Goda Kaniušonytė

How do Lithuanian adolescents address identity questions? A four-wave longitudinal study on change and stability in identity styles

Abstract The present investigation evaluated multiple patterns of change and stability in Berzonsky’s identity styles (informational, normative, and diffuse-avoidant) in a four-annual-wave longitudinal study with 468 adolescent boys and girls from Lithuania. A combination of mean level changes, high rank-order stability, and high profile stability has been found in this study. First, levels of informational and normative identity styles remained stable for girls, but decreased significantly for boys; levels of diffuse-avoidant identity styles remained stable for girls and boys. Second, the rank-order stability of the normative and diffuse-avoidant styles was lower for boys, than for girls. Third, the mean profile stability was high for girls and moderate for boys. In general, our findings highlighted substantial gender differences in multiple indices of change and stability of identity styles.

Relationships with parents, identity styles, and positive youth development during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood

The purpose of this study was to examine the links between relationships with parents, identity styles, and positive youth development (PYD), conceptualized as “contribution” to self, family, and community, in Lithuanian youth during the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood. In Study I, we sought to examine how positive relationships with parents predict contribution with the potential mediating role of autonomy-supportive parenting. Participants (N = 153) filled a self-reported questionnaire in the final year of school and 1 year later. In Study II, we aimed at investigating how parental autonomy support is related to the contribution and the potential mediating role of identity processing style. Participants (N = 254) were assessed 1 year after graduating high school. Overall, the findings indicated that positive relationships with parents play an important role in successful adjustment and that this relationship is partially mediated by identity style. To conclude, the way in which parents respond to their children’s need for autonomy and relatedness affects the adequate identity management and overall positive development during emerging adulthood.

Positive Youth Development Links to Satisfaction with life, Resilience and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems

Pozityvios jaunimo raidos tyrimus Lietuvos paauglių imtyje paskatino kitų autorių tyrimais atskleistos teigiamos sąsajos su pozityviomis psichologinėmis pasekmėmis ir neigiamos sąsajos su negatyviomis. Vis dėlto sios sąsajos yra grindžiamos moksliniais įrodymais, gautais kitokiame kultūriniame kontekste. Be to, itin mažai tyrimų orientuojasi tiek į pozityvias psichologines pasekmes, tiek į negatyvias tose paciose tiriamųjų grupėse. Taigi, sio tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti pozityvios jaunimo raidos komponentų (5C, Lerner, 2005) sąsajas su pozityviomis psichologinėmis pasekmėmis, tokiomis kaip pasitenkinimas gyvenimu ir psichologinis atsparumas, bei negatyviomis psichologinėmis pasekmėmis, tokiomis kaip internalūs ir eksternalūs sunkumai. Straipsnyje panaudoti 1724 (amžius: M = 16,61; SD = 1,24) Utenos apskrities 9‒12 klasių moksleivių (47,2 proc. vaikinų; 52,8 proc. merginų) duomenys is siuo metu Lietuvoje įgyvendinamo longitudinio pozityvios jaunimo raidos tyrimo (POSIDEV) pirmojo matavimo. Duomenims rinkti buvo naudojamas Pozityvios jaunimo raidos klausimynas (Lerner ir kt., 2005b; Phelps ir kt., 2009; Bowers ir kt., 2010), kurį sudaro charakterio, kompetencijų, užjautimo, rysių ir pasitikėjimo subskalės; Pasitenkinimo gyvenimu skalė (Diener ir kt., 1985); Psichologinio atsparumo skalės trumpoji versija (Smith ir kt., 2008) bei Internalių ir eksternalių sunkumų skalės (Achenbach ir Rescorla, 2001) nerimastingumo / depresiskumo, užsisklendimo / depresiskumo, taisyklių laužymo ir agresyvaus elgesio subskalės. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė teigiamas pozityvios jaunimo raidos komponentų (5C, Lerner, 2005) sąsajas su pozityviomis psichologinėmis pasekmėmis ir neigiamas sąsajas su negatyviomis. Rezultatai taip pat atskleidė, kad didesnį pasitenkinimą gyvenimu lemia charakteris, kompetencija, rysiai ir pasitikėjimas; didesnį psichologinį atsparumą – kompetencija ir pasitikėjimas; didesnius internalius sunkumus – kompetencijos rysių ir pasitikėjimo trūkumas. Nustatyta, kad užjautimas prognozuoja mažesnį psichologinį atsparumą ir didesnius eksternalius sunkumus, be to, rezultatai atskleidė, kad pozityvios jaunimo raidos komponentai ir eksternalūs sunkumai susije netiesiogiai.

