Trajectories of Goth Music Preferences in Adolescence and Psychological Adjustment in Adulthood

Non-mainstream rock music preferences, like goth, are linked to psychological difficulties in adolescence and emerging adulthood. This study explored the persistence of these difficulties into adulthood, while considering gender moderation. From ages 15 to 22, 364 participants (59% female) annually indicated their preference for goth music. Their mental health and well-being were evaluated at age 30 and at ages 13-14 as a control. A latent class growth analysis on their goth preference revealed two trajectories: lower (non-fans; 77%) and higher (fans; 23%). Gender moderation analysis showed that only males on the higher trajectory reported lower well-being and poorer mental health at age 30. Male goth music fans, most likely attracted to this cultural expression of their difficulties, may face increased psychological challenges as adults due to societal gender norms and growing marginalization. This study indeed suggests that an extended affinity for goth music during adolescence and emerging adulthood indicates long-term psychological adjustment challenges among adult male fans.

Romantic Relationships from Adolescence to Established Adulthood

This 15-year longitudinal study investigated with follow-up data how romantic patterns from ages 16 to 24 are associated with romantic involvement and turnover (ages 25-30), romantic dispositions (age 30) and romantic relationships characteristics (age 30). A sample of 255 individuals (60.8% women) identified all their romantic partners between the ages of 16 and 24. Between ages 25 and 30, participants identified all their romantic partners and the length of each relationship. At age 30, they also completed a series of questionnaires regarding romantic dispositions and if it applied, characteristics of their current romantic relationship. Results indicated continuity in the romantic sphere from adolescence to established adulthood. At age 30, romantic patterns were associated with: avoidance of intimacy, jealousy, global romantic satisfaction, relationship status and the duration of the current romantic relationship. Together, these results bring new information on romantic development from adolescence to established adulthood.

Satisfaction, Intimacy and Conflict in Canadian Couples: An Analysis of Change from Adolescence to Adulthood

Romantic relationship qualities are likely to change from adolescence to adulthood. Therefore, we undertook a longitudinal study to examine changes in satisfaction, intimacy, and conflict over this period by simultaneously testing the effects of age, relationship length, and their interaction. These qualities were measured at nine-time points from ages 16 to 30 in a Canadian sample of 337 participants (62.9% women) who reported being in a romantic relationship at least once over this period. The results of multilevel analyses show that satisfaction, intimacy, and conflict decline with age but increase with relationship length. Moreover, age and relationship length were found to have a significant interactive effect on satisfaction and intimacy.

Organized activities in adolescence and pro-environmental behaviors in adulthood: The mediating role of pro-environmental attitudes

INTRODUCTION

Organized activities practiced in adolescence are known to foster positive development, including active citizenship. Active citizenship encompasses a wide range of behaviors, one of them being pro-environmental behaviors. Few studies focused on the developmental factors that may predict these behaviors in adults, despite their crucial role in counteracting the current climate crisis. However, prior research showed that attitudes were typically major predictors of behaviors. This study thus tested a model that posited participation in organized activities in adolescence as a predictor of pro-environmental attitudes in emerging adulthood and these attitudes as a predictor of pro-environmental behaviors in adulthood.

METHODS

Three hundred twenty-one participants (61% girls) from Quebec (Canada) completed all time points across a 17-year period. Participants self-reported their participation in organized activities (sports, cultural, prosocial) from ages 14 to 17, pro-environmental attitudes, from ages 18 to 22, and pro-environmental behaviors, at age 30.

RESULTS

Results revealed that pro-environmental attitudes mediate the relationship between adolescent participation in cultural activities and pro-environmental behaviors in adulthood. Practicing sporting or prosocial activities in adolescence did not predict stronger pro-environmental attitudes or behaviors. Interestingly, pro-environmental attitudes consistently predicted pro-environmental behaviors later in life.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings and prior research suggest that participation in cultural activities may provide a space to discuss, imagine change, and cultivate sensitivity towards nature. This may contribute to the development of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors later in life.

Developmental changes in best friendship quality during emerging adulthood

The purpose of this study was to examine change in four features of best friendship quality (intimacy, companionship, reliable alliance and conflict) from age 19 to 30 by gender and investment in romantic life. To this end, 363 participants (58% women) were asked about the quality of the relationship with their best friend and their level of investment in romantic life at ages 19, 20, 21, 22, 25 and 30. Latent growth curve analysis revealed a slight increase in reliable alliance and companionship and a slight decrease in intimacy in the early 20s followed by a steeper drop for these three features (quadratic trajectories), while conflict declined linearly. Women reported higher levels of intimacy and companionship and less conflict than men did at 19 years old. Also, their intimacy diminished throughout their 20s, slightly at first but more strongly thereafter. For men, it was lower early on and remained stable afterwards. Finally, investment in romantic life at age 19 was associated with change in intimacy levels shared with their best friend. This study confirms that features of best friendship quality change differently from one another during emerging adulthood and demonstrates the influence of gender and investment in romantic life on these changes.

Friendship instability and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood

Objective: This study aimed to examine the link between friendship instability during emerging adulthood and depressive symptoms. The moderating role of gender and the pursuit (or not) of postsecondary education was also tested. Participants: A total of 268 participants (60.7% women) was interviewed annually between the ages of 22 and 26. Methods: Friendship instability was measured by asking the participants to name their three best friends each year and depressive symptoms were assessed at ages 22 and 26. Results: A multiple hierarchical regression analysis predicting depressive symptoms at age 26 (while controlling for symptoms at age 22) revealed a triple interaction between friendship instability, gender and the pursuit of postsecondary education. Specifically, friendship instability predicted depressive symptoms at age 26, but only among women pursuing postsecondary education. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of maintaining friendships for these individuals.

Links between Best Friendship, Romantic Relationship, and Psychological Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood

Best friendships and romantic relationships are linked to psychological well-being in emerging adulthood, but few studies have assessed their contribution simultaneously. This research (n = 190; 64.4% women) examined the links between intimacy and conflict with the best friend and the romantic partner on psychological well-being (self-esteem, depression, loneliness). Results showed that both relationships were independently linked to well-being, while also interacting with one another. Among participants reporting a less intimate or conflictual romantic relationship, an intimate best friendship was linked to higher self-esteem. Moreover, a conflictual best friendship was related to higher depressive symptoms only among those having a conflictual romantic relationship. Thus, best friendships and romantic relationships show distinct and combined contributions to well-being in emerging adulthood.

Why Do Socially Withdrawn Children Tend to Become Heterosexually Active Later than Their Peers? A Mediation Model

Socially withdrawn children are more likely to be heterosexually inactive in early adulthood. This study aimed to test a three-mediator model. We hypothesized that social withdrawal during childhood would hinder a sense of social competence in early adolescence, limiting other-gender friendships in mid-adolescence, in turn limiting involvement in romantic relationships in late adolescence, and thus favoring a later transition into sexual activity. This mediation model was tested on a sample of 332 participants assessed annually between the ages of 12 and 22. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant indirect effect of social withdrawal on late transition into heterosexual activity through the three tested mediators. The direct effect of social withdrawal on late transition into heterosexual activity was also significant, suggesting a partial mediation.

Peer victimization in school and mental and physical health problems in young adulthood: Examining the role of revictimization at the workplace

Peer victimization during the school years can impair victims' mental and physical health even in adulthood. Moreover, some victims of school bullying may also experience revictimization at work as adults. Later revictimization at work may thus at least partly explain (i.e., mediate) the negative consequences of peer victimization in school. Revictimization at work may also exacerbate (i.e., moderate), the association between peer victimization in school and impaired mental and physical health in adulthood. These hypotheses were tested with 251 participants (61% females) followed from age 12 to 25. Participants reported about their depression symptoms and victimization experiences every year throughout adolescence, workplace victimization at age 22, and mental and physical health symptoms at age 25. Latent path analysis revealed that peer victimization during adolescence was significantly associated with lower overall mental and physical health at age 25 and a small, albeit significant part of this association was mediated by workplace victimization at age 22. These associations were mainly due to specific effects on elevated depression symptoms and paranoid ideation at age 25. In contrast, the moderation hypothesis was not supported. The findings emphasize the importance of reducing school bullying before victims become caught in a cycle of abuse and suffer lasting impairments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Changes in best friendship quality between adolescence and emerging adulthood: Considering the role of romantic involvement

Changes in best friendship quality during adolescence coincide with the emergence of romantic relationships. This study aimed to examine the extent to which changes in friendship quality (intimacy, conflict, emotional support) between the ages of 16 and 22 varied according to four romantic involvement patterns (Late, Sporadic, Long-Term, Frequent) followed during this period. Gender was also included as a moderator. Participants ( n = 281; 61% girls) identified their romantic partners and reported on the quality of their relationship with their best friend each year. A series of multilevel growth curve models revealed that participants in the Late involvement group reported an increase in conflict with their best friend during this period; those in the Sporadic involvement and Frequent involvement groups reported increases in intimacy; and youths in the Long-Term involvement group reported no changes in friendship intimacy, conflict, or emotional support over time. Thus, among youths who reported changes in best friendship quality between adolescence and emerging adulthood, the observed changes appeared to vary according to the romantic involvement patterns followed during this period.

Early Sexual Onset and Alcohol Use and Misuse From Adolescence Into Young Adulthood

PURPOSE

Little is known about the longitudinal association between early first heterosexual intercourse (e.g., intercourse before the age of 15 years) and alcohol use during adolescence and young adulthood. This study sought to determine whether early first heterosexual intercourse is associated with (1) frequency of alcohol use at age 16 years, (2) changes in alcohol use from ages 16 to 22 years, and (3) alcohol misuse at age 22 years, while controlling for alcohol use, antisocial behavior, pubertal timing, and parental monitoring in early adolescence.

METHODS

A sample of 289 participants (63% female) was surveyed annually from ages 12 to 22 years.

RESULTS

Latent growth curve modeling indicated that youth who experienced an early first heterosexual intercourse report a higher frequency of alcohol use at age 16 years compared with those who have experienced their first heterosexual intercourse at an "on-time" age. However, timing of first heterosexual intercourse was not related to growth in frequency of alcohol use over time. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that experiencing an early first heterosexual intercourse predicted problematic alcohol use at age 22 years (β = .153, p = .027). These results were found while controlling for confounding individual- and family factor-level variables.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of early first heterosexual intercourse on adolescent alcohol use appears to be long lasting and is associated with a more problematic use of this substance in young adulthood. Further research should be conducted to uncover the developmental processes involved.

Best friends' interactions and substance use: The role of friend pressure and unsupervised co-deviancy

Best friends exert a substantial influence on rising alcohol and marijuana use during adolescence. Two mechanisms occurring within friendship - friend pressure and unsupervised co-deviancy - may partially capture the way friends influence one another. The current study aims to: (1) examine the psychometric properties of a new instrument designed to assess pressure from a youth's best friend and unsupervised co-deviancy; (2) investigate the relative contribution of these processes to alcohol and marijuana use; and (3) determine whether gender moderates these associations. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires completed by 294 Canadian youths (62% female) across two time points (ages 15-16). Principal component analysis yielded a two-factor solution corresponding to friend pressure and unsupervised co-deviancy. Logistic regressions subsequently showed that unsupervised co-deviancy was predictive of an increase in marijuana use one year later. Neither process predicted an increase in alcohol use. Results did not differ as a function of gender.

Trajectories of Annual Number of Sexual Partners from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood: Individual and Family Predictors

Adolescent sexual development is not the same across the board, and can be seen as both normative as well as risky behavior, depending on factors such as age of onset and number of partners. This longitudinal study identified developmental trajectories of annual number of sexual partners from adolescence to emerging adulthood and their antecedents. From the ages of 16-22, 332 participants (60.8 % females) annually reported their number of sexual partners. Measures of adolescent and family characteristics taken at ages 13-15 were used as predictors. Group-based modeling identified four trajectory groups: the abstainers group (9.1 %), low-increasing group (30.6 %), medium-increasing group (53.0 %), and multiple-partners group (7.3 %). Multinomial logistical regressions indicated that better social competence increased chances of belonging to the multiple-partners group as compared to the abstainers and low-increasing groups, and more substance use predicted membership in the multiple-partners group as compared to the abstainers group. Moreover, females were overrepresented in the low-increasing and medium-increasing groups. These results imply a greater diversity in sexual development than proposed in the literature and highlight the importance of identifying the strengths and competencies associated with healthy sexual development along with the early risk factors.

History of family violence, childhood behavior problems, and adolescent high-risk behaviors as predictors of girls' repeated patterns of dating victimization in two developmental periods

This study aims to document the prevalence of repeated patterns of dating victimization and to examine, within the frameworks of an ecological model and lifestyle/routine activities theories, associations between such patterns and family, peer, and individual factors. Dating victimization in adolescence (age 15) and early adulthood (age 21) was evaluated in 443 female participants. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that history of family violence, childhood behavior problems, and adolescent high-risk behaviors were associated with an increased risk for girls of being victimized (psychologically and/or physically/sexually) in their dating relationships, either in adolescence or early adulthood, or at both developmental periods.

Friendships with co-participants in organized activities: prevalence, quality, friends' characteristics, and associations with adolescents' adjustment

The goal of this study was to provide an in-depth examination of friendships within organized activities. The prevalence of friendships with co-participants, their quality and characteristics, and their associations with adjustment were investigated. A sample of 281 (60% girls) 8th grade adolescents reported their friendships, activities, and adjustment. The results showed that 70% of youths have friends who co-participate with them. Friends in individual sports are more academically oriented whereas friends in team sports are more supportive but display higher levels of problem behavior. Finally, having friends in activities is associated with lower problem behavior and better academic functioning.

