A Developmental Perspective on Young Adult Romantic Relationships: Examining Family and Individual Factors in Adolescence.
J Youth Adolesc
; 47(7): 1499-1516, 2018 Jul.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29435787
ABSTRACT
The ability to develop and maintain healthy romantic relationships is a key developmental task in young adulthood. The present study investigated how adolescent interpersonal skills (assertiveness, positive engagement) and family processes (family climate, parenting practices) influence the development of young adult romantic relationship functioning. We evaluated cross-lag structural equation models with a sample of 974 early adolescents living in rural and semi-rural communities in Pennsylvania and Iowa, starting in sixth grade (mean age = 12.4, 62.1% female) and followed into young adulthood (mean age = 19.5). Findings revealed that adolescents who had experienced a more positive family climate and more competent parenting reported more effective problem-solving skills and less violent behavior in their young adult romantic relationships. Adolescent assertiveness was consistently positively associated with relationship problem-solving skills, and adolescents' positive engagement with their family was associated with feeling more love in young adult romantic relationships. In addition, family functioning and adolescent interpersonal skills exhibited some reciprocal relations over the adolescent years. In summary, family processes and interpersonal skills are mutually influenced by each other across adolescence, and both have unique predictive implications to specific facets of young adult romantic relationship functioning.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Personality Development
/
Problem Solving
/
Adolescent Behavior
/
Aggression
/
Interpersonal Relations
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
Journal:
J Youth Adolesc
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States