Vaiko ir tėvų santykių sąsajos su pozityvios jaunimo raidos komponentais

Pozityvi jaunimo raida ‒ tai stiprybėmis paremta raidos koncepcija, kurioje isskiriami penki pagrindiniai komponentai (angl. Five C‘s): kompetencija, pasitikėjimas, rysiai, charakteris ir užjautimas (Benson, 2003; Lerner, 2005; Fredricks ir Eccles, 2008; Chand ir kt., 2013). Kartu su didele paties paauglio individualių savybių svarba pozityvios raidos modelis pabrėžia ypatingą seimos konteksto ir vaiko ir tėvų santykių svarbą (Lerner ir kt., 2005; Chand ir kt., 2013). Pozityvios jaunimo raidos kontekste seimai ir tėvų ir vaikų santykiams skiriama mažai dėmesio (Chand ir kt., 2013). Daugiausia turimų duomenų yra gauta tyrinėjant Jungtinių Valstijų imtis, tuo tarpu apie Rytų Europos seimos konteksto svarbą paauglių pozityviai raidai žinoma labai mažai, todėl sio straipsnio tikslas yra atskleisti paauglių pozityvios raidos komponentų ir seimos konteksto sąsajas. Darbe naudojami siuo metu atliekamo tyrimo „Pozityvios jaunimo raidos stiprinimo mechanizmai socialinių-ekonominių transformacijų kontekste (POSIDEV)“ pirmo matavimo duomenys. Is viso tyrime dalyvavo 1787 respondentai: 9‒12 klasių (amžius M = 16,61; SD = 1,24) mokiniai is penkių Utenos rajono gimnazijų. Siame straipsnyje naudojami duomenys tik tų moksleivių, kurie iki galo užpildė vaikų ir tėvų santykius ir pozityvią raidą tiriancius klausimynus, is viso 1727 respondentai. Rezultatai parodė, kad tyrime, atliktame Lietuvoje, apklausiant bendruomeninės imties moksleivius atsiskleidžia panasios tendencijos kaip ir JAV, Europos ir kituose regionuose, tai yra tėvų monitoringas, pasitikėjimas, emocinė siluma, susvetimėjimo nebuvimas ir komunikacija su tėvais teigiamai susije su visais penkiais pozityvios jaunimo raidos komponentais, o psichologinė kontrolė ir atstūmimas neigiamai susijes su pozityvios jaunimo raidos komponentais.

A Cross-Cultural Perspective on the Relationships between Emotional Separation, Parental Trust, and Identity in Adolescents

Emotional separation and parental trust in parent–adolescent relationships are important factors for adolescent identity formation. However, prior research findings on emotional separation are inconsistent. This study aimed to conduct a more rigorous examination of the associations of emotional separation and parental trust with identity synthesis, confusion, and consolidation by applying a bi-factor model to identity, using adolescent samples from Lithuania (N = 610; 53.9% female; Mage = 14.92), Italy (N = 411; 57.4% female; Mage = 15.03), and Japan (N = 759; 43.7% female; Mage = 14.13). Structural equation modeling revealed that emotional separation and parental trust were consistently associated with identity consolidation across the three countries, rather than associated with identity synthesis and identity confusion. Furthermore, the patterns of associations of emotional separation and parental trust with identity synthesis and identity confusion differed across the three nations. Overall, this study provides a better understanding of the role of emotional separation and parental trust in adolescent identity formation by suggesting the importance of the identity consolidation in the association between parent–child relationships and identity formation across three countries.

Adolescents’ Self-Perception of Morality, Competence, and Sociability and their Interplay with Quality of Family, Friend, and School Relationships: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

Morality, competence, and sociability have been conceptualized as fundamental dimensions on which individuals ground their evaluation of themselves and of other people and groups. In this study, we examined the interplay between self-perceived morality, competence, and sociability and relationship quality within the core social contexts with which adolescents have extensive daily interactions (family, friends, and school). Participants were 916 (51.4% girls; Mage = 15.64 years) adolescents involved in a three-wave longitudinal study with annual assessments. The results of cross-lagged analyses indicated that (a) self-perceived morality was more important than self-perceived competence and sociability in strengthening family, friend, and school relationships; and (b) high-quality friendships led to increasing levels of self-perceived morality over time. Overall, this evidence advances our theoretical understanding of the primacy of morality from a self-perspective approach and highlights the developmental importance of friends.

Systematic Review of the Measurement Properties of Questionnaires for the Measurement of the Well-Being of Children and Adolescents

The objective of this study was to systematically review the psychometric properties of the measures used in assessing the psychosocial well-being status of children and adolescents. This review updates and expands on the previous review of the literature on child well-being in order to assess all available studies from 2000 to 2013 on the measurement properties of all available well-being assessment instruments that aim to measure the construct of well-being in childhood and adolescence. Overall, 182 measures designed for measuring child and adolescent well-being were found. These measures vary in length and structure from one item scales to multidimensional questionnaires with 70 items and more. Most of the instruments measure positive indicators of well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, quality of life, self-esteem, etc.), others measure deficit indicators (e.g., anxiety, depression, stress, etc.), and a few instruments measure both positive and deficit indicators. In addition, there are some instruments with undefined modality of well-being. Thus, our study has revealed an ongoing theoretical shift from a deficit approach to well-being to a strengths-based approach. The results also indicate that the reliability information is reported for the majority of the instruments. The most frequently used reliability measure for all these instruments is the Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient. The reports of validity are available for approximately one-third of the instruments. Measures of well-being in adolescence are dominant, however, some instruments are suitable for the measurement of well-being and its indicators in childhood, and some reach the period of emerging adulthood (19-21 years). Most of the studies were conducted in North America and Europe with only a few of them being cross-cultural.