peer influences and the paradox of adolescent socialization joe allen university of virginia
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Peer Influences and The Paradox of Adolescent Socialization Joe Allen University of Virginia. Copies of related papers are available at: WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG. How Do We Socialize Our Youth?. How Do We Turn Our Young People From Dependent Children Into Productive Adults Or Fail to Do So…. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Peer Influences and The Paradox of Adolescent Socialization
Joe Allen
University of Virginia
Copies of related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG
How Do We Socialize Our Youth?
How Do We Turn Our Young People
From Dependent Children Into Productive Adults
Or Fail to Do So…
Why It Matters: The Social Security Problem
Historical Trends and Projections
Ratio of Workers : Retirees
1930’s: 10 : 1
1970’s: 6 : 1
Currently: 3.4 : 1
2029: 2 : 1
Social Security Administration, 2008
Adolescents are Largely Socialized by Their Peers
Time spent interacting in give and take with peers/week:
60 hours
Time spent interacting in give and take with adults/week:
16 hours
100 years ago this ratio was
Exactly Reversed
(Steinberg, 2008)
Why It Matters: Age Trends in Property Crime In U.S.
(Uniform Crime Reports, 2008)Age
Annual Incidence per 1000 Individuals
Why It Matters: Age Trends in Violent Crime In U.S.
(Uniform Crime Reports, 2008)
Age
Annual Incidence per 1000 Individuals
Why it Matters: Peaking Rates of Peer-Linked Problems
Delinquency
Unwanted pregnancy
Alcohol & Drug Abuse
School Dropout
Why It Matters: Effects of Lack of Peers
Effects of Social Rejection
Depression and/or Aggression
Effects of Social Isolation
Long-term physical implications
Meta-analysis: James House, Science, 1988:
The risks of social isolation for early mortality…are greater than the risks from cigarette smoking.”
Dylan Klebold and Eric HarrisColumbine High School
Three Questions
1. Is There Continuity from Parent to Peer Relationships?
2. Is there a safe route through the minefield of peer relationships in adolescence?
3. Why not?
…and What can we do about it?
Three Questions
1. Is There Continuity from Parent to Peer Relationships?
What to Focus Upon?
ArgumentsAffection
Affiliation
Consensus
Yelling
Pressure
Anger
Shared Activities
Time Spent Together
A Developmental Task Approach
Identifying the key tasks of adolescent social development
One set of key tasks:
Establishing Autonomy in Relationships while
Maintaining a Sense of Connection or Relatedness
See-saw Model of Autonomy & Relatedness
Autonomy Relatedness
Ideal BalancePoint
Orthogonal Model of Autonomy & RelatednessAutonomy
Relatedness
AutonomousRelatedness
Assessing Autonomy and Relatedness
Video of two individuals handling disagreements.
Autonomous Behaviors:Focus on reasoning and persuasion
Relatedness-Promoting Behaviors:Acknowledging other’s points; validating; carefully listening.
Behaviors Undermining AutonomyEnmeshing, overpersonalizing, pressuring behavior
Behaviors Undermining RelatednessRudeness and hostility
Two Samples Harvard Adolescent to Adult Development Study
145 Adolescents and Parents observed age 14-18 Adolescents followed up at age 25 Upper Middle-class Very Low Attrition (2% by age 25)
Virginia Institute of Development in Adulthood Study 184 Adolescents, their Parents, Best Friends, and Other Friends Intensive Annual Interviews and Observations (Total N over first 10
years ~ 1600). Socio-economically & Racially Diverse Very Low Attrition from age 13 to 21 (< 1%)
Continuity from Parents to Peers How does one negotiate disagreements with a best
friend?
Teen Autonomy with Best Friend
.27***
(McElhaney et al., 2008)
Age 14 Age 16
-.22*Maternal Psychological
Control (Reported)
Mother Undermines Teen Autonomy
(Observed)
-.24**
Teen Autonomy with Best Friend
R2 = .23***
Popularity/likeability
Preference-based popularity/likeability Number of peers in your school who name a teen as someone
with whom they would like to spend time together. Actually being “liked”
…as opposed to: Social Status
Being “looked up to” Who teens think is popular (not necessarily who they like)
We focus on preference-based popularity/likeability.
Popularity Do Others Name a Teen as Being LIKED?
Teen Popularity
Teen Popularity
.74***
(McFarland, Schmidt, Kaufmann, & Allen, 2003)
Age 13 Age 14
.21**Fathers’ Promotion of Teen Autonomy
& Relatedness
Hostility in the Long Run
Hostility with Father (obs’d)
Hostility (Peer-reported)
.40*
(Allen et al., Development & Psychopathology, 2002)
Age 16 Age 25
Fathers’ Hostility to Teen
.32*
Fathers’ Undermining Teen
Autonomy
.50***
R2 = .280**
Attachment Security
Attachment Security
Observed Peer Engagement in
Supportive Behavior
.43***
Age 14 Ages 15-17
Secure teens are better able to engage their friends’ support.
Three Questions
1. Is There Continuity from Parent to Peer Relationships?
YES.
2. Is there a safe route through the minefield of teen peer relationships?
3. Why not?
…and What can we do about it?
Three Questions
1. Is There Continuity from Parent to Peer Relationships?
2. Is there a safe route through the minefield of teen peer relationships?
3. Why not?
…and What can we do about it?
Short-term Correlates of Popularity/Likeability at Age 13
Higher Quality Close Friendships Higher Quality Interactions with Parents Higher Ego Development Greater Attachment Security No negative correlates whatsoever at age 13
(Allen et al., 2005, Child Development)
Predictions from Popularity & Social Acceptance
Withdrawal (Peer Report)
.24*
-.23**
(McElhaney, Antonishak, & Allen, Child Development, 2008)
Age 13 Age 14
-.19*R2 = .19**
Popularity(Sociometric)
Felt Acceptance(Self-report)
Withdrawal (Peer Report)
Close Friendship Quality
(Chango et al., 2009)
Age 13 Age 18 Age 20Close Friendship
QualityClose Friendship
Quality
Undermining Autonomy
With Close Friend
DepressiveSymptoms
DepressiveSymptoms
DepressiveSymptoms
-.02
-.19*
.28***
.29***
.12+
-.22**
.27***
-.22**-.21*
Predicting Friendship Quality & Depression
Predicting Early Sexual Activity
Autonomy Struggles with Mother(Observed)
Early Initiation of Sexual
Intercourse
.21*
(Rosenbaum, et al., under review)
Age 13 Age 16
-.33*
Companionship with Same Gender Close
Friend (Friend report)
Maternal Emotional Support (Tn. Report)
-.23*
y1 y2 y3 y4
Δx2
Δy2 Δy3 Δy4
Δx3 Δx4
y1 y2 y3 y4
x1 x2 x3 x4
x1 x2 x3 x4
Kxs
ys
x0
y0
y0*
ys*
xs*
x0*
ex
ey
γy γy γy γx γx γx
βx βx βx
βy βy βy
αy
αx
σx0,ys
σy0,xs
σx0,y0
Warmth with Close Friend
Aggression
13 14 15 16AGE:
Warmth & Aggression: ALatent Difference Score Model
Warmth & Connectio
nwith
Friend
Teen aggression
ΔTeenaggression
-.34*
-.43*
ΔWarmth &
Connection
with Friend
Warmth and adolescent aggression
CFI=.95, RMSEA=.03
Less Warmth with a Friend Predicts Increasing Aggression
Over Time
(Antonishak & Allen, 2006, Society for Research in Adolescence)
Being Well-Socialized With One’s Peers Seems Like
a Great Thing…
But What Does It Mean to be Well-socialized by a Group of
Early Adolescents?
Risks for the Well-socialized Teen:The Popularity-Socialization Effect
Popular teens will be highly attuned to socializing influences within their peer group.
Popular teens will be highly attuned to socializing influences within their peer group.
This will reflect their advanced social development…
Risks for the Well-socialized Teen:The Popularity-Socialization Effect
Popular teens will be highly attuned to socializing influences within their peer group.
This will reflect their advanced social development…
but
The peer group may also socialize popular teens toward some deviant behaviors that are normative for early adolescents.
Risks for the Well-socialized Teen:The Popularity-Socialization Effect
Measures: Minor Delinquency• Self-report of Delinquency Scale (Elliott, Huizinga, & Menard,
1989)
• Items include:• shoplifting items worth less than $50• sneaking into a movie theater without paying• minor vandalism
• Estimated costs of shoplifting: $25 million per day.
• Some retail stores catering to young shoppers experiencing ‘shrinkage’ rates approaching 20% of their sales.
Changing Levels of Deviant Behavior
Changing Levels of Deviant Behavior
MinorDelinquency
Minor Delinquency
Popularity
Age 13 Age 14
.23**
.42***
Predicting Relative Changes in Minor Delinquency From Baseline Popularity
Popular teens show greater relative increases in minor delinquency from 13 to 14.
(Allen, Porter, McFarland, Marsh & McElhaney, 2005, Child Development)
Popularity
ns
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Relative Change in Minor Deviant Behavior
High PopularityLow Popularity
Low High
Interaction of Popularity and Peer Values Predicting Change in Minor Delinquency (Age 13 to 14)
(Allen, Porter, McFarland, Marsh & McElhaney, 2005, Child Development)
Peer Valuing of MisconductAge 13
For Less Popular teens:Slight increase in
deviance over time if peers value misbehavior
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Relative Change in Minor Deviant Behavior
High PopularityLow Popularity
Low High
Interaction of Popularity and Peer Values Predicting Change in Minor Delinquency (Age 13 to 14)
(Allen, Porter, McFarland, Marsh & McElhaney, 2005, Child Development)
Peer Valuing of MisconductAge 13
Peer values predict delinquency most
strongly among popular teens.
If Socialization Depends upon what’s valued by peers…
What about misbehavior that isn’t valued within the peer group.
Serious Delinquency
Serious Delinquency
Popularity
Age 13 Age 14
Predicting Changes in Self-reportedSerious Delinquency from Popularity
.04ns
.48***
Popular kids do NOT show relative increases in levels of serious criminal behavior over time.
(Allen, Porter, McFarland, Marsh & McElhaney, 2005, Child Development)
Hostility Hostility
Popularity
Age 13 Age 14
Predicting Changes in Peer-reportedHostility from Popularity
-.16*
.26***
Popular teens become less hostile over time. Sometimes Peer Socialization is a Good Thing!
(Allen, Porter, McFarland, Marsh & McElhaney, 2005, Child Development)
Changing Levels of Deviant Behavior
?
Changing Levels of Deviant Behavior
Changing Levels of Deviant Behavior
Changing Levels of Deviant Behavior
Socialization has Worked Out OK in the End for Popular Teens
At least for delinquency
What about other behaviors?
Measures: Alcohol & Marijuana Use• Self-reported use in past six months of alcohol and marijuana
(Elliott, Huizinga, & Menard, 1989)
• Estimated annual cost to society of teen alcohol use: $58 billion
• 20% of teen drivers admit to driving within an hour of smoking marijuana
• 29% of teens have driven in a car within the past month with someone who had been drinking.
• Alcohol use accounts for > ¼ of all teen automobile crash fatalities.
