Measurement invariance of the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) across 10 countries.

The purpose of this study was to assess the factor structure and the measurement invariance of the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) across 10 countries based on the seven-factor coparenting model (i.e., Coparenting Agreement, Coparenting Closeness, Exposure to Conflict, Coparenting Support, Endorsement of Partner's Parenting; Division of Labor) proposed by Feinberg (2003). The results of research on coparenting from numerous countries have documented its foundational importance for parent mental health, family relationship quality, child development, and psychopathology. Yet, a cross-country perspective is still lacking. Such a perspective can provide insight into which dimensions of coparenting are universally recognized and which are especially prone to variation. A unique multinational data set, comprised of 15 individual studies collected across 10 countries (Belgium, Brazil, China, Israel, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, USA) in nine languages was established (N = 9,292; 51.1% mothers). Measurement invariance analyses were conducted. A six-factor structure (original seven factors minus Division of Labor) of the measure was consistent across the different contexts and measurement invariance was achieved at the configural level. There was no support for metric or scalar invariance. These findings provide a basis for the CRS to be used across countries and should inspire future quantitative and qualitative research in cross-country coparenting research to understand what aspects are universal and what aspects of coparenting are linked to specific material, relational, or ideational conditions that underlie high-quality coparenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Family Health Development: A Theoretical Framework.

In recognition of the family as central to health, the concept of family, rather than individual, health has been an important area of research and, increasingly, clinical practice. There is a need to leverage existing theories of family health to align with our evolving understanding of Life Course Health Development, including the opportunities and constraints of the family context for promoting lifelong individual and population health. The purpose of this article is to propose an integrative model of family health development within a Life Course Health Development lens to facilitate conceptualization, research, and clinical practice. This model provides an organizing heuristic model for understanding the dynamic interactions between family structures, processes, cognitions, and behaviors across development. Potential applications of this model are discussed.

Adapting a Coparenting-Focused Prevention Program for Latinx Adolescent Parents in a School Context.

The current study utilized a three-step cultural adaptation process to adapt a universal-coparenting program for Latinx adolescent parents in a school-based setting. First, focus groups were conducted with adolescent parents (n = 13; 100% Latinx; 69% female), their parents (n = 17; 94% Latinx; 82% female), and school staff (n = 7; 71% White; 100% female) to identify unique needs faced by this population. Second, the program was adapted to include new lesson modules (e.g., coparenting with grandparents, coparenting after breakups) and structural reformatting to fit a school schedule. Third, selected lessons from the adapted program were piloted in four schools with 32 Latinx adolescent parents (97% Latinx; 78% female). Lesson evaluation surveys and focus group data assessed the feasibility and acceptability of the service delivery method and content to show the program was well received. However, implementation challenges emerged when attempting to provide services to adolescent fathers and Spanish-speaking adolescents. This manuscript provides an example of how to use this cultural adaptation process to tailor prevention programs, highlights a new prevention program that can serve as a resource for adolescent parents, and provides several recommendations for working with Latinx adolescent parents.

El presente estudio utilizó un proceso de adaptación cultural de tres pasos para adaptar un programa de cocrianza universal para padres adolescentes latinos en un entorno escolar. En primer lugar, se realizaron grupos de análisis con padres adolescentes (n = 13; el 100 % latinos; el 69 % mujeres), sus padres (n = 17; el 94 % latinos; el 82 % mujeres), y el personal escolar (n = 7; el 71 % blancos; el 100 % mujeres) para identificar las necesidades únicas que enfrenta esta población. En segundo lugar, el programa se adaptó para incluir módulos de enseñanza nuevos (p. ej.: la cocrianza con los abuelos, la cocrianza después de las separaciones) y para modificar el formato estructural de manera que se ajustara al horario escolar. En tercer lugar, se hicieron pruebas piloto de lecciones elegidas del programa adaptado en cuatro escuelas con 32 padres adolescentes latinos (el 97 % latinos; el 78 % mujeres). Se utilizaron encuestas de evaluación de las lecciones y datos de los grupos de análisis para evaluar la viabilidad y la aceptabilidad del método de prestación del servicio y del contenido a fin de demostrar que el programa fue bien recibido. Sin embargo, los desafíos de la implementación surgieron a la hora de prestar servicios a los padres adolescentes y a los adolescentes que hablan español. Este manuscrito brinda un ejemplo de cómo usar este proceso de adaptación cultural para adaptar programas de prevención, destaca un nuevo programa de prevención que puede servir como recurso para padres adolescentes y ofrece varias recomendaciones para trabajar con padres adolescentes latinos.