Other-sex friendships as a mediator between parental monitoring and substance use in girls and boys

Previous research examining relationships between parental monitoring, friendship networks, and substance use did not take into account the gender of both the adolescent and the friends. The goal of this study was to test a mediation model in which having other-sex friends during mid-adolescence mediates the relationships between parental monitoring in early adolescence and substance use during late adolescence. We hypothesized that mediation would be observed for girls but not for boys. A sample of 333 adolescents (60 % girls) was surveyed yearly from ages 12 to 19. The findings provided support for an indirect relationship (mediation via other-sex friendships) between early adolescent parental monitoring and late adolescent alcohol use among girls only. That is, for girls, higher levels of parental monitoring lead to fewer other-sex friendships, which then lead to lower levels of subsequent alcohol use. For drug use, the findings provided support for a direct relationship between early adolescent parental monitoring and late adolescent drug use for both boys and girls. Thus, parents seem to have a protective effect on their daughters' later use of alcohol by limiting inclusion of male friends in their networks.

Developmental associations between adolescent change in depressive symptoms and menstrual-cycle-phase-specific negative affect during early adulthood

The causal factors associated with increases in depressive symptoms among adolescent girls remain an area of theoretical debate, and the limited research considering a hormonal influence has provided mixed results. The goal of the present study was to test a set of longitudinal associations, that, if found, would provide support for a hormonal contribution to these changes. Specifically, this study tested the hypotheses that changes in depressive symptoms among adolescent girls would be associated with phase-specific symptoms of the menstrual cycle during early adulthood; that these associations would differ across three phases of the menstrual cycle; and that the pattern of associations would differ for changes in depressive symptoms during early- and late-adolescence. The sample consisted of 47 women with longitudinal data from 12 to 21 years old (approximately 91% European Canadian, 4% Middle Eastern Canadian, 2% Haitian Canadian, and 2% Asian Canadian). Consistent with expectations, results showed that early-adolescent increases in depressive symptoms were negatively associated with menstrual-phase negative affect, and positively associated with mid-cycle negative affect, but not associated with premenstrual negative affect; whereas late-adolescent change in depressive symptoms was only associated with depressive symptoms at 20-21 years. Thus, early-adolescent changes in depressive symptoms are longitudinally associated with later mood change across the menstrual cycle, suggesting a common underlying cause, which is hypothesized to be hormonal. Moreover, results suggest that, with respect to variables that are involved in affective development, important differences exist between early- and late-adolescence. The discussion considers menstrual-cycle-related symptoms (e.g., dysmenorrhea) during adolescence, and the need to study their effects on development. It is suggested that focused intervention and prevention efforts may be indicated to interrupt negative developmental outcomes.

Individual, familial, friends-related and contextual predictors of early sexual intercourse

This study examined the unique and simultaneous contribution of adolescents' characteristics, parent-child relationship and friends' characteristics on early sexual intercourse, while accounting for family status. A longitudinal multi-sample design was used. The first sample was recruited in a suburban context (n = 265; 62% girls) and the second sample in an urban setting (n = 136; 61% girls). All predictors were measured in Grade 8 and age at first intercourse was assessed yearly for three years. Being in a non-intact family, low parental control, high antisocial behaviors, low self-disclosure, high proportion of other-sex friends and high substance use were associated with earlier sexual intercourse. When all predictors were considered simultaneously, more antisocial behaviors, high proportion of other-sex friends and non-intact family structure significantly discriminated youth reporting first intercourse at age 13 or less from those who reported first intercourse at age 14, at age 15, or were virgins at age 16 among both samples.

A short-term longitudinal analysis of friendship selection on early adolescent substance use

There is a strong empirical connection between individual and peer substance use during adolescence. The determination of whether this level of covariation reflects influence or selection is obscured by both the design and measurement strategies used. This present study utilizes a short-term longitudinal design with bi-monthly assessments to address the following two hypotheses: a) Adolescents select friends on the basis of their substance use, and b) New friend substance use predicts changes in future use. French Canadian adolescents (n = 143) were interviewed on their friendship networks and substance use behaviors (e.g., tobacco, alcohol and marijuana) four times during a school year. Cross-lag panel models revealed that adolescents who use substances tend to select new friends who use. Moreover, once in the network, these new friends also contribute to changes in the adolescents' substance use. These findings are relevant to understanding the multiple functions of adolescent substance use.