Family relationships during emerging adulthood : longitudinal course and associations with emotional and academic adjustment

During emerging adulthood (ages 18 through the mid-twenties), parents and siblings become more peripheral in daily life compared to earlier in development. While family relationship quality often improves significantly during the initial transition to emerging adulthood, less is known about how these relationships function and impact development across this period, especially for college students who may remain closer to their families due to financial need. The present study, therefore, examined longitudinal changes in parent-child and sibling relationships from the first to the fourth years of college, as well as longitudinal associations between family relationship qualities and emotional adjustment and academic/vocational adjustment. Study 1 included first- and second-born college students (between-families), while Study 2 included first-born college students and their second-born adolescent siblings (within-families). Overall, parent-child relationship quality was mostly stable across emerging adulthood, while sibling relationships experienced dynamic changes in power structure, as well as increased communication and self-disclosure. Family relationships also had positive implications for emotional and academic adjustment, but receiving high levels of financial assistance from parents was detrimental for these outcomes. Future research should further investigate the implications of parental financial assistance, and ways the family can promote healthy autonomy development for emerging adults.

Parent-child relationship quality and emotional adjustment among college students: The role of parental financial support

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407520964870 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 026540752096487

Author(s):

Anna K. Lindell ◽

Sarah E. Killoren ◽

Nicole Campione-Barr

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Financial Support ◽

Emotional Adjustment ◽

Well Being ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

High Quality ◽

Parent Child ◽

Quality Relationships

Many emerging adults experience increases in well-being as they exit adolescence, but college students are at particular risk for emotional adjustment problems, including depression and anxiety. Although receiving financial support from parents may reduce stress and aid emotional adjustment, not all parents are able to provide financial support. Maintaining high-quality relationships with parents may be particularly important for emotional adjustment in these instances. The present study examined whether the quality of parent-emerging adult relationships differed depending on level of parental financial support, and whether parental financial support moderated associations between relationship quality and emotional adjustment. Participants were 260 college students who completed questionnaires during their first and fourth year of college about the quality of their relationships with mothers and fathers, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and parental financial support. On average, parent-child relationships were high-quality, especially when parents provided more financial support. Furthermore, high-quality relationships with parents were related to fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms 3 years later for female students, especially when they received less financial support. However, high-quality relationships along with greater financial support was related to increased anxiety among male students. Results may help colleges and universities developing parent programming understand the nuanced implications of parental support for student mental health.

Sanctification and spiritual disclosure in parent-child relationships: Implications for family relationship quality.

Journal of Family Psychology ◽

10.1037/a0033424 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 639-649 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Gina M. Brelsford

Keyword(s):

Relationship Quality ◽

Family Relationship ◽

Parent Child Relationships ◽

Emerging adults’ family relationships in the 21st century: A systematic review

10.31124/advance.7608989.v2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Carolina Oliveira ◽

Gabriela Fonseca ◽

Luciana Sotero ◽

Carla Crespo ◽

Ana Paula Relvas

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Emerging Adulthood ◽

Emerging Adults ◽

Transition To Adulthood ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Future Research ◽

<p>The current study aims to describe the relationships between emerging adults and their families and how these evolve over emerging adult years. Through a systematic review of the literature, we extracted data from 38 empirical studies, which met the following inclusion criteria: published since 2000, included emerging adults and/or their relatives as participants, and focused on family relationships. The results showed that most studies examined the parent-child relationship, providing insight into the relational renegotiations occurring during emerging adulthood and into inter-generational discrepancies in the way that parents and children viewed their relationships. Family support was also found to be of substantial relevance during this developmental stage. In addition, sex, age, living arrangements, family structure, socioeconomic status (SES), ethnicity and cultural contexts emerged as key factors influencing family relationships in varied ways. Implications for future research include the need to consider the family as the unit of analysis and to collect data from multiple family members; to conduct longitudinal studies in order to better understand changes in family relationships across emerging adulthood; and to focus on family relationships beyond the parent-child dyads, namely on sibling and grandparent-grandchildren relationships. In conclusion, this review provided a renewed perspective on family relationships during the transition to adulthood, contributing to clinical insights on individual and familial shifts in the fast-paced and complex contemporary context. </p>

The Effects of Multimodal Communication Frequency, Geographic Distance, and Coresidence on Parent-Child Relationship Quality During Emerging Adulthood