The associations of maternal/paternal modeling, self-efficacy, and ethnic fit on math/science achievement among Latinx students.

INTRODUCTION: This paper examined individual, family, and peer roles in promoting Latinx youths' math and science performance. The role of maternal/paternal modeling in education was examined as shaping academic self-efficacy and, in turn, math/science grades among a population considered at risk of low academic achievement. Moreover, the study tested the moderating roles of class ethnic fit (i.e., feelings of fit based on having same-ethnic peers in class) and gender. METHOD: Cross-sectional data came from a southwestern U.S. sample of Latinx adolescents (N = 329; 54% female, Mage = 13.69 years, SD = 0.56) who reported on maternal/paternal educational modeling, academic self-efficacy, math/science grades, class ethnic fit, and gender. RESULTS: Adolescents' perceptions of maternal modeling, but not paternal, related to higher levels of academic self-efficacy which, in turn, related to higher math/science performance. Moderation results revealed: (a) for adolescents who perceived low science class ethnic fit, high levels of parental modeling related to higher levels of academic self-efficacy which, in turn, were related to higher science grades, and (b) maternal modeling positively related to girls', but not boys', academic self-efficacy and paternal modeling positively related to girls', but not boys', math/science performance. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest maternal modeling is a promotive factor, supporting Latinx youths' academic self-efficacy which, in turn, related to math/science grades. Additionally, a negative direct relation between maternal modeling and science grades suggests maternal modeling generally support academic self-efficacy, but not necessarily science attainment. These associations are nuanced as they are informed by context and parent-child gender.

Parental Factors as Predictors of Dating Violence Among Latinx Adolescent Mothers.

The purpose of our study was to examine how parental stress and coparenting relationship quality were related to dating violence perpetration and victimization among 114 Latinx adolescent mothers. We hypothesized that higher levels of parental stress and lower coparenting quality would be associated with increased dating violence perpetration and victimization. Prior to running a path analysis to test our hypotheses, we examined how frequently the Latinx adolescent mothers in our sample reported perpetrating at least one act of psychological or physical abuse against their partner in the past month. We found that 84.3% of the mothers in our study had perpetrated at least one act of violence against their partner in the past month and 74.7% reported they had been the victim of at least one act of violence by their partner in the past month. After accounting for frequency of contact with the father of their child, we found Latinx adolescent mothers were more likely to perpetrate abuse against, as well as be the victim of abuse by, their partner if they had a lower quality coparenting relationship. However, parental stress was not associated with dating violence perpetration or victimization after accounting for frequency of contact. Our findings show the importance of the quality of the coparenting relationship, above and beyond parental stress, as a predictor of dating violence victimization and perpetration, thus highlighting the importance of educating adolescent parents about how to navigate the coparenting relationship.

Dating violence: A cross-lag path model with pregnant and parenting adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Dating violence is a common problem among adolescents, particularly among Latinx pregnant and parenting adolescents, and can be detrimental to adolescent parents and their children. However, little is known about whether different forms of dating violence behaviors are stable over time or what influences changes in these behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use an exploratory autoregressive cross-lag path model to analyze whether conflict resolution, verbally abusive, and physically abusive behaviors were stable over time and whether these behaviors predicted one another in the future. METHOD: A total of 285 pregnant or parenting adolescents attending eight high schools in the Southwestern U.S. completed a pre-test at the beginning of a semester, a follow-up survey at the end of the semester, and a post-test at the end of the following semester to longitudinally assess the strategies they used when resolving a conflict with their partners (i.e., conflict resolution strategies, verbally abusive behaviors, and/or physically abusive behaviors). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: An autoregressive cross-lag model was performed to determine whether conflict resolution, verbally abusive, and physically abusive behaviors at one time point predicted the same variables in the future. Results from the autoregressive cross-lag model indicated that adolescents' reports of their conflict resolution strategies and verbally abusive behaviors were stable across time, but their use of physically abusive behaviors were not. Additionally, conflict resolution strategies predicted lower levels of verbally abusive and physically abusive behaviors.

Cultural Orientation Gaps within a Family Systems Perspective.

The intersection of a family's heritage culture and new mainstream cultural norms results in person-to-person differences in values, beliefs, and behaviors, particularly among immigrant families. These differences often lead to divergent cultural views and patterns of behavior both within and between family members. According to the acculturation gap distress hypothesis, these cultural orientation gaps between family members have consequences for family functioning, and, in particular, adolescents' adjustment. Studies supporting this notion have primarily focused on processes in parent-adolescent dyads. Although scholarship on family cultural gaps emerged from a systems perspective, application of key systems tenets are notably limited in existing work. In this paper, we review the background and current state of research on family cultural gaps, provide an overview of key principles of systems perspectives, and then, integrate the cultural gap literature with key systems principles to identify future directions in research and theory.

