Laura M. Padilla-Walker

Generation XXX Pornography Acceptance and Use Among Emerging Adults

This study examined correlates of pornography acceptance and use within a normative (nonclinical) population of emerging adults (individuals aged 18—26). Participants included 813 university students (500 women; M age = 20 years) recruited from six college sites across the United States. Participants completed online questionnaires regarding their acceptance and use of pornography, as well as their sexual values and activity, substance use, and family formation values. Results revealed that roughly two thirds (67% ) of young men and one half (49%) of young women agree that viewing pornography is acceptable, whereas nearly 9 out of 10 (87%) young men and nearly one third (31%) of young women reported using pornography. Results also revealed associations between pornography acceptance and use and emerging adults risky sexual attitudes and behaviors, substance use patterns, and nonmarital cohabitation values. The discussion considers the implications of pornography use during the transition to adulthood.

Mother and Father Connectedness and Involvement During Early Adolescence

The purpose of the current study was to explore how mothers and fathers connectedness and involvement individually and collectively influence the lives of their children. Specifically, we asked how fathers and mothers parent-child connectedness and behavioral involvement influenced both problem behaviors (externalizing and internalizing behaviors) and positive outcomes (prosocial behaviors and hope) during early adolescence. Data for this study were taken from the Flourishing Families Project, from which 349 mothers and fathers were selected, along with their early adolescent child (mean age = 11.23 years, SD = .96). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed (even after controlling for child age, gender, and self-regulation) that mothers and fathers contributions differed, primarily as a function of child outcome. Namely, father (but not mother) connectedness and involvement were negatively related to adolescents internalizing and externalizing behaviors, whereas mother (but not father) connectedness and involvement were positively related to adolescents prosocial behaviors and hope. We also found that when one parents involvement was low (for whatever reason), the other parents involvement made a significant and important contribution to the childs well-being, particularly in the area of internalizing behaviors.

Extra Credit as Incentive for Voluntary Research Participation

This study examined whether offering extra credit for research participation was effective at meeting educational goals (e.g., enabling all students to learn about the research process) and providing a representative sample of college students for researchers. Results revealed that less than half (38%) of 193 undergraduate students in an introductory course participated in research. Those who did participate scored higher on measures of academic performance than those who did not participate. Offering extra credit for research participation might not meet educational goals and possibly limits the generalizability of research findings.

“Media Time = Family Time” Positive Media Use in Families With Adolescents

Media use in families has generally been examined from a narrow viewpoint, focusing on monitoring or co-viewing. The current research provides an expanded view of positive media use in families with adolescents by examining associations between diverse positive media use and family and adolescents outcomes. In addition, we used qualitative methods to provide a more comprehensive view of how families use media in positive ways, specifically drawing distinctions between traditional entertainment media and social media. Participants included 633 adolescents and their parents who completed a range of quantitative and qualitative measures on media use and adolescent and family outcomes. Results revealed that positive media use was positively associated with general family functioning (for girls), parental involvement (for both boys and girls), and adolescent disclosure to parents (for boys). Qualitative results revealed that families use media in diverse ways including for entertainment, emotional connection, discussion, information, and documentation. Results are discussed within the broad framework of family systems theory.

The Relationship between Media in the Home and Family Functioning in Context of Leisure

Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between media-based family leisure and family functioning. Because the sample (n = 500) included responses from parents and children (ages 11 to 16) from each family, mixed models were used to account for family-level and individual-level variance. Findings indicated a negative relationship between media use and family functioning; media connection and parental media monitoring were positively related to family functioning. This was stable over time even when accounting for variance explained by depression, anxiety, conflict, and other demographic variables. The mixed linear model analysis and use of longitudinal data add to existing research. Current findings suggest parental involvement in adolescent media use is the most important factor in explaining variance in family functioning.

The Protective Role of Parental Media Monitoring Style from Early to Late Adolescence

The goal of the current study was to examine the protective role that maternal media monitoring might have for adolescents. This was done by considering whether styles of media monitoring either directly reduced media use, or whether they buffered the associations between aggressive media use and adolescents’ prosocial behavior, aggression, and delinquency. Participants were 681 adolescents from two cities in the United States (51% female; 73% white), and their mothers, who provided data at two different time points, 2 years apart (when adolescents were roughly ages 13 and 15). Mixture modeling results revealed that mothers used four different styles of media monitoring made up of combinations of active and restrictive monitoring as well as forms of co-use. Styles that included active monitoring and connective co-use (i.e., engaging in media with the intent to connect with children) were directly associated with less media use, and moderated links between adolescents’ media use and behavioral outcomes concurrently but not longitudinally. The discussion was focused on the strength of considering multiple strategies of media monitoring together, and how this approach can inform future research in the area of parental media monitoring.

Relational and social-cognitive correlates of early adolescents' forgiveness of parents.

This study examined how mother and father-child relationship quality and marital forgiveness were related to early adolescents forgiveness of mothers and fathers. Adolescents social-cognitive skills (empathy and emotional regulation) and parents forgiveness of child were examined as mediators. Mother, father, and child self-reported questionnaires and observational data were taken from Time 1 and Time 3 (two years later) of the Flourishing Families Project, and included 334 two-parent families with an early adolescent (M age at Time 1xa0=xa011.24; 51% male; 76% Caucasian). Using path analyses via structure equation modeling, mother-child relationship quality and adolescents own social-cognitive skills were salient correlates of adolescents forgiveness toward parents. The unique contributions of mothers and fathers, differences by reporter, and the importance of studying forgiveness within the parent-child relationship are discussed.

Longitudinal Change in Adolescents’ Prosocial Behavior Toward Strangers, Friends, and Family

There is little understanding about how prosocial behavior toward different targets might change over time, and what might promote initial levels and age-related changes in prosocial behavior. Thus, this study examined longitudinal change in prosocial behavior toward strangers, friends, and family from early adolescence through the transition to adulthood. Participants included 500 adolescents from the United States (age 12 to age 20; 52% female, 65% European American). Latent growth curve models suggested that prosocial behavior toward strangers increased across early to mid-adolescence and then flattened out during the transition to adulthood, prosocial behavior toward friends increased steadily, and prosocial behavior toward family was relatively stable across adolescence and then increased. Predictors of initial levels and growth in prosocial behavior varied by target.