title: What drives developmental change in adolescent disclosure and maternal knowledge? Heterogeneity in within-family processes.
abstract: This study aimed to gain a better understanding of the normative declines in adolescent disclosure and maternal knowledge over the course of adolescence, by assessing the underlying monitoring processes. Multilevel structural equation models were applied to 15 assessments among 479 families across 5 years (13 years at T1, 57% boys, 11% low socioeconomic status). Developmental declines in mother-perceived disclosure and knowledge were observed, which were partially explained by processes operating at the level of the family unit. On average, mothers were more knowledgeable in weeks with more disclosure and more solicitation, and adolescent disclosure was higher in weeks with more maternal solicitation and less control. The effect sizes and even the directions of these within-family correlations varied between families, however. This heterogeneity was partially explained by the level of maternal control and adolescent disclosure, and by the families' socioeconomic status. Within-family fluctuations in knowledge and disclosure were also correlated with fluctuations in relationship quality and adolescent and mother mood. Overall, these within-family processes explained up to 14% of the normative developmental decline in disclosure and 19% of the decline in knowledge. This study thus suggests that a wide variety in monitoring processes may drive normative declines in adolescent disclosure and maternal knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB), Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University.
authors.forename: Loes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keijsers
authors.affiliation: Psychological Research Methods, Humboldt University of Berlin.
authors.forename: Manuel C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Voelkle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maciejewski
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Adolescent Development (Meeus, Hiemstra, Branje), Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Branje
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koot
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Adolescent Development (Meeus, Hiemstra, Branje), Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiemstra
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Adolescent Development (Meeus, Hiemstra, Branje), Utrecht University.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meeus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D030881:Disclosure; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent