Longitudinal Trajectories, Social and Individual Antecedents, and Outcomes of Problematic Internet Use Among Late Adolescents

Given the detrimental effects associated with problematic internet use (PIU) and the need to better understand its nature and evolution, the present study examined the development of PIU in a sample of 1,750 adolescents (aged 16–19) from Finland over a 3‐year period. We documented the social (loneliness, perceived maternal and paternal behaviors) and individual (sex) antecedents, as well as the outcome implications (depressive symptoms, substance use, academic achievement) of PIU trajectories. Outcomes also predicted PIU trajectories. Latent curve modeling revealed an initially moderate, and subsequently decreasing trajectory of PIU. PIU was predicted by loneliness, paternal neglect, maternal care, depressive symptoms, and being male. In turn, PIU trajectories predicted increases in depressive symptoms and substance use, but decreases in academic achievement.Given the detrimental effects associated with problematic internet use (PIU) and the need to better understand its nature and evolution, the present study examined the development of PIU in a sample of 1,750 adolescents (aged 16-19) from Finland over a 3-year period. We documented the social (loneliness, perceived maternal and paternal behaviors) and individual (sex) antecedents, as well as the outcome implications (depressive symptoms, substance use, academic achievement) of PIU trajectories. Outcomes also predicted PIU trajectories. Latent curve modeling revealed an initially moderate, and subsequently decreasing trajectory of PIU. PIU was predicted by loneliness, paternal neglect, maternal care, depressive symptoms, and being male. In turn, PIU trajectories predicted increases in depressive symptoms and substance use, but decreases in academic achievement.Peer reviewe

Perceptions of Money: Relationships between Remembered Parental Rejection, Extrinsic Life Aspirations and Maladaptive Attitudes toward Money

This study examined the extent to which maternal rejection, paternal rejection, maternal care, and maternal overprotection predict extrinsic life aspirations as well as maladaptive money attitudes in young adults. Additionally, this study sought to determine if the Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire correlates with the Parental Bonding Instrument. The variable, extrinsic life aspirations, was examined to determine if it mediates between parental rejection and maladaptive money attitudes. Finally, the present study examined gender differences with regard to parental rejection, extrinsic life aspirations, and maladaptive money attitudes. A multiple regression analysis was conducted in a college sample of 366 participants using self-report measures. Results: Maternal rejection and paternal rejection were not found to be significant when predicting to extrinsic life aspirations, but greater maternal care and greater maternal overprotection were both found to be significantly associated with extrinsic life aspirations. Maternal rejection was found to predict higher endorsement of maladaptive money attitudes in respondents, but paternal rejection was not significant. Maternal care was not significantly associated with maladaptive money attitudes, but maternal overprotection was significantly and positively associated with the maladaptive money attitude composite score. There was a strong and significant negative correlation between the Parental Acceptance-Rejection total score for the mother and the Parental Bonding Instrument maternal care score. A moderately strong positive correlation was found between the Parental Acceptance-Rejection total score for the mother and the Parental Bonding Instrument maternal overprotection score. When examining gender differences in the prediction of greater endorsement of maladaptive money attitudes, a significant effect was found for maternal rejection, but not paternal rejection for both males and females. The significant effect size was slightly stronger for males than it was for females. There were no significant effects for gender of subjects when maternal and paternal rejection were analyzed in relation to extrinsic life aspirations. In a broad sense, this study supports Gellerman’s (1963) hypothesis that money attitudes vary from person to person as a function of their life history. Clinical implications are also reviewed

Predicting Adolescent Risk-Taking And Goal-Oriented Behaviors: An Ecological Perspective

An important aspect of human development is adolescence. It has been well documented that adolescence is a time during which individuals partake in the greatest amount of risk-taking behaviors. These behaviors often include having unsafe sex, drug and alcohol use, smoking and recklessness. On the other hand, goal oriented behaviors are also developing, although these have been less well studied. The current study explored several key contexts that adolescents are concurrently exposed to, including parenting behaviors, peer relationships, religion, and media. The outcomes of interest were risk-taking behaviors and goal-oriented behaviors. Ultimately the purpose of this study was to compile, through a multifactor model, the major predictors of adolescent behavior in one comprehensive study, and examine their individual and combined contributions to not only risk-taking behavior but also goal-oriented behavior. The participants in this study were 323 ninth through twelfth grade high school students (175 males and 148 females) from a suburban public high school district in the midwestern United States. Students\u27 ages range from 14 to 19 (mean = 13.5). The majority of the participants identified themselves as either Caucasian or Middle Eastern, though African-American and Hispanic groups were also included. In addition to a demographic survey, all participants also completed measures of the following constructs: Risk-taking behaviors, goal-oriented behaviors (measured by overall grades and overall involvement in extracurricular activities), parental demandingness and responsiveness, involvement, communication, and monitoring, peer engagement in risk-taking behaviors and goal-oriented behaviors, adolescents\u27 media consumption, and adolescents\u27 religiosity. All measures were taken from adolescents\u27 perspectives. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted using the variables from the four life contexts as predictors and risk taking and goal oriented behavior as criterion variables. combine prior and next sections. The results showed several themes, including that a significant proportion of variance in risk-taking behavior and goal-oriented behavior was explained by several variables. For example, risk-taking behaviors in adolescents was positively associated with paternal demandingness, maternal involvement, and paternal communication and negatively associated with maternal communication and maternal demandingness. Goal-oriented behavior was positively associated with parental monitoring, maternal responsiveness, paternal demandingness and was negatively associated with maternal communication. Paternal involvement and paternal responsiveness did not yield significant results. Adolescents who associated with more risk-taking peers were positively associated with each risk-taking construct. Goal-oriented peers were positively associated with risk-taking behaviors. Results indicated that adolescents who are associated with goal-oriented peers were more likely to participate in extracurricular activities. Religious attendance, involvement, and importance were not associated with any risk-taking behaviors. Adolescents who reported more religious involvement reported more extracurricular involvement. However, there was no association among religious involvement and academic grades. The more television viewed per week the more adolescents participated in risk-taking behaviors. Risk-taking behaviors were negatively associated with hours spent reading magazines per week. Greater total media usage per week was negatively associated with reckless behaviors and positively associated with academic success. Taken together, these results indicate that multiple environmental factors are impacting adolescents\u27 decision making and behaviors at anyone time. The results indicated adolescents receive messages from a variety of variables such as parenting, peers, and media. It is important to study adolescent behaviors not from one environmental variable at a time but to consider multiple environmental variables

Predicting Adolescent Risk-Taking And Goal-Oriented Behaviors: An Ecological Perspective

An important aspect of human development is adolescence. It has been well documented that adolescence is a time during which individuals partake in the greatest amount of risk-taking behaviors. These behaviors often include having unsafe sex, drug and alcohol use, smoking and recklessness. On the other hand, goal oriented behaviors are also developing, although these have been less well studied. The current study explored several key contexts that adolescents are concurrently exposed to, including parenting behaviors, peer relationships, religion, and media. The outcomes of interest were risk-taking behaviors and goal-oriented behaviors. Ultimately the purpose of this study was to compile, through a multifactor model, the major predictors of adolescent behavior in one comprehensive study, and examine their individual and combined contributions to not only risk-taking behavior but also goal-oriented behavior. The participants in this study were 323 ninth through twelfth grade high school students (175 males and 148 females) from a suburban public high school district in the midwestern United States. Students\u27 ages range from 14 to 19 (mean = 13.5). The majority of the participants identified themselves as either Caucasian or Middle Eastern, though African-American and Hispanic groups were also included. In addition to a demographic survey, all participants also completed measures of the following constructs: Risk-taking behaviors, goal-oriented behaviors (measured by overall grades and overall involvement in extracurricular activities), parental demandingness and responsiveness, involvement, communication, and monitoring, peer engagement in risk-taking behaviors and goal-oriented behaviors, adolescents\u27 media consumption, and adolescents\u27 religiosity. All measures were taken from adolescents\u27 perspectives. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted using the variables from the four life contexts as predictors and risk taking and goal oriented behavior as criterion variables. combine prior and next sections. The results showed several themes, including that a significant proportion of variance in risk-taking behavior and goal-oriented behavior was explained by several variables. For example, risk-taking behaviors in adolescents was positively associated with paternal demandingness, maternal involvement, and paternal communication and negatively associated with maternal communication and maternal demandingness. Goal-oriented behavior was positively associated with parental monitoring, maternal responsiveness, paternal demandingness and was negatively associated with maternal communication. Paternal involvement and paternal responsiveness did not yield significant results. Adolescents who associated with more risk-taking peers were positively associated with each risk-taking construct. Goal-oriented peers were positively associated with risk-taking behaviors. Results indicated that adolescents who are associated with goal-oriented peers were more likely to participate in extracurricular activities. Religious attendance, involvement, and importance were not associated with any risk-taking behaviors. Adolescents who reported more religious involvement reported more extracurricular involvement. However, there was no association among religious involvement and academic grades. The more television viewed per week the more adolescents participated in risk-taking behaviors. Risk-taking behaviors were negatively associated with hours spent reading magazines per week. Greater total media usage per week was negatively associated with reckless behaviors and positively associated with academic success. Taken together, these results indicate that multiple environmental factors are impacting adolescents\u27 decision making and behaviors at anyone time. The results indicated adolescents receive messages from a variety of variables such as parenting, peers, and media. It is important to study adolescent behaviors not from one environmental variable at a time but to consider multiple environmental variables

An Evaluation of African American Fathers’ Perceptions and Influences on Child Food Choices and Physical Activity Behaviors

Child obesity is affecting children’s health nationwide. Rates are highest among African Americans (AA) in the South. Research has explored parents’ influence on child eating and activity, but most has reported on mothers’ influences. The purpose of this research was to investigate perceptions about AA fathers’ influences on their children’s eating and physical activity. Using a structured focus group questionnaire based on the parent layer constructs of Birch and Ventura’s Ecological Model for Child Overweight (2009), four focus groups were conducted with 28 AA fathers with children 6- to 11-years-old in a rural and an urban church setting in southeast Louisiana. Data was coded using deductive content analysis and a matrix based on model constructs. Most fathers were knowledgeable about healthy eating, but indicated that fathers’ typical focus in feeding their children was simply making sure they were not hungry. Cultural food preferences influenced rural fathers’ diets more than urban, but both groups agreed that their children’s diets were more influenced by the fast food environment. Fathers were involved with food shopping, with food preferences, health, and cost affecting their food purchases. Most affirmed providing support for their children’s physical activity and monitoring their children’s screen time as important. Participants believed that AA fathers intensely influence their children, especially boys, in many aspects of their lives, including eating and physical activity. Fathers stated that study participation made them more aware of their responsibility and potential influences on their children’s eating and physical activity habits, and of the importance of role modeling and educating their children about healthy lifestyles, so that their children did not experience the burden of chronic disease typical for their own generation. Findings suggest the relevance of the parent constructs of the Child Overweight Ecological Model to the population of interest, and support a body of literature indicating that fathers should be an intervention focus. Future research should explore AA fathers’ knowledge and practices related to child feeding, the specific ways in which they provide support for children’s activity and monitor sedentary behavior, and ways to support fathers’ role modeling of healthy eating and physical activity

Parent-child interactions: what is the role of smartphones?

Background The importance of parent-child attachment in supporting child wellbeing and development has been well-documented in the literature. However, modern technologies may act as a barrier to parent-child interactions. Currently, literature suggests many parents identify decreased feelings of social connectedness and lower levels of attention quality when using their smartphones while caring for children. However, no research to date has explored children’s perspectives of parental smartphone use. Aims This research explored the perceived impact of parental smartphone use on children, by gathering both children’s and parents’ perspectives. Two principal research questions identified were: 1. How do children perceive parental smartphone use? 2. What are parents’ experiences of using smartphones when caring for children? Methods Children’s perspectives were elicited using a Short Story Methodology, with children asked to complete one of three story variations. Parental perspectives were gathered using an online questionnaire, consisting of both open and closed ended questions. Closed ended questions were taken from the Distraction in Social Relations and Use of Parent Technology (DISRUPT) scale (McDaniel, 2016), while open-ended questions asked parents about their experiences of their smartphone use when spending time with children. Descriptive analyses were performed on the quantitative data, while the qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results Children identified negative emotional responses in relation to the disrupted parent child interactions. Children also discussed negotiations that occur with caregivers when interactions are disrupted. Parents identified a number of ways in which smartphones intrude on family life, as well as external pressures and personal factors which cause them to engage in smartphone use. Conclusions Exploring the impact parental screen time has on children may provide valuable insights when examining the ecological factors that may be influencing child development. For educational psychologists, these factors are important to consider when supporting children and their families.N

Parental Involvement and Adolescents’ Academic Achievement: Latent Profiles of Mother and Father Warmth as a Moderating Influence

Parental involvement in their adolescents’ education plays an important role in promoting their children's academic outcomes. Yet, more research is needed to examine the relationship between parenting practices and parental warmth as well as to consider the potential joint contribution of warmth from both fathers and mothers. Thus, the primary purpose of the current study is to examine the extent to which patterns of parental warmth across fathers and mothers moderate the association between parental involvement and adolescents’ grade point average (GPA) and school engagement behaviors. Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify disparate profiles of fathers’ and mothers’ warmth within a nationally representative sample of 2,306 youths (51% male; mean age = 15.31 years, SD = 1.50; 77% non‐Hispanic White) residing in opposite‐sex, two‐parent families from Wave I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Latent‐class enumeration processes support a five‐profile solution characterized by differences in levels of parental warmth and congruency across parents: (a) Congruent High Warmth, (b) Congruent Moderate Warmth, (c) Congruent Low Warmth, (d) Incongruent High Mother/Low Father Warmth, and (e) Incongruent Low Father/Lower Mother Warmth. Subsequent multiple linear regression analyses reveal a moderating effect for Congruent Low Warmth on the relationship between parental involvement and adolescents’ GPA. Ultimately, the results show that variation in parental warmth exists across fathers and mothers with differing impact on adolescents’ outcomes. Excluding one parent without considering the joint effects of both parents will not produce an accurate and precise understanding of parenting in research or practice