9%
7%0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20% Youths Trying Alcohol or Marijuana
PopularLess Popular
Change in Percentage of Youths Who Have Recently Used Alcohol/Marijuana
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
26%
9%
9%
7%0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20% Youths Trying Alcohol or Marijuana
PopularLess Popular
Change in Percentage of Youths Who Have Recently Used Alcohol/Marijuana
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
26%
42%
9%
23%9%
7%0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20% Youths Trying Alcohol or Marijuana
PopularLess Popular
Change in Percentage of Youths Who Have Recently Used Alcohol/Marijuana
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
26%
42%
52%
9%
23%9%
7%
29%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20% Youths Trying Alcohol or Marijuana
PopularLess Popular
Change in Percentage of Youths Who Have Recently Used Alcohol/Marijuana
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
26%
42%
52% 52%
9%
23%9%
7%
34%29%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20% Youths Trying Alcohol or Marijuana
PopularLess Popular
Change in Percentage of Youths Who Have Recently Used Alcohol/Marijuana
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
26%
42%
52% 52%
68%
9%
23%
36%
9%
7%
34%29%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20% Youths Trying Alcohol or Marijuana
PopularLess Popular
Change in Percentage of Youths Who Have Recently Used Alcohol/Marijuana
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
0.300.42
0.79
1.38
1.75
0.12
0.31
0.90
0.13
0.07
0.91
0.37
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Frequency of Use
PopularLess Popular
Frequency of Alcohol Use in Past Month
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
0.30 0.420.79
1.381.75
0.12 0.310.900.13
0.07
0.910.370.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Frequency of Use
PopularLess Popular
Frequency of Alcohol Use in Past Month
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
0.30 0.420.79
1.381.75
2.27
0.12 0.310.90
1.760.13
0.07
0.910.370.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Frequency of Use
PopularLess Popular
Frequency of Alcohol Use in Past Month
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
0.30 0.420.79
1.381.75
2.27
7.74
0.12 0.310.90
1.76
4.7
0.13
0.07
0.910.370.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Frequency of Use
PopularLess Popular
Frequency of Alcohol Use in Past Month
(Allen & Antonishak, 2008)
Measures: Problems Related to Alcohol Use
• Self-report problems occurring with alcohol use (CORE Survey, Presley & Meilman, 1994)
• 19 problems:• driving under the influence • injuring others while drunk• arrests while drunk• Arguments while drunk• Hangovers• Missed work or school time
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Popular Less Popular
Problems as a Result of Drinking
PopularLess Popular
Alcohol Problems (Age 19/20)
**
(Allen, Hare, & Miga, 2008)
Three Questions
1. Is There Continuity from Parent to Peer Relationships?
2. Is there a safe route through the minefield of teen peer relationships?
NO.
3. Why not?
…and What can we do about it?
Three Questions
1. Is There Continuity from Parent to Peer Relationships?
2. Is there a safe route through the minefield of teen peer relationships?
3. Why not?
…and What can we do about it?
The Socialization Paradox and The Development of Modern Adolescence
Key Features of Contemporary Adolescence
Lack of Contact with Adult world (60 hours with peers vs. 16 with adults)
Lack of Adult Independence
Lack of Adult Work
“The Bubble”
Adolescence Didn’t Used to Be This Way 150 years of gradual change
Gradual Increase in Age-segregation via Universal education “Without high schools, there would be no adolescents” –Hine
Role Transition from Essential To Dependent 19th century
Teenagers contributed 30% of Total Family Income Currently
60% still receiving support after age 23
28% after age 33 From 1970 to 1990:
50% increase in children age 20-26 living at home.
Adolescence Didn’t Used to Be This Way “The Electronic Tether” and Lack of Adult Status
# Parental Contacts/week as a Senior in College:University of Ohio & Middlebury College
13.2 Contacts/Week
(Kennedy & Hofer, 2007)
Adolescence Didn’t Used to Be This Way A new discipline in Developmental Psychology: The study of Emerging Adulthood Study of Ways Individuals in their Twenties:
Learn to act as adults Take on adult roles Become financially independent Learn to live on own Form long-term relationships
This used to be what happened in Adolescence.
Is 25 the New 15? The Endless Wait
What then happens between 15 and 25?
Lethargy and Lack of Motivation for some
Valuing Action and Excitement for Others
Lord of the Flies
Three Questions
1. Is There Continuity from Parent to Peer Relationships?
2. Is there a safe route through the minefield of teen peer relationships?
3. Why not?
…and What can we do about it?
Can Adolescence Really Be Different? 200 Years of Anthropological Research
Alice Schlegel & Herbert Barry Adolescence: An Anthropological Inquiry
186 Preindustrial societies over the past 200 years From Omaha Nebraska in 1854 … to Vietnam in 1930 …to
the Kurds in Iraq in 1950.
