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This study examined developmental differences in two dimensions of attachment security (parental availability and child dependency on parents) in late childhood (N = 274) and early adolescence (N = 267) and their association with peer relations. Children's perceptions of mother's availability and boys' perceptions of father's availability did not differ as a function of age. Dependency on parents, however, decreased with age. Findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between parental availability and reliance on parental help when measuring attachment developmentally. Children's reports of positive friendship qualities and lack of conflict in their best friendships were related to attachment to both mother and father, whereas the presence of a reciprocated friendship and popularity were not. Father availability was a particularly important predictor of lower conflict with best friends. Findings indicate that the quality of parent-child attachment generalizes primarily to the quality of children's close peer relations.

Because mothers continue to serve as a secure base throughout adolescence, this study examined the unique role of late adolescents' attachment style with mother in self-reported, partner-reported, and observed disagreements as well as in positive and negative emotions with a close peer. Forty-four adolescents (30 females; age 17-19 years) were videotaped with a romantic partner or same-sex friend discussing 2 problems in their relationship. Adolescents rated their attachment style with their mother, assessing dimensions of anxiety and avoidance at 2 different time points, averaged. As well, they reported attachment to the peer. Outcome measures (i.e., reported and observed disagreements, positive emotions, and negative emotions) were combined into a single index of negativity. Adolescents were more negative with a romantic partner than with a friend. Adolescents higher in attachment anxiety with mother were less negative with their romantic partner. Moreover, when variability associated with attachment style with mother was controlled, adolescents higher in attachment avoidance with their peer were more negative, and girls were more negative than boys. Findings support the continued role of attachment style with mother, and attachment anxiety, in adolescents' emotion regulation behaviour with close peers, particularly romantic partners. Parce que les mères demeurent une base sécurisante tout au cours de l'adolescence, cette étude a examiné le rôle unique du style d'attachement à la mère en fin d'adolescence au moyen de différends autorapportés, rapportés par le partenaire et observés ainsi qu'au moyen d'émotions positives et négatives avec un pair intime. Les discussions de 44 adolescents (dont 30 femmes; 17-19 ans) avec un partenaire romantique ou un ami du même sexe au sujet de deux problèmes dans leur relation ont été enregistrées sur vidéo. Les adolescents ont évalué leur style d'attachement à leur mère, en évaluant les dimensions d'anxiété et d'évitement à 2 moments différents, dont on a fait la moyenne. De plus, ils ont évalué leur attachement à leur pair. Les mesures obtenues (différends rapportés et observés, émotions positives et émotions négatives) ont été réunies dans un seul indice de négativité. Les adolescents ont été plus négatifs avec leur partenaire romantique qu'avec leur ami. Les adolescents présentant un plus grand attachement anxieux avec leur mère étaient moins négatifs avec leur partenaire romantique. En outre, lorsque la variabilité associée au style d'attachement à la mère était contrôlée, les adolescents présentant un plus grand attachement évitant était plus négatifs avec leur pair, les filles plus que les garçons. Les résultats confirment le rôle que maintient le style d'attachement à la mère ainsi que l'attachement anxieux, dans la maîtrise des émotions des adolescents avec leurs pairs, leurs partenaires romantiques en particulier.

Generativity, defined as concern for future generations, is theorized to become a priority in midlife, preceded by a stage in which intimacy is the central issue. Recent research, however, has found evidence of generativity even in adolescence. This longitudinal study explored the associations between caregiving in friendships, closely related to intimacy, and early generative concern in a young adolescent sample. Given the importance of close friendships in adolescence, it was hypothesized that responsive caregiving in early adolescent friendships would predict later generative concern. Approximately 140 adolescents (56 % female, aged 14 at Time 1) completed questionnaires regarding generative concern and responsive caregiving with friends yearly across 2 years. Structural equation modeling revealed that caregiving predicted generative concern 1 year later but generative concern did not predict later caregiving. These results suggest that caregiving in close friendships plays an important role in the development of adolescents’ motivation to contribute to future generations.

Fifty-two girls and 28 boys and their same-sex friends rated the quality of their friendship, ranked their preference for this friendship relative to other friendships, and participated in a videotaped discussion. Boys and girls significantly differed in perceived-friendship quality and observed behavior with friends. Specifically, girls rated their friendship quality more positively and less negatively and they showed more positive and less negative behavior in interaction with their friends than boys. No sex differences emerged in the relation of perceived-friendship quality to adolescents' own behavior and to their friend's behavior. Ranked-friendship preference was also significantly related to behavior, albeit to a lesser extent than perceived-friendship quality. The potential mechanisms underlying adolescents' friendship experiences are discussed.

It was examined whether early adolescents' involvement in a romantic relationship would be differentially related to adjustment, depending on their relations with the same-sex peer group. Three hundred and twelve 7th graders were assessed with respect to their social acceptance by same-sex peers, involvement in reciprocal same-sex friendships, involvement in romantic relationships, self-esteem, antisocial behavior, and academic performance. Social acceptance by other-sex peers and involvement in reciprocal other-sex friendships were also assessed for control purposes. The results showed that having a boyfriend/girlfriend was related to poorer emotional and behavioral adjustment for those early adolescents who were unpopular among same-sex peers. For adolescents who were popular among same-sex peers, romantic involvement was not related to emotional and behavioral adjustment. Independently of same-sex peer acceptance, however, romantic involvement was negatively related to academic performance, albeit only for girls. The results are discussed in light of Sullivan's theory of social development.