Contributions of the integrative model for the study of developmental competencies in minority children: What have we learned about adaptive culture?

The integrative model for the study of developmental competencies in minority children (García Coll et al., 1996) is considered by many to have signaled a landmark shift in conceptualizing the normative development of minority children. Since its publication, the model has been widely used in child development scholarship to challenge deficit perspectives of ethnic-racial minority children and families, which were-and arguably still are-pervasive. In this article, we provide a systematic qualitative review of the research pertaining to what García Coll and colleagues (1996) termed adaptive culture, which refers to "a social system defined by sets of goals, values, and attitudes that differs from the dominant culture" (p. 1896), and which on its own has been discussed in 93 studies. We conclude with a critical discussion of areas of inquiry informed by the integrative model and recommendations for future directions in theory and empirical work. (PsycINFO Database Record

Mexican-origin Adolescents' Educational Expectation Trajectories: Intersection of Nativity, Sex, and Socioeconomic Status.

Expectancy value theory and a cultural-ecological framework are integrated in this study to examine the trajectories of 246 Mexican-origin adolescents' (Mage = 12.52, SDage = 0.58; 51% girls, 62% U.S.-born) educational expectations across eight years. Findings from a multilevel growth model revealed that early adolescents expected to complete a post-bachelor's degree, but expectations declined in middle adolescence and improved in late adolescence. This pattern was more pronounced for immigrant, compared to U.S-born, adolescents. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with higher expectations. Boys and girls differed in their trajectories, such that boys showed a curvilinear trajectory and girls showed a stable trajectory. Nativity moderated these sex differences. Immigrant boys showed curvilinear trajectories that dipped in middle adolescence and immigrant girls showed a declining trajectory. In contrast, U.S.-born boys and girls showed linear and stable trajectories. The discussion addresses suggestions for targeted interventions with at-risk subgroups during a sensitive period in adolescence.

The Educational and Career Adjustment of Mexican-Origin Youth in the Context of the 2007/2008 Economic Recession.

Youth's transition out of high school is a complex process that is informed by youth's awareness of available opportunities and resources, social norms, and social belonging and responsibility. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined the educational and career adjustment (i.e., college attendance status, post-secondary education type, work status, and work quality) of Mexican-origin siblings who made the transition out of high school before (i.e., 2005 or earlier) or during the economic recession (i.e., 2007 or after). Participants were 246 Mexican-origin mothers, fathers, older siblings (50% female; 38% U.S. born), and younger siblings (51% female; 47% U.S. born). Our results showed that, even though siblings grew up in similar family environments, 2007 graduates (younger siblings) were less likely to attend college, be enrolled in a university compared to a community college, and reported working in lower quality jobs as compared to 2005 graduates (older siblings). Results also showed that high economic hardship reduced the adverse association between perceived discrimination and youth educational and career adjustment, and reduced the protective effect of family obligation values on youth adjustment.

Parental Modeling and Deidentification in Romantic Relationships Among Mexican-origin Youth.

This study investigated youth's modeling of and de-identification from parents in romantic relationships, using two phases of data from adolescent siblings, mothers, and fathers in 246 Mexican-origin families. Each parent reported his/her marital satisfaction and conflict, and youth reported on parent-adolescent warmth and conflict at Time 1. Youth's reports of modeling of and de-identification from their mothers and fathers and three romantic relationship outcomes were assessed at Time 2. Findings revealed that higher parental marital satisfaction, lower marital conflict, and higher warmth and lower conflict in parent-adolescent relationships were associated with more modeling and less de-identification from parents. Moreover, higher de-identification was linked to a greater likelihood of youth being involved in a romantic relationship and cohabitation, whereas more modeling was linked to a lower likelihood of cohabitation and older age of first sex. Discussion underscores the importance of assessing parental modeling and de-identification and understanding correlates of these processes.

Hablo Inglés y Español: Cultural Self-Schemas as a Function of Language.

