Family processes and adolescent problem behavior: integrating relationship narratives into understanding development and change.
OBJECTIVE
Mothers' relational schemas (RSs) regarding their adolescents were assessed using the Family Affective Attitude Rating Scale for coding 5-minute speech samples. The internal consistency and validity of positive RS and negative RS scales were also evaluated.


METHODS
Data were collected from a multiethnic subsample of early-starting antisocial (n = 20) and successful (n = 20) urban adolescents and their families, using direct observations of parent-adolescent interactions, 5-minute speech samples, and questionnaires.


RESULTS
The negative RS and positive RS scales were internally consistent, correlated reliably with critical and positive dimensions of 5-minute speech samples expressed emotion and with observed parent-adolescent interactions, and discriminated between antisocial and successful adolescents. Negative RS accounted for unique variance in adolescent antisocial behavior when controlling for previous problem behavior and observed coercion. A significant interaction was also found between negative RS and observed parent-adolescent dynamics when escalations in adolescent problem behavior were added to the model.


CONCLUSIONS
RS narratives provided unique information in the prediction of adolescent antisocial behavior. RSs should be considered in the assessment of family dynamics and the design of interventions to prevent and treat adolescent behavior problems.
Bullock
Bernadette Marie
BM
Drs. Bullock and Dishion are with the Child and Family Center, University of Oregon, Eugene. Electronic address: bullock@uoregon.edu.
Dishion
Thomas J
TJ
Drs. Bullock and Dishion are with the Child and Family Center, University of Oregon, Eugene.
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000339:Affect; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D033262:Narration; D010553:Personality Development; D012919:Social Behavior; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires