Developmental Significance of Adolescent Romantic Relationships: Parent and Peer Predictors of Engagement and Quality at Age 15

• NCJ Number: 228622
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 38 Issue: 10 Dated: November 2009 Pages: 1294-1303
• Author(s): Glenn I. Roisman; Cathryn Booth-LaForce; Elizabeth Cauffman; Susan Spicker
• Date Published: November 2009
• Length: 10 pages
• Contract Number(s): U10
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Corporate Author: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using a longitudinal sample of 957 youth (49 percent boys and 77.3 percent White/non-Hispanic) monitored from infancy through age 15, this study examined the depth of engagement in and quality of romantic relationships in association with early and contemporaneous parent-child interactive quality (maternal sensitivity) and peer social competence.

Abstract

Measures of engagement in romantic relationships completed by the full cohort found that, with a few exceptions focused on dating experience, adolescents were not engaging in high levels of romantic involvement at age 15. Whereas a strong majority reported going out at night with groups of boys and girls, less than half had dated in groups or in pairs. Participants reported that their longest relationships averaged approximately 7 months. The study found that high-quality experiences with parents and peers prior to and during adolescence tended to be negatively associated with indicators of intense engagement in adolescent romantic relationships (lots of time spent alone with the partner, feelings of being "deeply in love," and frequency of involvement in oral sex and sexual intercourse); however, high-quality maternal parenting and peer experiences prior to and during adolescence were positively associated with the quality of adolescents' romantic relationships for individuals dating at age 15. This was measured by companionship, conflict, helping behaviors, intimacy, nurturance, affection, admiration, reliability, antagonism, and criticism. Earlier maternal sensitivity was calculated from mothers' behavior during a videotaped interaction between mother and child under semistructured conditions at ages 6, 15, 24, 36, and 54 months, as well as grades 1, 3, and 5. Contemporaneous maternal sensitivity was assessed at age 15 by coding a video-recording of home discussions of one or two areas of disagreement between the adolescent and mother. Earlier and contemporaneous peer competence (age 15) were also measured, along with romantic relationship quality and engagement at age 15. 4 tables and 29 references