Do stimulation and support in the early childhood home environment and best friendship quality in adolescence predict adult personality?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine whether stimulation and support in early childhood and best friendship quality in adolescence predict adult personality. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: We used data from 123 individuals from an ongoing longitudinal study, with multiple assessment phases and modalities (observation, parental rating, self-report) to investigate prospective associations between stimulation and support in the home in early childhood (age 1-2), best friendship quality in adolescence (age 15), and the Big Five personality traits in adulthood (age 29) controlling for temperament, socioeconomic status (SES), and gender. RESULTS: After controlling for temperament, SES, and gender, we found that early childhood stimulation and support was related to adult openness to experiences, but not the other four traits, and that best friendship quality in adolescence was related to adult extraversion and agreeableness, but not conscientiousness, neuroticism, or openness to experiences. CONCLUSIONS: The study contributes to research indicating that while personalities are relatively stable, they are not fixed at an early age and may be related to experiences and salient relationships throughout development. There is a dearth of research investigating such associations and the available findings are inconsistent. Conclusions about the relations between experiences such as stimulation and support in the home in early childhood or best friendship quality in adolescence and adult personality should thus be viewed skeptically until replicated.

Experiences of romantic relationships among early adults who do not turn to their long-term partner when in need of love and support.

As most early adults in long-term romantic relationships rely on their partner to fulfill their relational needs, relationships with romantic partners are very important to many people at this time of life. However, there is a group of individuals for whom their long-term partner is not the most important person when they need love and support. This study explored experiences of romantic relationships among early adults who do not turn to their long-term partner to meet these needs. Twelve individuals in early adulthood (Mage  = 33.3 years; SD = 0.54) were selected from a larger community sample (N = 124) based on their answers on a questionnaire about who they turn to when in need of love and support. A thematic analysis of their answers in interviews about romantic relationships resulted in three main themes: Distancing attitudes toward romantic relationships, Desirable aspects of romantic relationships, and Not thinking about romantic relationships. The results show that these early adults' reflections on romantic relationships were characterized by ambivalence, striving toward independence, and relating to their partner as a person to have fun with rather than someone to share a deep connection with. Participants also expressed disagreement with what they perceived as norms concerning romantic relationships. Taken together, this study illustrates that the experiences of early adults who do not turn to their long-term partner to meet needs of love and support are characterized by a complex interaction between contradictory feelings, values, and behaviors.

Within family patterns of relative parental involvement across two generations of Swedish parents.

This prospective longitudinal study investigated father involvement relative to mother involvement in parent dyads across two generations from the same family. Relative parental involvement was operationalized using measures of how much parents shared parenting responsibilities and to whom their children turned preferentially in various situations. We hypothesized mean level increases towards more equal involvement for fathers and mothers across generations as well as intergenerational continuity of within-family patterns for both aspects of parental involvement. The longitudinal study involved 144 families and their first-born children, followed since 1982. The analyses involved the families of the 74 children who were parents themselves by age 33. Father involvement was lower than mother involvement in both generations. Results revealed mean level changes towards more equal sharing of responsibilities in the second generation, but no intergenerational changes in the likelihood that children would be more likely to turn to their fathers in various situations. There was intergenerational continuity within families in child preferences but not in the sharing of responsibilities. Together these findings imply that child preferences are related to within-family influences whereas other factors affect parents' sharing of responsibilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Discrimination and its relation to psychosocial well-being among diverse youth in Sweden.

Experiences of discrimination and links to well-being have been examined extensively, but several gaps remain. The current study addresses four of those gaps by (1) examining both aggregated and source-specific forms of discrimination, (2) comparing the experiences of minority and majority group members, (3) expanding the range of outcomes to include socially and developmentally appropriate measures, and (4) conducting the study in Sweden, a context in which discrimination and well-being are not well understood. The sample consisted of 573 adolescents and emerging adults (71% women, Mage = 19.21 years) who completed survey measures of discrimination and psychosocial well-being (self-esteem, life satisfaction, school adjustment, and identity distress). Findings indicated that minority groups reported more frequent discrimination, and more often cited ethnicity as the source of discrimination, whereas majority groups most often cited gender. Experiencing discrimination was related to poorer psychosocial well-being similarly for all groups. Youth experiencing ethnic discrimination were more often subjected to multiple forms of discrimination compared with those subjected to other forms of discrimination. Taken together, this study brings important information on the complexity of discrimination among youth in the multicultural context of migration in Sweden.

Identity development in early adulthood.

This longitudinal study investigated identity development across early adulthood. To examine both stability and change in identity development, an explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. First, patterns of identity status development across early adulthood were examined, followed by an in-depth qualitative approach to understand more about the processes within identity status stability from the late 20s into the 30s. Analyses revealed group-level changes in identity status across ages 25 (Mage = 24.9, SD = 0.7), 29 (Mage = 29.3, SD = 0.6), and 33 (Mage = 33.3, SD = 0.5) among the 118 participants, with fewer individuals in moratorium and more in identity achievement in later years. Stable identity statuses with established commitments (identity achievement and foreclosure) were by far the most common patterns across early adulthood. To understand how early adults maintain their identity within these stable patterns, we employed longitudinal qualitative analyses of identity status interviews from ages 29 and 33. These analyses revealed 3 processes of identity development: approach to change (willingness to adjust and evolve previously established commitments), story integration (thematic and temporal integration, and metaexploration of previous identity work), and participation in a broader life context (identity expanding beyond personal aspirations). Together, these findings show that there is identity status change toward maturity across early adulthood and high stability within individual patterns. The findings also show that stable identity achievement facilitates further deepening within the three processes of identity development, and that stable foreclosure can be connected to both weakening and deepening in identity development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychosocial and Sexual Outcomes in Adolescents following Surgery for Proximal Hypospadias in Childhood.

PURPOSE: We evaluated psychosocial outcomes, psychosexual development and sexual function in adolescents who had undergone surgery for proximal hypospadias. We hypothesized that these outcomes would be impaired compared to peers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 55 males age 14 years or older who underwent surgery for penoscrotal to perineal (intraoperatively defined) hypospadias between 1996 and 2005. A total of 33 patients with a median age of 17.5 years (range 14 to 25) answered a Web based questionnaire with self-constructed questions, completed the validated Psychological General Well-Being Index, Body-Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults and Penile Perception Score, and underwent clinical evaluation. A total of 31 patients with distal hypospadias (median age 19 years, range 14 to 35) and 25 age matched healthy men (17.5 years, range 14 to 25) served as controls. RESULTS: Interest in sex, age at sexarche and satisfaction with sexual experiences were comparable between patients and controls. Three patients with proximal hypospadias (10%) and 1 control (4%) reported occasional erectile problems. Three patients with proximal hypospadias (11%), 1 patient with distal hypospadias (3%) and 1 control (4%) affirmed anejaculation. There were no differences in results between validated questionnaires. Patients with proximal hypospadias were more dissatisfied with penile length (39%) compared to controls (12%, p = 0.049). Concerning physical contact, 10 patients (38%) expressed uncertainty. Extra support in school was more frequent among patients with proximal hypospadias (p = 0.024 vs distal hypospadias, p = 0.068 vs control group). CONCLUSIONS: Despite concerns regarding penile length, sexual experiences were comparable to those of other adolescents, although more than a third of patients with proximal hypospadias demonstrated uncertainty on questions relating to desire for physical contact. Specialized tutoring in school was more common in patients with proximal hypospadias. Continuous followup throughout childhood allowing extra time for age adequate information and support is warranted.

Identity and the body: Trajectories of body esteem from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

Although Erikson (1968) originally conceptualized identity development as a process of becoming at home in one's body, little work has been done linking identity development and research on the body. This study examines how trajectories of the development of body esteem over time are related to young people's sense of identity and psychological functioning in a longitudinal sample from age 10 to 24 (N = 967). Using group-based trajectory modeling, three cubic subgroups were determined for each of the three types of body esteem: appearance, weight, and attribution. These groups demonstrated significant variations in the ways in which body esteem changes over time. These trajectory groups importantly differed in relationship to gender, identity coherence, identity confusion, and psychological functioning. Results are discussed in terms of the need to use a sociocultural perspective to explore the body's relation to identity development and the importance of disaggregating mean-level findings using person-centered approaches to determine high-risk groups. (PsycINFO Database Record

"This body is me": Discovering the ways in which the body is salient in people's identities.

Although previous research has revealed associations between negative body image and identity problems, there are sound theoretical reasons to assume much greater diversity in relations between body image and identity. The aim of the present qualitative study was to explore the ways people find the body salient to their identities. Young adults (N=121; 51% women) were interviewed, and four main themes were found: identification with the body, body functionality in identity-relevant tasks, appearance and identity in social interactions, and identity-relevant bodily engagement. Both positive and negative ways in which the body is salient in identity were described and descriptions included functionality, embodied experiences, and social environments. Gender differences were not found with one exception: more women than men described experiences of identifying with their bodies. These novel results have implications for the understanding of the interconnection between body image and identity and may open avenues for continued research.

Life on hold: Staying in identity diffusion in the late twenties.

This study adds to the understanding of the dark side of identity development by investigating what it means to experience long-term identity diffusion during the late twenties. In a study of change and stability in identity status between ages 25 and 29 (N = 124; 63 women), seven participants were assigned to identity diffusion at both ages. Longitudinal analysis of interviews with these participants showed that long-term experiences of identity diffusion may be described through individuals' approach to changing life conditions, the extent to which they engage in meaning making, and how they develop their personal life direction. In questionnaires, participants reported few signs of psychological distress. Even so, qualitative analyses showed a general trend among participants to keep life on hold through decreased activity or increased haphazard activity in relation to changing life conditions, to make little new meaning, and in some cases to dissolve their personal life direction.

Child and Adolescent Predictors of Personality in Early Adulthood.

This study investigated development of the Big Five personality traits from early childhood into adulthood. An initial group of 137 Swedish children were assessed eight times between ages 2 and 29 years. Initial decreases in extraversion leveled off in early adulthood; agreeableness and conscientiousness increased from ages 2 to 29; neuroticism initially increased, leveled off in later childhood and adolescence, and decreased throughout early adulthood; while openness to experience showed an initial increase, then decreased and leveled off in early adulthood. Individual developmental trajectories varied significantly, particularly in relation to gender. Personality traits became increasingly stable, and the fact that childhood scores predicted scores in adulthood indicated that personalities are fairly stable across this portion of the life span.

Identity development in the late twenties: a never ending story.

The aim of this study was to investigate identity development in the late 20s in order to learn more about the continued identity development after identity commitments have been made. The starting point for the study was the contradiction between ideas of identity development as a lifelong process and identity status research showing that stability in identity development is common, particularly so once identity-defining commitments have been made. Identity status interviews were performed with 124 Swedish individuals (63 women) at ages 25 and 29. The 4 identity statuses were equally common at both ages, and stability in identity status between measurements was a typical pattern for individuals assigned to all identity statuses, except moratorium. Longitudinal analysis of interviews from participants assigned to identity achievement, or foreclosure at both occasions, resulted in a model of continued identity development after commitments have been made. The model showed that relevant processes in this identity development are: the ways in which individuals approach changing life conditions, to what extent they continue to engage in meaning making, and how they continue to develop their personal life direction. Identity achievement was connected to continued identity development, whereas developmental patterns connected to foreclosure were more diverse. In conclusion, the study showed that, regardless of identity status change or stability, identity development continues in the late 20s, also beyond identity achievement. Moreover, continued identity development is needed for an established sense of identity to stay adaptive and flexible.

Swedish 18-year-olds' identity formation: associations with feelings about appearance and internalization of body ideals.

The aim of this study with Swedish 18-year-olds (N = 714, 55.2% women) was to investigate identity formation in relation to body-esteem and body ideal internalization. These are all important aspects of adolescents' development, but little is known about how they are related. This study indicates that late adolescents' identity formation, body-esteem, and body ideal internalizations are related. Women's interpersonal identity commitments and explorations were related to more positive thoughts about how others evaluate their appearance. Their interpersonal identity explorations were also related to more internalization of societal body ideals. For men, stronger interpersonal identity commitments were related to more positive own evaluations about their appearance. The results also showed that compared to men, women explored identity issues more, had poorer body-esteem, and had internalized body ideals more.