Adults as Principal Teen Companions
Reports of Adolescent Deviance
-.36*
Teens EngagedIn Productive
Work
Reports of Adolescent Deviance
-.59***
Ways Out
Bursting the Adolescent Bubble by Putting the Adulthood Back into Adolescence
Adult Roles Adult Connections Real Challenge and Feedback
Putting the Adulthood Back Into Adolescence
Teen Outreach Program Volunteer Community Service Working with Adults Engaged in Productive Adult-like activity One to two hours per week Evaluated over 10 years using a fully-randomized design
Entry to Exit Change in Problem Behaviors
(Allen & Philliber, 1997, Child Development)
Participation leads to 50% reductions in rates of school suspension, course failure, and teenage pregnancy
Conclusion: Bursting the bubble makes a large difference.
“… the Teen Outreach Program … appears to be the most effective deterrent to teenage pregnancy yet devised.”
Other Approaches
My Teaching Partner (Allen & Pianta, 2010) Helping teachers configure classrooms to be better attuned to adolescent socialization needs.
Career Academies (MDRC, 2007) – Linking academic curricula to careers for hi-risk youth
Bard College – College for High School students
Early College High School Initiative (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2006)
Responding to the Unintended Consequences of Societal Progress
Sailors and Scurvy Solution: Vitamin C
Cars and Heart Disease Solution: Daily exercise
Processed Food and Cancer Solution: Dietary Fiber
Modern Adolescence…
Returning aspects of adulthood to teens’ lives may help remedy many of the problems we’d feared were just inherent to this period.
Collaborators & FundersKLIFF/VIDA Project:Maryfrances Porter, Ph.D.Amanda HareKathleen McElhaney, Ph.D.F. Christy McFarland, Ph.D.Jessica Meyer, Ph.D.National Institute of Mental HealthNational Institute of Child Health & Human Development
Farah Williams, Ph.D.Dave SzwedoErin MigaMeredyth EvansJill Antonishak, Ph.D.Amanda Letard
Claire StephensonMindy Schmidt, Ph.D.Glenda Insabella, Ph.D.Megan SchadJoanna ChangoJen HelisteKatie Higgins
Copies of related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG
Harvard Adolescent Development ProjectStuart Hauser, M.D., Ph.D.Judy Crowell, M.D.Heidi Gralinski, Ph.D.Bob Waldinger, M.D.Marc Schulz, Ph.D.National Institute of Mental Health
Virginia Study of Teens & Families:Gabe Kuperminc, Ph.D. Steve Davis, Ph.D.Kathy Bell, Ph.D. Annalise Caron, Ph.D.Tom O’Connor, Ph.D. Glenda Insabella, Ph.D.William T. Grant FoundationSpencer Foundation
My Teaching PartnerBob Pianta, Ph.D.Janetta Lun, Ph.D.William T. Grant FoundationInstitute for Education Sciences
Teen Outreach ProgramSusan Philliber, Ph.D.Smith Richardson FoundationCharles Stewart Mott FoundationAssoc. of Junior Leagues Int’l
*And ~150 undergraduate RA’s
Random House, For Release in September 2009
Are Teen Problems Really Hardwired?
Evidence from History: Spinning SocratesOur youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; They show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place
of exercise; They no longer rise when elders enter the room; They contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.
BUT…
Are Teen Problems Really Hardwired?
What was Really Said about Youth: (Aristotle)They look at the good side rather than the bad…They trust others readily… They are sanguine… They are shy, accepting the rules of society in which they have been trained… They have exalted notions, because they have not yet been humbled by life.
Can Adolescence Really Be Different? 200 Years of Anthropological Research
Alice Schlegel & Herbert Barry Adolescence: An Anthropological Inquiry
186 Preindustrial societies over the past 200 years From Omaha Nebraska in 1854 … to Vietnam in 1930 …to
the Kurds in Iraq in 1950.
Adults as Principal Teen Companions
Reports of Adolescent Deviance
-.36*
Teens EngagedIn Productive
Work
Reports of Adolescent Deviance
-.59***
Career Academies
Combine academic and technical curricula around a career theme
Partner with local employers to provide work-based learning opportunities
MDRC RTC evaluation (2008) Increased percentages of young people:
Living independently Sustained earnings gains of 11% over eight years
Similar long-term educational outcomes