Matthew F. Bumpus

Linkages between negative work-to-family spillover and mothers' and fathers' knowledge of their young adolescents' daily lives.

This study examines the relationships between mothers’ and fathers’ perceptions of negative work-to-family spillover and their knowledge of their preadolescent children’s (mean age = 11.8 years) daily lives in a sample of dual-earner families. Three constructs are tested as potential mediators of the association between spillover and parental knowledge: marital love, parent-child involvement in joint activities, and parent-child acceptance. Evidence supporting mediation emerges for fathers: negative work-to-family spillover predicts paternal knowledge of children’s daily activities indirectly via both (a) father-child acceptance and (b) fathers’ involvement in joint activities with their children. No evidence in support of mediation is found for mothers.

Parental Knowledge and Its Sources Examining the Moderating Roles of Family Structure and Race

This study aims to examine patterns of parental knowledge and its sources (adolescent reports of disclosure, parental solicitation, and parental trust) among adolescents who differ as a function of family structure and race. Data are drawn from adolescents (N = 2,374, M = 14 years, SD = 1.68) participating in a school-based study. Adolescent disclosure is a stronger predictor of parental knowledge in single-parent families and stepfamilies and in European American families. Conversely, parental solicitation is more highly related to parental knowledge in original two-parent families and in African American families. These findings provide a first step in understanding the ways in which family structure and race may shape the acquisition of parental knowledge. Implications for future research and application are also discussed.

Secrecy and Parent-Child Communication During Middle Childhood: Associations with Parental Knowledge and Child Adjustment

Objective. This study examines the reciprocal associations among child secrecy, parent-child communication, parental knowledge of childrens activities, and child social adjustment in elementary school children. Design. Third and fourth graders (N = 203) completed questionnaires about secrecy, parent-child communication, and parental knowledge; classroom teachers completed measures of child adjustment. The procedure was repeated one year later. Results. Childrens secrecy was negatively associated with parental knowledge one year later, and lower parent-child communication predicted increased secrecy over time. Children who reported greater parental knowledge were viewed by teachers as more socially competent one year later; conversely, children who reported more secrecy were later rated as less socially competent and more oppositional and aggressive. Finally, children who were initially rated as less socially competent and more relationally aggressive reported more communication one year later. Conclusions. Childrens secrecy has implications for their adjustment during the middle childhood years. Contrary to evidence from studies of parental knowledge during adolescence, in middle childhood poor adjustment may result in increased parent-child communication.

Maternal Rule-Setting for Children's Internet Use

Semistructured interviews were conducted with a sample of 109 third through sixth graders and their mothers regarding family rules for childrens Internet use. Cluster analysis was used to identify groups that differed regarding the patterning of maternal Internet rules. Four clusters emerged: traditional (i.e., rules closely resembling common strategies for other media), passive (i.e., rules requiring little direct parental supervision), technology specific (i.e., strategies unique to the Internet), and few rules. Correlates of cluster membership were examined across the following domains: other rules, enforcement strategies, consequences, and child adjustment. Membership in the few rules cluster was modestly associated with poorer child adjustment.

Investigating the Relationship Between University Students’ Psychological Flexibility and College Self-Efficacy:

For many, college is a period of transition, marked with acute stress, threats to success, and decreases in self-efficacy. For certain groups of students, the risk of these poor outcomes is elevated. In this study, 348 students from a large residential university in the western United States were surveyed to understand the role of psychological flexibility and inflexibility on self-efficacy and the potential moderating impact of year in college and underrepresented racial minority (URM) status. Results indicated that students who are psychologically flexible reported greater college self-efficacy, whereas students who are psychologically inflexible reported lower college self-efficacy. The impact of psychological inflexibility on self-efficacy was moderated by URM status and year in school; psychological inflexibility had a stronger impact on URM students’ self-efficacy than nonminority students, and psychological inflexibility had a greater effect on college students starting college as opposed to students who had been enrolled for multiple years.

Exploring Alcohol Use Motivations in Underage College Students: Contributions of a Person-Centered Analytic Approach

The goal of this article is to illustrate how a person-centered analytic approach can inform our understanding of alcohol use motivations in underage college students and to build off of a related analysis with legal-aged students. Data come from 2,346 students who were under 21 years old and reported using alcohol in the past year in the 2013 Indiana College Substance Use Survey. Latent class analysis identified four underage drinking motivation subgroups and examined associations between subgroup membership and alcohol-related behavior and consequences. The groups varied in their combination of alcohol motivations and their alcohol-related behaviors and consequences. Results for the present study confirm the variability in motivations for alcohol use and provide valuable information about the characteristics of those groups at highest risk, which can inform content and intensity of prevention efforts targeted at underage college students.