Communication Research Reports ◽

10.1080/08824096.2019.1583552 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 114-125 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Erin M. Sumner ◽

Artemio Ramirez

Keyword(s):

Emerging Adulthood ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Geographic Distance ◽

Multimodal Communication ◽

Child Relationship ◽

Communication Frequency ◽

Normative and nonnormative pattern in achievement of developmental tasks: Sibling relationship quality and life satisfaction during emerging adulthood

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407520923034 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (7) ◽

pp. 2307-2322

Author(s):

Lucia Ponti ◽

Martina Smorti

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Emerging Adulthood ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Emerging Adults ◽

Sibling Relationships ◽

Sibling Relationship ◽

Development Pattern ◽

Sibling Relationship Quality ◽

Normative Development ◽

Adult Role

The aims of the present study were to investigate whether twins and siblings close in age (1) present a normative pattern in the achievement of residential, working, and economic autonomy (the older sibling assumes a more adult role earlier than the younger, or twins assume an adult role at the same time); (2) differ in sibling relationship quality; and whether the normativity is linked (3) to the quality of sibling relationship and (4) to life satisfaction. A cross-sectional study on 145 emerging adults was conducted. Twins present a normative development pattern more frequently and a warmer sibling relationship than non-twin siblings. A normative development pattern is related to sibling relationships but not to the level of life satisfaction. In particular, normativity in residential conditions is linked with warmer sibling relationships, while nonnormativity in economic conditions is linked to more rivalrous relationships. These data support the assumption that during emerging adulthood a normative development pattern is linked to a more positive sibling relationship.

Parent–child positivity and romantic relationships in emerging adulthood

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025415612228 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 198-210 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tina Kretschmer ◽

Wilma Vollebergh ◽

Albertine J. Oldehinkel

Keyword(s):

Social Skills ◽

Emerging Adulthood ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Early Adulthood ◽

Self Control ◽

Romantic Involvement ◽

Romantic Relationship Quality ◽

Romantic relationship quality in adolescence and early adulthood has often been linked to earlier parent–child relationship quality but it is possible that these links are nonlinear. Moreover, the role of social skills as mediator of associations between parent–child and romantic relations has been discussed but not rigorously tested. Using data from 2,230 participants of the longitudinal TRAILS (TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey) sample, this study examined whether parent–child positivity assessed at age 11 predicted romantic involvement, commitment and satisfaction in emerging adulthood. Moreover, indirect effects via cooperation, assertion and self-control were tested. Parent–child positivity did not predict romantic involvement as such. However, in those who were romantically involved, linear and, by trend, nonlinear associations between parent–child positivity and commitment were found, suggesting higher levels of commitment in those who had reported positive parent–child relationships but also in individuals with particularly low levels of parent–child positivity. Satisfaction was linearly linked to parent–child positivity. Little support was found for the assumption that the association between parent–child positivity and romantic relationship quality in emerging adulthood are partly explained by social skills. These results show that neither congruence nor compensation alone are sufficient to explain the associations between parent–child and romantic relationship quality.

Longitudinal Relations Between Parental Strain, Parent–Child Relationship Quality, and Child Well-Being During the Unfolding COVID-19 Pandemic

Child Psychiatry & Human Development ◽

10.1007/s10578-021-01232-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Samuel Essler ◽

Natalie Christner ◽

Markus Paulus

Keyword(s):

Problem Behavior ◽

Relationship Quality ◽

Parental Strain ◽

Emotional Adjustment ◽

Well Being ◽

Change Models ◽

Child Problem Behavior ◽

Child Relationship ◽

AbstractAs COVID-19 sweeps across the globe, scientists have identified children and families as possibly particularily vulnerable populations. The present study employed a developmental framework with two measurement points (the first at the peak of the lockdown restrictions (N = 2,921), the second after restrictions had been majorly loosened (N = 890)) to provide unique insights into the relations between parental strain, child well-being, and child problem behavior. Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed longitudinal effects of child well-being and problem behavior at T1 on parental strain at T2 with parent–child relationship quality as a moderator. True intraindividual change models showed that decreases in parental strain between measurement points predicted increases in child well-being and decreases in child problem behavior. Thus, the present research points to parental stress coping and child emotional adjustment as promising avenues for professionals and policy makers in their efforts to ensure child and family well-being throughout the pandemic.