Research has demonstrated that bilingual individuals experience a "double personality," which allows them to shift their self-schemas when they are primed with different language modes. In this study, we examine whether self-schemas change in Mexican-American (N = 193) bilinguals living in the U.S. when they provide open-ended personality self-descriptions in both English and Spanish. We used the Meaning Extraction Helper (MEH) software to extract the most salient self-schemas that influence individuals' self-defining process. Following a qualitative-inductive approach, words were extracted from the open-ended essays and organized into semantic clusters, which were analyzed qualitatively and named. The results show that as expected, language primed bilinguals to think about different self-schemas. In Spanish, their Mexican self-schemas were more salient; whereas, in English their U.S. American self-schemas were more salient. Similarities of self-schemas across languages were assessed using a quantitative approach. Language differences and similarities in theme definition and implications for self-identity of bilinguals are discussed.

Neighborhood and school ethnic structuring and cultural adaptations among Mexican-origin adolescents.

The ethnic and racial structuring of U.S. neighborhoods may have important implications for developmental competencies during adolescence, including the development of heritage and mainstream cultural orientations. In particular, living in highly concentrated Latino neighborhoods during early adolescence-which channels adolescents into related school environments-may promote retention of the ethnic or heritage culture, but it also may constrain adaptation to the mainstream U.S. culture. We tested these hypotheses longitudinally in a sample of 246 Mexican origin adolescents (50.8% girls) and their parents. Data were collected 4 times over 8 years, with adolescents averaging 12.5 (SD = .58) to 19.6 (SD = .66) years of age across the period of the study. Latino ethnic concentration in early adolescents' neighborhoods promoted the retention of Mexican cultural orientations; Latino ethnic concentration in middle schools undermined the development of mainstream U.S cultural orientations. Findings are discussed in terms of integrating cultural-developmental theory with mainstream neighborhood theory to improve understandings of neighborhood and school ethnic concentration effects on adolescent development. (PsycINFO Database Record

Mexican-origin youth's risk behavior from adolescence to young adulthood: The role of familism values.

Engagement in risk behavior has implications for individuals' academic achievement, health, and well-being, yet there is a paucity of developmental research on the role of culturally relevant strengths in individual and family differences in risk behavior involvement among ethnic minority youth. In this study, we used a longitudinal cohort-sequential design to chart intraindividual trajectories of risk behavior and test variation by gender and familism values in 492 youth from 12 to 22 years of age. Participants were older and younger siblings from 246 Mexican-origin families who reported on their risk behaviors in interviews spaced over 8 years. Multilevel cohort-sequential growth models revealed that youth reported an increase in risk behavior from 12 to 18 years of age, and then a decline to age 22. Male youth reported greater overall levels and a steeper increase in risk behavior from ages 12 to 18, compared to female youth. For familism values, on occasions when youth reported higher levels, they also reported lower levels of risk behavior (i.e., within-person effect). For sibling dyads characterized by higher average levels of familism values, youth reported lower average levels of risk behavior (i.e., between-family effect). Findings provide unique insights into risk behavior from adolescence to young adulthood among Mexican-origin youth. (PsycINFO Database Record

Transmission of cultural values among Mexican-origin parents and their adolescent and emerging adult offspring.

The integration of the U.S. and Mexican culture is an important process associated with Mexican-origin youths' adjustment and family dynamics. The current study examined the reciprocal associations in parents' and two offspring's cultural values (i.e., familism and respect) in 246 Mexican-origin families. Overall, mothers' values were associated with increases in youths' values 5 years later. In contrast, youths' familism values were associated with increases in fathers' familism values 5 years later. In addition, developmental differences emerged where parent-to-offspring effects were more consistent for youth transitioning from early to late adolescence than for youth transitioning from middle adolescence to emerging adulthood. Finally, moderation by immigrant status revealed a youth-to-parent effect for mother-youth immigrant dyads, but not for dyads where youth were U.S.-raised. Our findings highlight the reciprocal nature of parent-youth value socialization and provide a nuanced understanding of these processes through the consideration of familism and respect values. As Mexican-origin youth represent a large and rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population, research that advances our understanding of how these youth develop values that foster family cohesion and support is crucial.

Coparenting profiles in the context of Mexican-origin teen pregnancy: links to mother-daughter relationship quality and adjustment.

The current study explored the multifaceted nature of the mother-adolescent coparental relationship with data from 167 Mexican-origin adolescent mothers and their own mothers at 10 months post childbirth. Profiles of mother-adolescent coparenting were created with latent profile analysis using adolescents' reports of three dimensions of coparenting (communication, involvement, and conflict). Four profiles were identified: (a) Harmonious Coparents (equal involvement, high communication, low conflict); (b) Harmonious-Adolescent Primary (adolescent is more involved than mother, high communication, low conflict); (c) Conflictual Coparents (equal involvement, high communication, high conflict); and (d) Conflictual-Adolescent Primary (adolescent is more involved than mother, moderate communication, high conflict). Families characterized by high mother-daughter conflict and psychological control prior to childbirth were more likely to belong in the Conflictual Coparents profile. In addition, adolescents' and mothers' depressive symptoms and parenting efficacy after childbirth were linked to profile membership, such that the Harmonious-Adolescent Primary profile reported the most positive adjustment patterns, whereas profiles with high coparental conflict (i.e., Conflictual Coparenting and Conflictual-Adolescent Primary profiles) showed the least positive adjustment patterns. Discussion considers the applied implications of identifying precursors to healthy and problematic mother-daughter coparenting for families of adolescent mothers in the early years of parenting.