The objective of this study was to assess how children's racial evaluations were affected by talking about these with a friend whose level of prejudice was different from their own. We compared the kinds of evaluative statements and explanatory strategies used by the high - and low - prejudice partners of a dyad, as well as the change in attitude that followed from the discussion. White children from the third and fourth grades were identified as above or below the median for their class on the Multi - response Racial Attitude (MRA) measure, which assessed positive and negative evaluations of White, Black, and Chinese children. They were then paired with a friend who differed in level of prejudice, and asked to discuss one positive and one negative item from the attitude measure. Instructions were to talk about how the three races should be evaluated and why. After the discussion, each child was privately reassessed on the MRA. Analyses of the discussion variables indicated that low - prejudice children stated significantly more negative evaluations and examples of Whites and more cross - race similarity than high - prejudice children. High - prejudice children became significantly less prejudiced in their evaluations after the discussion. Changes were greater in children whose low - prejudice partner made more statements about cross - race similarity (e.g. \"everyone can be mean sometime\"), along with more positive Black and negative White evaluations. Low - prejudice partners remained unprejudiced. Dyadic discussion may be a useful context for reducing prejudice. A comparison of low - and high - prejudice children's use of these five discussion variables was conducted with a 2 (Sex) x 2 (Prejudice Level:low and high) MANOVA, where the discussion scores were dependent variables. The prejudice variable was analyzed as a within - case factor, because for each case a low - prejudice child was paired with a high - prejudice friend (Tabachnick & Fidell, 1989). Using Pillai's trace for the combined scores resulted in a significant main effect for prejudice level, F(1,42) = 4.84, p < .05. Univariate ANOVAs were subsequently performed on each transformed discussion variable. Means of the untransformed scores are presented in Table 1 along with the F values for the Prejudice factor. There were no significant effects due to Sex or Sex x Prejudice. Low - and high - prejudice partners differed on two variables: Low - prejudice partners made more negative [White] statements and more similarity statements. Children did not differ in their use of the other discussion statements as a function of prejudice level. In particular, two forms of discussion that were expected to characterize the high - prejudice position, namely the use of pronoun references and negative minority statements, did not. As expected, there were positive correlations between two partners' frequencies for the five discussion variables, two of which were significant, namely cross - race similarity (r = .45) and use of pronoun references (r = .50). This indicates some degree of coordination in the dyad discussions despite partners' difference in prejudice levels. The changes evidenced by high - prejudice children correlated positively with some of their low - prejudice partners' discussion statements (see Table 3). This analysis involved correlations between the post - pre attitude difference scores of high - prejudice children and the five discussion variables of their low - prejudice partner. In particular, high - prejudice children became more tolerant in their counter - bias evaluations and distributed positive and negative attributes more widely to the three races if their low - prejudice partners made more statements about cross - race similarity. Their counter - bias scores also increased as a function of the partners' positive Black statements and the us/them reference; they assigned negative attributes to more races as a function of their partners' negative White statements and the us/them reference. These correlations remained significant at the .10 or .05 level even after the high - prejudice child's own discussion frequencies were partialled out. Thus, four of the five discussion variables were associated with reduced prejudice, and contrary to expectations, the pronoun references were associated with reduced, not increased, prejudice.

Adolescents and young adults (three age groups: 12-15, 16-19, and 20-28 years) reported their use of parents, and peers to fulfill attachment functions (proximity-seeking, safe haven, and secure base.) The use of each target figure varied with age and attachment function. Mothers were an important source of security across this age range. They were used as secure base consistently more than fathers or peers for all age groups, and regardless of whether or not participants had romantic partners; but were used less for proximity and safe haven by the two older groups. Best friends were used most and more than others as a safe haven; but were used less by young adults (vs. early adolescents) and by older adolescents with romantic partners. Romantic partners were used most and more than others for proximity; but were used less by early adolescents than by older participants. Fathers were selected less than other targets for all attachment functions. Those with romantic partners turned to them more than to others, and young adults selected their romantic partners as much as friends for safe haven. Those insecurely attached to mother turned to her less and to romantic partners more than did those securely attached. Implications for developmental changes in adolescent attachments are discussed.

Contributions of 3 dimensions of parenting (psychological control, warmth, and behavioural control), marital conflict, and attachment style (anxiety and avoidance) to adjustment from early to middle adolescence were assessed. Mediation of marital conflict effects by parenting, and of parenting effects by attachment were examined. Adolescents (n = 175) initially age 13 years reported parenting practices, attachment styles, school grades, self-esteem, and internalizing and externalizing problems twice (T1, T2) 2 years apart. T1 marital conflict was associated with lower self-esteem, more externalizing symptoms, and lower academic achievement at T2, all but the latter mediated by parental warmth. T1 parental psychological control was associated with increases in internalizing symptoms over time, an effect not mediated by attachment insecurity, which contributed independently. T1 parental warmth was associated with decreases in externalizing symptoms and increases in self-esteem over time, the latter mediated by attachment security.KEY WORDS: parenting: adolescence; adjustment; marital discord; attachment.