Youth Online Media Use: Associations with Youth Demographics, Parental Monitoring, and Parent-Child Relationships

Journal of Youth Development ◽

10.5195/jyd.2014.72 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 59-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jessie Rudi ◽

Jodi Dworkin

Keyword(s):

Relationship Quality ◽

Youth Development ◽

Parental Monitoring ◽

Media Use ◽

Family Relationship ◽

Online Media ◽

Youth Workers ◽

Frequent User ◽

Daily Lives ◽

As online media has become an increasingly important part of youths’ daily lives, it is critical for the field to explore questions related to youth online media use in order to support youth workers, youth development practice and programming. Using a national sample of youth age 13-22 (N = 585), the current study explored demographic differences in youth online media use, and examined associations between youth demographics, parental monitoring, parent-child relationship quality, and likelihood of being a frequent user of online activities. Although youth reported being frequent users of online media, Internet use was not the same for all youth. Online media use differed significantly by youth age, gender, race, and family relationship quality. The findings remind the field to consider the young people we are working with and how they use online media in their daily lives.

Emerging adults’ family relationships in the 21st century: A systematic review

10.31124/advance.7608989 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Carolina Oliveira ◽

Gabriela Fonseca ◽

Luciana Sotero ◽

Carla Crespo ◽

Ana Paula Relvas

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Emerging Adulthood ◽

Emerging Adults ◽

Transition To Adulthood ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Future Research ◽

GAMBARAN COLLEGE ADJUSTMENT MAHASISWA BARU DI MASA PANDEMI COVID-19

Jurnal Muara Ilmu Sosial, Humaniora, dan Seni ◽

10.24912/jmishumsen.v5i1.9971.2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 73

Author(s):

Shinta Vionita ◽

Rahmah Hastuti

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Social Adjustment ◽

College Adjustment ◽

Academic Adjustment ◽

Emotional Adjustment ◽

Goal Commitment ◽

First Year ◽

First Year College ◽

First Year College Students ◽

Institutional Attachment

College adjustment comes from adjustment, which means the adjustment of students to the environment in college. The way students adjust during the first year of college is a prediction of significant life events later in their college career. In college adjustments, there are four dimensions, including academic adjustment, social adjustment, personal emotional adjustment, and goal commitment institutional attachment. This study aims to find an overview of first year college students during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study had 345 freshman college students as participants ranging in age from 18 to 25 who were studying at universities in Jakarta. The measuring instrument used was the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). Based on the results of data processing carried out to describe college adjustment of first year college students during the Covid-19 pandemic using descriptive methods and different demographic data tests, it was found that college adjustments had differences in the gender of men and women, and had no differences in the type of college, age, faculty, and current residence. The results of this study can also be concluded that the dimension of goal commitment to institutional attachment has the highest mean value, followed by social adjustment, academic adjustment, and the lowest is personal emotional adjustment. This study also describes the high level of college adjustment based on its dimensions. College adjustment berasal dari adjustment yang artinya penyesuaian mahasiswa dengan lingkungan perguruan tinggi. Cara mahasiswa menyesuaikan selama tahun pertama kuliah merupakan prediksi peristiwa kehidupan yang signifikan di kemudian hari dalam karir perguruan tinggi. Dalam college adjustment, terdapat empat dimensi, antara lain academic adjustment, social adjustment, personal emotional adjustment, dan goal commitment institutional attachment. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui gambaran umum college adjustment mahasiswa baru di masa pandemi Covid-19. Penelitian ini memiliki 345 partisipan mahasiswa baru dengan rentang usia antara 18 hingga 25 tahun yang berkuliah di perguruan tinggi di daerah Jakarta. Alat ukur yang digunakan adalah Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). Berdasarkan hasil olah data yang dilakukan untuk menggambarkan college adjustment mahasiswa baru di masa pandemi Covid-19 dengan menggunakan metode deskriptif dan uji beda data demografi, didapatkan hasil bahwa college adjustment memiliki perbedaan pada jenis kelamin laki-laki maupun perempuan, serta tidak memiliki perbedaan pada jenis perguruan tinggi yang dipilih, usia, fakultas, dan tempat tinggal saat ini. Hasil penelitian ini juga dapat disimpulkan bahwa dimensi goal commitment institutional attachment memiliki nilai mean yang paling tinggi, disusul dengan social adjustment, academic adjustment, dan yang paling rendah adalah personal emotional adjustment. Penelitian ini juga menggambarkan tingkat tinggi rendahnya college adjustment berdasarkan dimensinya.