|
Abstract
|
Explored the influence of parent-adolescent conflict on identity development (E. H. Erikson, 1968) by examining the identity status scores of 278 migrant and mainstream adolescents (aged 15-19 yrs) in relation to their varying methods of dealing with disagreements with their parents. Results were generally consistent with Erikson's theory in showing that the 8% minority of teenagers who habitually disputed so violently with their parents as to attempt to inflict verbal or physical injury scored higher on the maladaptive identity dimension known as diffusion, while those 26% who routinely avoided all forms of heated discussion or argument scored nonsignificantly higher in identity foreclosure.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The intent of this article by Peterson was to explore the relationship between parent-adolescent conflict and identity development among adolescents.
METHODOLOGY:
The author employed a quasi-experimental design by administering an identity development instrument and a conflict-resolution style instrument, to a nonrandom sample of 278 pupils (131 male; 147 female) from four fee-paying, Catholic Schools in Perth, Western Australia. In an effort to focus on stable households, pupils were removed from the experiment if they reported that their parents were divorced, separated, or in other than their first marriage. Pupils' ages ranged from 15 to 19 with a mean age of 16.5. On the basis of their ethnic background, subjects were divided into one of three groups: 1) Those born in Australia of Australian-born parents (88). 2) British migrants who were born in the United Kingdom of two English-speaking parents (39). 3) non-Anglo migrant subjects who were born overseas in a non-English speaking country, with at least one parent who did not speak English (151). The identity development instrument was the extended version of the EOM-EIS developed by Adams, Shea and Fitch (1979), which contained 16 Likert scale questions in each of four categories: Diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium and achievement. Subjects earned separate scores in each of these categories. Foreclosure and diffusion scales reflected a less advanced stage of identity development than either achievement or moratorium, with diffusion as the least adaptive of the four measures (high levels of anxiety and poor self esteem). Foreclosure also indicated a failure to fully confront an identity crisis, but with little anxiety and high levels of aspiration. Moratorium was slightly more advanced as the individual confronted his or her identity crisis, with identity achievement as the full commitment to working through the crisis with a process of questioning and searching. The conflict-resolution style instrument was a three-question, self-reported measure of strategies that adolescents applied to disputes with their parents, based on previously used instruments by Alford (1982) and Peterson, Peterson and Skevington (1986). Subjects were then categorized according to the most intense or heated tactic they used in any of the three disagreement areas (personal habits, major decisions, home responsibilities).
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
A preliminary ANOVA revealed no significant differences in age, gender or ethnicity among the four conflict-resolution categories. There was approximately a 1:4 ratio of avoidance to active confrontation. To test the relationship between conflict resolution and identity development, four separate one-way ANOVAs (for unequal n) were computed for groups' scores on each of the EOM-EIS scales, with no significant differences in identity achievement across the conflict groups. The only significant difference among the four groups occurred in identity diffusion scores; adolescents whose conflict-resolution styles included an intent to inflict verbal or physical harm were significantly more likely to adopt diffusion as a style for identity crises (p<.05).
AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
Because identity development scores did not differ between those adolescents who argued angrily and those who refrained from emotional displays, the author argued that research on the topic should make a distinction between arousal of negative feelings and intent to harm; the former was part of natural maturation while the latter had a maladaptive association with identity growth.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Australia
KW - Countries Other Than USA
KW - Juvenile Development
KW - Youth Development
KW - Parent Child Conflict
KW - Parent Child Relations
KW - Family Relations
KW - Family Conflict
KW - Conflict Resolution
Language: en |