Parent-child communication about internet use and acceptance of parental authority

Structural equation modeling is applied to investigate how parents' communication with their child about his or her Internet use is linked to the child's acceptance of parental authority in the context of Internet use, and how this in turn is linked to the child's social media behavior. This study surveyed children aged 13 to 18 and their mothers and fathers (N = 357 families) and found that acceptance of parental authority is a key factor in the effectiveness of parental mediation. It is recommended that parental mediation is studied as a dynamic process shaped by both parents and children

Secrets and Lies: A Profile-Based Examination of Youth and Parent Information Management Strategies and Adolescent Electronic Cigarette Use

Introduction: The use of electronic cigarettes is growing among adolescents residing in the United States, tripling in prevalence over the past few years. Yet, electronic cigarettes are relatively new and there is limited research on parent and youth behavior and information management strategies as they relate to adolescent use of electronic cigarettes. Objective: The current study had a primary goal of utilizing a profile-based analytic procedure (cluster analysis) to explore patterns among these variables and investigate relations to adolescent use of electronic cigarettes. Method: A total of 562 high school students between the ages of 13 and 18 years (M age = 15.95, SD = 1.16) were recruited from four high schools across West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and an adolescent medicine clinic in West Virginia. Students completed a packet of questionnaires in the clinic or school setting. Hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses, chi-squares with post-hoc testing, ANOVA, and MANOVA procedures were used to assess primary aims. Results: The majority of the sample (56.8%) indicated no lifetime use of electronic cigarettes. However, rates of electronic cigarette use (16.7%) and dual cigarette use (22.2%) were consistent with the current literature. Demographic differences emerged between user groups, particularly for grade classification, family status, and parental education level. Cluster analysis results suggested a two-cluster solution, mainly distinguished by levels of adolescent secrecy. A secretive cluster indicated high youth secrecy, and moderately low levels of youth disclosure, parental behavioral control, parental knowledge, and parental solicitation; a less secretive cluster indicated inverse findings. User group was also significantly related to cluster profile, such that more never users (78%) were found to be in the less secretive cluster as compared to electronic cigarette users (11.8%) and dual users (10.2%). In all, results suggest the potential of bidirectional associations between parental and youth behavioral and information management strategies as well as differences in profiles for electronic cigarette and dual users as compared to non-users. These findings have the potential of spurring future research on specific parent and adolescent information strategy usage as clarify the 2015 Surgeon General\u27s Call of Action, particularly in regards to eliciting parent help in reducing electronic cigarette use among adolescents. Results also have the potential to inform youth-focused education and preventative efforts

Implications of Parenting Behaviour and Adolescent Attachment for Understanding Adolescent Sexting

The present study examined the nature and prevalence of adolescent sexting, and its relation to parenting behaviours and adolescents’ attachment, in a sample of Canadian adolescents. Participants were 305 adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age (158 females, 147 males). Adolescents completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire assessing sexting-related behaviours and experiences, attachment, temperament, and experiences of parental warmth, parental-psychological control, parent-child communication, and parental monitoring. The analyses revealed that, among Canadian adolescents, sending and receiving sexual messages and images was more common among older adolescents. There were no gender differences in rates of sending and receiving sexual messages or images, however, males reported forwarding sexual images, and asking others for sexual messages and sexual images, more frequently than did females. Females reported more frequently being asked to send sexual messages and sexual images. Sending and receiving sexual messages and images were more common among adolescents who were in a romantic relationship, and adolescents most commonly cited a relationship partner, or someone with whom they hoped to begin a relationship, as the individual(s) with whom they had sent and/or received sexual messages and images. Results also revealed that better parentchild communication was predictive of lower frequency of adolescent sending of sexual images, and that higher report of adolescent attachment avoidance was predictive of higher frequency of adolescent sending of sexual images. Although parental warmth and parental psychological control did not directly predict adolescent sending of sexual images, these variables were found to have indirect effects on sending sexual images through attachment avoidance. These findings suggest that parent-child communication has a relatively stronger, more direct relation with adolescent sending of sexual images, but that parental warmth and psychological control may also influence this behaviour through formation of adolescents’ working models of relationships. A thematic analysis of participants’ responses to an open-ended question revealed that most adolescents have had passive involvement in sexting, although many also reported use of sexting for a social purpose (i.e., flirtation) or a negative experience with sexting. These findings help to clarify the social and relational processes that are influential in adolescent sending of sexual images, which provides useful information for the development of public health education programs and directions for future research