From Repairing Emotions to Maintaining Relations:
Predictions from Emotional Functioning to Later
RelationshipsElenda T. Hessel, David E. Szwedo,
& Joseph P. AllenUniversity of Virginia
Copies of this and related research are available at:
www.teenresearch.org
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…
Peer Relations in Adolescence
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
Predictors of peer relationships?
What is emotion regulation?
The process by which we act upon our emotions in order to influence our emotional experience.
What? When? How?
Possible Culprit: Difficulties with Emotion Regulation
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.
Emotion Regulation and Peer Relationships
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
Emotion Regulation and Peer Relationships in Adolescence
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….
What We Know
Goal: Examine the association between adolescents’ emotion regulation and the quality of their subsequent friendships and romantic relationships.
Present Study
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.
Hypotheses
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)
Method - Participants
Emotion Regulation◦ Trait Meta Mood Scale (TMMS; Salovey et 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”
Method - Measures
Supportive Behavior Task – Overall Positivity◦ Teen asks best friend for advice◦ Overall Positivity of teen towards best friend
Valuing of Friend Engagement Demonstrated Satisfaction
Measures - Best Friend
Predicting Positivity of Interaction with Best Friend from Emotion Regulation
Age 15 Age 16-17
Gender &
Income
Baseline Positivity Positivity
Emotion Regulation
β = .28***
β = .26**
Total R2 = .20***
* p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
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
Measures – Peripheral Friend
Predicting Positive Friendship Quality with Peripheral Friend from Emotion Regulation
Age 15
Gender &
Income
Baseline Quality Quality
Emotion Regulation
β = .18†
β = .20*
Total R2 = .11**
* p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
Age 16-17
Predicting Attachment with Peripheral Friend from Emotion Regulation
Age 15
Gender &
Income
Baseline Attachment Attachment
Emotion Regulation
β = .16
β = .25*
Total R2 = .18**
* p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
Age 16-17
Predicting Conflict and Betrayal with Peripheral Friend from Emotion Regulation
Age 15
Gender &
Income
Baseline Conflict & Betrayal
Conflict and Betrayal
Emotion Regulation
β = .09
β = .24*
Total R2 = .09, NS
* p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
Age 16-17
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
Method - Measures
Predicting Communication with Romantic Partner from Emotion Regulation
Age 15 Age 18
Gender &
Income
Communicationβ = .34**
Total R2 = .17**
Emotion Regulation
* p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
Predicting Appreciation for Romantic Partner from Emotion Regulation
Age 15 Age 18
Gender &
Income
Appreciationβ = .41****
Total R2 = .23***
Emotion Regulation
* p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001, ****p < .0001
Predicting Criticism towards Romantic Partner from Emotion Regulation
Age 15 Age 18
Gender &
Income
Criticismβ = -.28**
Total R2 = .13*
† p = .05, * p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p ≤ .001
Emotion Regulation
Predicting Abusive and Blaming Behavior with Romantic Partner from Emotion Regulation
Age 15 Age 18
Gender &
Income
Abusive & Blaming Behavior
β = -.26*
Total R2 = .12*
† p = .05, * p ≤ .05, ** p < .01, *** p ≤ .001
Emotion Regulation
Emotion Regulation at age 15 predicts changes in friendship quality over time
Emotion Regulation at 15 predicts quality of later romantic relationships
Conclusions
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
Implications
Causality can not be inferred. Longer term predictions? Relationships with psychopathology? Reciprocal influences? Emotion Regulation as a mediator for
attachment?
Limitations and Future Directions
Thank you to my co-authors, Joe Allen, Ph. D, and Dave Szwedo
Thanks to all of my lab collaborators: Joanna Chango Emily 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
Thank You!
