Exploring the associations between middle adolescent romantic activity and positive youth development.

J Adolesc

Department of Human Development, Washington State University, 512 Johnson Tower, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA. Electronic address:

Published: April 2020

Introduction: Although prior research has demonstrated romantic involvement can negatively impact adolescent well-being, it may also provide a context for developing characteristics of positive youth development (PYD). The present study explored the associations between adolescent romantic involvement and PYD. Study aim-1 determined if participation in different romantic activities was associated with PYD. Study aim-2 specifically focused on adolescents in romantic relationships, testing if relationship quality was associated with PYD.

Methods: The study was a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the age-15 assessment of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Study aim-1 used data from 826 15-year-olds (50% female) who reported their romantic socializing, dating, and relationship involvement. Study aim-2 used data from 190 15-year-olds (52% female) in romantic relationships who reported positive and negative interactions in their relationships. For both study aims, PYD was assessed as psychosocial maturity, peer competence, and school bonding.

Results: Based on hierarchical regression models, romantic socializing was positively associated with psychosocial maturity, peer competence, and school bonding; dating was positively associated with peer competence and school bonding; and relationship involvement was negatively associated with psychosocial maturity and school bonding. In terms of relationship quality, only one significant association emerged such that positive interactions were positively associated with peer competence.

Conclusions: Overall, results supported the expectation that romantic involvement is associated with PYD during middle adolescence. However, the potential benefits of romantic involvement may be limited to the on-time romantic activities of romantic socializing and dating.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.03.002DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

romantic involvement
16
romantic
12
youth development
12
pyd study
12
romantic socializing
12
psychosocial maturity
12
peer competence
12
competence school
12
positively associated
12
school bonding
12

Similar Publications

The attraction of evil. An investigation of factors explaining women's romantic parasocial relationships with bad guys in movies and series.

Front Psychol

December 2024

Department of Media and Business Communication, Institute Human-Computer-Media, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.

The attractiveness of bad boys can be seen as a cultural phenomenon that can be found in different areas of society and art. In the media, too, the bad boy fulfills social expectations in terms of masculinity and is often portrayed as dominant, violent, hard, unemotional and aggressive. Women may feel attracted to this male dominance under certain conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Physical activity is essential for health and wellbeing. However, many individuals fail to reach the recommended levels and obesity rates are increasing. Health-related social control refers to strategies employed by 1 person (agent) to influence another person's (target) health behavior.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Relationship dynamics could be shaped by schemas, and relationship satisfaction could be depend on how couples perceive each other through these schemas. The main aim of this study was to assess how early maladaptive schemas are related to relationship satisfaction for both males and females in a relationship, by highlighting factors that contribute to relationship satisfaction, with a particular focus on the interaction of schemas between males and females.

Methods: The study involved a total of healthy 47 different-gender couples.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Touching at a distance: the elaboration of communicative functions from the perspective of the interactants.

Front Psychol

December 2024

i3, UMR-9217 CNRS Télécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, France.

Touch is an inherent part of human social interactions and the diversity of its functions has been highlighted in numerous works. Given the varied roles of touch, with technology-mediated communication being a big part of our everyday lives, research has been interested in enabling and enhancing distant social interactions with mediated touch over networks. Due to the complexity of the sense of touch and technological limitations, multimodal devices have been developed and investigated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction HIV stigma levels are high in Greece. HIV stigma hinders testing, healthcare access, and treatment adherence, often leading to non-disclosure. The discloser navigates challenges by balancing the confidant's potential reactions, ranging from rejection and discrimination to the benefits of increased intimacy and liking.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!