Mexican-American Adolescents' Gender-Typed Characteristics: The Role of Sibling and Friend Characteristics.

This study examined the role of sibling and friend characteristics in Mexican-American youth's gender-typed characteristics (i.e., attitudes, interests, and leisure activities) in early versus middle adolescence using a sibling design. Mexican-American 7th graders (M = 12.51 years; SD = .58) and their older siblings (M = 15.48 years; SD = 1.57) from 246 families participated in home interviews and a series of seven nightly phone calls. Results revealed that younger/early adolescent siblings reported more traditional gender role attitudes than their older/middle adolescent siblings and older brothers were more traditional in their attitudes than older sisters. When comparing siblings' gender-typed interests and leisure activities, boys reported more masculine orientations than girls and girls reported more feminine orientations than boys. Older brothers' gender-typed characteristics were associated with the amount of time spent with and gender characteristics of their friendship group, but for younger brothers, sibling characteristics were associated with their gender-typed characteristics. In contrast, both sibling and friendship characteristics were significantly associated with older and younger sisters' gender-typed characteristics. The discussion addressed the different correlates of older and younger sisters' and brothers' gender-typed characteristics.

Mexican-American adolescents' gender role attitude development: the role of adolescents' gender and nativity and parents' gender role attitudes.

Gender development has long term implications for education and career endeavors and family formation behaviors, but we know very little about the role of sociocultural factors in developmental and individual differences. In this study, we investigated one domain of gender development, gender role attitudes, in Mexican-American adolescents (N = 246; 51 % female), using four phases of longitudinal data across 8 years. Data were collected when adolescents averaged 12.51 years (SD = 0.58), 14.64 years (SD = 0.59), 17.72 years (SD = 0.57), and 19.60 years of age (SD = 0.66). Mothers' and fathers' gender role attitudes also were assessed in Phases 1, 3, and 4. Findings revealed that gender attitude development varied as a function of the interaction between adolescents' nativity and gender. Among Mexico-born adolescents, females exhibited significant declines in traditional attitudes from early to late adolescence, but males' attitudes were stable over time. U.S.-born females and males, in contrast, did not differ in their gender attitude trajectories. Examining the links between mothers', fathers', and adolescents' gender role attitudes revealed within-person associations between mothers' and adolescents' gender role attitudes: on occasions when mothers reported more traditional attitudes relative to their own cross-time average, adolescents also reported more traditional attitudes than usual. In addition, fathers' more traditional gender role attitudes were associated with daughters', but not sons', more traditional gender role attitudes at the between-person level. The discussion focuses on the interpretation of Mexican-American adolescents' gender role attitude development from a cultural ecological perspective.

Youths' imitation and de-identification from parents: a process associated with parent-youth cultural incongruence in Mexican-American families.

Cultural adaptation and parent-youth cultural incongruence have strong implications for individuals' social adaptation and family dynamics. This study highlighted adolescents' active role in parent-youth cultural incongruence through their decision to imitate or de-identify from parents, parent-youth warmth, and demographic similarities. Longitudinal data, spanning 8 years, from 246 Mexican-American families (mothers, fathers, and an early adolescent child), were used to address two study goals. The first goal was to link parent-youth relationship qualities and demographic similarities (i.e., gender, immigration status) at Wave 1 to adolescents' imitation and de-identification from parents at Wave 2. Findings revealed that adolescents who reported more parent-youth warmth reported more imitation and less de-identification. Also, adolescents who belonged to U.S.-raised dyads reported less de-identification. The second goal tested adolescents' reports of imitation and de-identification as predictors of parent-youth cultural incongruence in Mexican and Anglo cultural orientations at Wave 3. Results indicated that more imitation was associated with less mother-youth Anglo incongruence and that more de-identification was associated with more father-youth Anglo and Mexican incongruence. The unique relationship dynamics of mother-youth and father-youth dyads and the implications for intervention programming focused on reducing cultural incongruence and increasing family cohesion are discussed.