Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Structured interviews were conducted with 95 mother-adolescent pairs from low-income households to examine the ways in which mother-adolescent conflict communication mediates the relationship between parentification and adolescent depression. Structural equation modeling revealed that when discrepancies in how adolescents and their mothers manage conflict communication were taken into account, parentified adolescents were, on average, less depressed than less parentified adolescents and adolescents tended to be more depressed when their mothers were more aggressive. Implications of the positive aspects of instrumental parentification are discussed along with the potential mediating affects of constructive parent-adolescent conflict communication.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Most of the literature that explores the developmental implications of the family or the friendship group on adolescent wellbeing explores these contexts in isolation. This paper builds on this work and explores the interplay between these contexts, focusing on how the family and the friendship group come together to affect adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors. I investigate these assocations using multiple dimensions of each context and a nationally representative sample of school-going adolescents. I find little evidence that the friendship group mediates the association between the family and depression and minor delinquency but I do find evidence that both contexts have an additive effect on these outcomes. Furthermore, I find that the family, in terms of its structure across the child's life course and the quality of the parent-child relationship in adolescence, moderates the effect the friendship group on these outcomes. These effects, however, are not static across adolescence but vary according to development stage.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the role that parent-child relationships play in the rise of adolescent obesity. 7,798 adolescents were selected from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (AddHealth) for analysis. Through ordinal regression using both Wave I and Wave II of the data, it was shown that higher levels of communication between adolescents and their parents reduce the risk of overweight and obesity. Adolescents’ satisfaction with their relationship to their parents and family cohesion are also significant in reducing the risk of overweight and obesity. Adolescents’ perceptions of parental control, adolescents’ closeness to their parents, and the amount of activities that parents and adolescents do together do not show significant relationships to overweight and obesity in adolescents. Factors outside of parent-child relationship that are shown to be significant predictors of overweight and obesity in adolescents include household income, amount of physical activity, amount of television viewed and video games played, and skipping breakfast. These findings suggest that although the effect may be small in comparison to diet and exercise, parent-child relationships do play a significant role in the rise of adolescent obesity.
Further analysis is currently being done, which includes the third wave of this data set.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Understanding messages sent to adolescents about sex may lead to improved adolescent sexual health. Communicating about sex and sexuality is sure to increase adolescents’ understanding of the world around them, as well as the merger of their personal values, family values, religious values, and societal values. Two sets of flexible interviews were completed, one with late adolescents and the other with parents of late adolescents. Major themes are addressed, including the differences between reports.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This pilot study examined the differences between parenting styles of parents with gifted adolescents and non-labeled adolescents. Comparisons were made between parents of gifted and parents of non-labeled to examine if there are differences between the ways that these parents communicate with their children. Analysis revealed that parents of the gifted were more likely to verbally admonish their children, have a greater knowledge of school activities, and report that their children disclose more information to them than the parents of non-labeled children. Discussion focuses on specific characteristics of the gifted that may be responsible for these findings as well as the need for future studies examining differences between parent-child communications of gifted children.