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Elenda T. Hessel, David E. Szwedo, & Joseph P. Allen University of Virginia

From Repairing Emotions to Maintaining Relations: Predictions from Emotional Functioning to Later Relationships. Elenda T. Hessel, David E. Szwedo, & Joseph P. Allen University of Virginia. Copies of this and related research are available at: www.teenresearch.org.

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Elenda T. Hessel, David E. Szwedo, & Joseph P. Allen University of Virginia

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  1. From Repairing Emotions to Maintaining Relations: Predictions from Emotional Functioning to Later Relationships Elenda T. Hessel, David E. Szwedo, & Joseph P. Allen University of Virginia Copies of this and related research are available at: www.teenresearch.org

  2. Peer Relations in Adolescence • Replace parents as support • Contribute to self-concept and well-being • Buffer against adversity • Influence engagement in risk behaviors • Dating relationships emerge • Problematic peer relationships…

  3. Predictors of peer relationships? • To promote positive and prevent negative consequences, we must know what contributes to these relationships • Parental/familial variables • Psychopathology • Expectations • Previous peer relationships (cumulative continuity) • Emotion regulation

  4. Possible Culprit: Difficulties with Emotion Regulation • What is emotion regulation? • The process by which we act upon our emotions in order to influence our emotional experience. • What? When? How?

  5. Emotion Regulation and Peer Relationships • Development of social competence • Preschoolers • Early Childhood • Deficits in emotion regulation • Maladaptive emotion regulation and social relationships • Peer-Victimization • Social Support • Effective emotion regulation may facilitate successful social functioning.

  6. Emotion Regulation and Peer Relationships in Adolescence • Experimentation with different forms of emotion regulation strategies • Traditional strategies • Substance Use • Confidence in ability to regulate negative moods associated with conflict management • Conflict and aggression in relationships

  7. What We Know • Problematic peer relationships leads to difficulties in adolescence • Emotion regulation plays an important role in facilitating successful peer relationships at other developmental period • Some research suggests it might play a role in adolescence….

  8. Present Study • Goal: Examine the association between adolescents’ emotion regulation and the quality of their subsequent friendships and romantic relationships.

  9. Hypotheses • Hypothesis 1:Emotion regulation at age 15 will predict change in teen’s relationships with best friends over time. • Hypothesis 2: Emotion regulation at age 15 will predict change in teen’s relationships with their peer group over time. • Hypothesis 3: Emotion regulation at age 15 will predict quality of teen’s relationships with romantic partners at age 17.

  10. Method - Participants • Target Teens • 171 adolescents • 82 male, 89 female • Age - T1 =15, T2 - Friends=16-17, Romantic Partners = M=18 • 62% European-American, 27% African-American, 11% mixed/other race • Median family income $20,000-$29,000 • Peers and Romantic Partners • best friends (N =124) • Peripheral friend (N =87) • Romantic partners (N =85)

  11. Method - Measures • Emotion Regulation • Trait Meta Mood Scale (TMMS; Saloveyet al., 1995) • Repair/Regulate Subscale • Measures adolescents propensity for repairing/regulating a negative mood. • Alpha = 0.82 • “No matter how badly I feel, I try to think about pleasant things”

  12. Measures - Best Friend • Supportive Behavior Task – Overall Positivity • Teen asks best friend for advice • Overall Positivity of teen towards best friend • Valuing of Friend • Engagement • Demonstrated Satisfaction

  13. Predicting Positivity of Interaction with Best Friend from Emotion Regulation Age 16-17 Age 15 β= .28*** Baseline Positivity Positivity Gender & Income β= .26** Emotion Regulation Total R2 = .20*** * p ≤ .05, ** p< .01, *** p < .001

  14. Measures – Peripheral Friend • Friendship Quality with Peripheral Friend • Friendship Quality Questionnaire (Parker & Asher, 1993) • Total Friendship Quality • Measures companionship, conflict resolution, help and guidance, intimate exchange, & validation and caring • Alpha = 0.96 • Conflict & Betrayal • Alpha = 0.89 • Inventory of Peer and Parent Attachment (Armsden & Greenburg, 1989) • Total Attachment with Peer • Trust, communication, alienation* • Alpha = 0.94

  15. Predicting Positive Friendship Quality with Peripheral Friend from Emotion Regulation Age 16-17 Age 15 β= .18† Baseline Quality Quality Gender & Income β= .20* Emotion Regulation Total R2 = .11** * p ≤ .05, ** p< .01, *** p < .001

  16. Predicting Attachment with Peripheral Friend from Emotion Regulation Age 15 Age 16-17 β= .16 Baseline Attachment Attachment Gender & Income β= .25* Emotion Regulation Total R2 = .18** * p ≤ .05, ** p< .01, *** p < .001

  17. Predicting Conflict and Betrayal with Peripheral Friend from Emotion Regulation Age 15 Age 16-17 β= .09 Baseline Conflict & Betrayal Conflict and Betrayal Gender & Income β= .24* Emotion Regulation Total R2 = .09, NS * p ≤ .05, ** p< .01, *** p < .001

  18. Method - Measures • Relationship Quality with Romantic Partner • Romantic Experiences Questionnaire (Levesque, 1993) • Dyadic communication, Alpha = 0.89 • Dyadic appreciation, Alpha = 0.89 • Network of Relationships Inventory (Furman, 1996) • Criticism towards partner • Alpha = 0.79 • Conflict in Relationships Questionnaire(Wolfe, Reitzel-Jaffe, Gough, & Wekerle, 1994) • Abusive and Blaming Behaviors • Alpha = .90

  19. Predicting Communication with Romantic Partner from Emotion Regulation Age 18 Age 15 β= .34** Emotion Regulation Communication Gender & Income Total R2 = .17** * p ≤ .05, ** p< .01, *** p < .001

  20. Predicting Appreciation for Romantic Partner from Emotion Regulation Age 18 Age 15 β= .41**** Emotion Regulation Appreciation Gender & Income Total R2 = .23*** * p ≤ .05, ** p< .01, *** p< .001, ****p < .0001

  21. Predicting Criticism towards Romantic Partner from Emotion Regulation Age 18 Age 15 β= -.28** Emotion Regulation Criticism Gender & Income Total R2 = .13* † p = .05, * p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p ≤ .001

  22. Predicting Abusive and Blaming Behavior with Romantic Partner from Emotion Regulation Age 18 Age 15 Abusive & Blaming Behavior β= -.26* Emotion Regulation Gender & Income Total R2 = .12* † p = .05, * p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p ≤ .001

  23. Conclusions • Emotion Regulation at age 15 predicts changes in friendship quality over time • Emotion Regulation at 15 predicts quality of later romantic relationships

  24. Implications • Emotion Regulation as crucial for development of quality friendships in adolescence • Deficits in emotion regulation may underlie problematic adolescent social relationships • Consequences for romantic relationships • Emotion Regulation as potential key point for intervention • Peer group as reporter of deficits

  25. Limitations and Future Directions • Causality can not be inferred. • Longer term predictions? • Relationships with psychopathology? • Reciprocal influences? • Emotion Regulation as a mediator for attachment?

  26. Thank You! • Thank you to my co-authors, Joe Allen, Ph. D, and Dave Szwedo • Thanks to all of my lab collaborators: Joanna ChangoEmily Loeb Megan Schad Ann Spilker Chris Hafen Caroline White Barbara Oudekerk • I would also like to thank the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development for funding awarded to Joseph P. Allen, PI, (Grant # 9 R01 HD058305-A11) to conduct and write up this project. Copies of this and related research are available at: www.teenresearch.org

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