The proposed research uses a within-family design to explore how characteristics mothers' and fathers' work and adolescents' personal characteristics are linked to differential family socialization experiences of adolescent siblings. We focus on characteristics of both parents' work (job autonomy, job stress, and work-related resources and demands) and how these are linked to two aspects of family dynamics: (1) parents' childrearing strategies (time spent with children, discipline, monitoring of youths' activities, maturity demands, and emotional support); and (2) family roles and relationships (sex roles, marital conflict, sibling relationship). To begin to disentangle the roles of parent characteristics and parental style from """"""""child effects"""""""" we compare the experiences and psychosocial functioning of two adolescent siblings in each family. The sample will include 200 dual-earner families with two adolescent siblings. Data will be collected at three timepoints: when firstborn siblings are approximately 15 years of age and secondborns, approximately 13 years of age, and twice again at annual intervals. This design allows us to address three longitudinal issues: (1) the extent of continuity and change in siblings' differential family experiences; (2) the extent to which families exhibit differential treatment (via comparisons of siblings experiences at the same point in time) versus consistent treatment (via comparisons of siblings' experiences when they are roughly the same age); (3) the work/family conditions underlying different trajectories in adolescent siblings' psychosocial functioning. Data collection will involve home interviews in which parents and adolescents report separately about parents' work, family experiences and relationships, parent and adolescent personal characteristics and adolescent psychosoclal functioning and a series of 7 telephone interviews in which adolescents and parents report on their daily family activities (chores, parent-child shared activities, parental monitoring). The proposed five-year study will illuminate the roles of parental work and family dynamics in adolescent socialization. In addition, using multivariate family profile analysis (a within-family approach), we will examine similarities and differences in the experiences and outcomes of adolescent siblings in contrasting family ecologies.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD029409-03
Application #
2332265
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Project Start
1995-02-01
Project End
2000-01-31
Budget Start
1997-02-01
Budget End
1998-01-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Pennsylvania State University
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
City
University Park
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
16802
Jensen, Alexander C; McHale, Susan M (2017) Mothers', fathers', and siblings' perceptions of parents' differential treatment of siblings: Links with family relationship qualities. J Adolesc 60:119-129
Jensen, Alexander C; McHale, Susan M (2015) What makes siblings different? The development of sibling differences in academic achievement and interests. J Fam Psychol 29:469-78
Lam, Chun Bun; McHale, Susan M (2015) Developmental patterns and parental correlates of youth leisure-time physical activity. J Fam Psychol 29:100-7
Solmeyer, Anna R; McHale, Susan M; Crouter, Ann C (2014) Longitudinal associations between sibling relationship qualities and risky behavior across adolescence. Dev Psychol 50:600-10
Lam, Chun Bun; Solmeyer, Anna R; McHale, Susan M (2012) Sibling differences in parent-child conflict and risky behavior: a three-wave longitudinal study. J Fam Psychol 26:523-31
Dorius, Cassandra; Booth, Alan; Hibel, Jacob et al. (2011) Parents' testosterone and children's perception of parent-child relationship quality. Horm Behav 60:512-9
Helms, Heather M; Walls, Jill K; Crouter, Ann C et al. (2010) Provider role attitudes, marital satisfaction, role overload, and housework: a dyadic approach. J Fam Psychol 24:568-77
Tucker, Corinna Jenkins; Updegraff, Kimberly A; Baril, Megan E (2010) Who's the Boss? Patterns of Control in Adolescents' Sibling Relationships. Fam Relat 59:520-532
Marks, Jaime; Bun, Lam Chun; McHale, Susan M (2009) Family Patterns of Gender Role Attitudes. Sex Roles 61:221-234
May, Ashleigh L; Kim, Ji-Yeon; McHale, Susan M et al. (2006) Parent-adolescent relationships and the development of weight concerns from early to late adolescence. Int J Eat Disord 39:729-40

Showing the most recent 10 out of 20 publications