is known about the role of family for adolescent flourishing. Prior work suggested high quality family relationships promote adolescent positive development (e.g., Amato, 1994; Shek, 2000), however, these studies are typically limited to one dyadic relationship at a time in cross-sectional assessment. Considering family comprises of multiple, interdependent subsystems and is an open system that is subjective to change, simultaneously including interparental and parent-adolescent relationships and fluctuations of these relationships is a more accurate way to get a holistic view of the family (Cox & Paley, 1997; Minuchin, 1985). By using latent profile analysis, this study aims to model the heterogeneity among relationship connectedness level and variability in both interparental and parent-adolescent dyads to identify profiles of family relationship dynamics and further examine their associations with adolescent flourishing one year later.

This study was conducted with a sample of 151 9th or 10th grade adolescents (61.6% female, n=93) from two-parent families, who were 13-16 years old (M=14.60, SD=0.83). The participating caregiver was instructed to complete daily survey for continuous 21 days on 2 questions for interparental connectedness (Rc=0.84, R1f=0.86) and parent-adolescent connectedness (Rc=0.88, R1f=0.87), respectively. Adolescents reported on their flourishing (α=0.95; Diener et al., 2010) and psychological well-being (α=0.92; Ryff & Keyes, 1995) at 12-month follow-up assessment.

A four-profile solution of family relationship dynamics yielded the best fit with the data, when comparing 1- to 5- profile models (see Table 1). The cohesive profile (29%) was characterized by high levels of connectedness and low levels of variability in both interparental and parent-adolescent dyads. The adequate profile (47%) was characterized by average levels of connectedness and average to high levels of variability in both dyads. The compensatory profile (6%) was characterized by extremely low levels of interparental connectedness, and relatively higher levels (still lower than average) of parent-adolescent connectedness with high levels of variability. The chaotic profile (18%) was characterized by low levels of connectedness with high levels of variability in both dyads. Overall test indicated adolescents from these four family profiles were significantly different on their flourishing and psychological well-being (ps < .01). Pairwise comparison between profiles were presented in Table 2. Adolescents from cohesive families have the highest level of flourishing compared with adolescents from the rest three profiles. Adolescents from chaotic families have lower levels of flourishing and psychological well-being compared with adolescents from cohesive and adequate families.

Authors

• Mengya Xia, The Pennsylvania State University
  Presenting Author

• Greg Fosco, Pennsylvania State University
  Non-Presenting Author