Papers by Christy Buchanan
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Nov 12, 2023
British Journal of Sociology, Dec 1, 1997
Journal of Child and Family Studies, Aug 16, 2023
American Psychological Association eBooks, 1997
Frontiers in Psychology, Jan 26, 2023
In this study, we examine the predictions of a storm and stress characterization of adolescence c... more In this study, we examine the predictions of a storm and stress characterization of adolescence concerning typicality and trajectories of internalizing, externalizing, and wellbeing from late childhood through late adolescence. Using data from the Parenting Across Cultures study, levels and trajectories of these characteristics were analyzed for 1,211 adolescents from 11 cultural groups across eight countries. Data were longitudinal, collected at seven timepoints from 8 to 17 years of age. Results provide more support for a storm and stress characterization with respect to the developmental trajectories of behavior and characteristics from childhood to adolescence or across the adolescent years than with respect to typicality of behavior. Overall, adolescents' behavior was more positive than negative in all cultural groups across childhood and adolescence. There was cultural variability in both prevalence and trajectories of behavior. The data provide support for arguments that a more positive and nuanced characterization of adolescence is appropriate and important.
Frontiers in Psychology, Aug 4, 2022
One specific instantiation of the storm-and-stress view of adolescence is the idea that "normal" ... more One specific instantiation of the storm-and-stress view of adolescence is the idea that "normal" adolescence involves high-risk substance use behaviors. However, although uptake of some substance use behaviors is more common during adolescence than other life stages, it is clear that not all adolescents engage in risky substance use-and among those who do, there is much variation in emotional, behavioral, and contextual precursors of this behavior. One such set of predictors forms the internalizing pathway to substance use disorder, whereby internalizing symptoms in childhood such as negative affect and anxiety set off a chain of consequences culminating in high-risk substance use in late adolescence. However, findings linking internalizing symptoms to substance use are mixed, and it is clear that this link varies across adolescents and contexts. One heretofore unanswered question is whether and how geographic location, specifically whether the adolescent lives in an urban or rural location, moderates this link. The current report is a secondary analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC; N = 2,285), in which we examined the link between internalizing symptoms in childhood and initiation of substance use through age 19. Using a multiple event process survival mixture model (MEPSUM), we identified three trajectories of substance use initiation in adolescence: one (65.7% of the sample) characterized by nearcomplete abstinence until late adolescence, another (27.2%) by earlier initiation of alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis, and another (7.2%) by early initiation of these substances and later initiation of more hazardous drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Although childhood externalizing symptoms increased the risk of being in the second or third class, internalizing symptoms decreased risk when rural and non-rural adolescents were considered together. Few effects of rurality were found, but the negative relationship between internalizing at age 10 and high-risk substance use was only observed among non-rural adolescents. This finding, which was inconsistent with our initial predictions that rurality might confer higher risk for substance use, instead suggests a potentially protective effect of internalizing symptoms for engagement in risky substance use which may differ based on an adolescent's geographical context.
Journal of Social Issues, 1991
Research and theorizing about adult control have ofen made seemingly conflicting recommendations ... more Research and theorizing about adult control have ofen made seemingly conflicting recommendations and predictions about the potential impact of that control on children's social and intellectual development. Researchers concerned with intrinsic motivation have argued for minimal use of controlling strategies with children; other researchers, in contrast, argue that relatively high levels of adult control, when exercised in an emotionally supportive relationship, produce the best developmental consequences. Optimal levels of control undoubtedly change as children grow older. Person-environment fit theory suggests that the match between the child's need for autonomy and the amount of adult control exercised is critically important. This article puts this theory into a developmentalframework, and suggests that parents and teachers need to modulate their levels of control based on the developmental stage of the child. Optimal developmental outcomes ought to result from an environment that gradually reduces adult control as the child's desire for autonomy increases. Evidence from the Michigan Study of Adolescent Lge Transitions is presented to support this hypothesis. Because they are dependent on adults, children experience varying degrees of adult control throughout their development. Theories about the potential im-Work on this article was supported by grants to the first author from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Science Foundation. We would like to thank the school districts involved in this study and the following people for their assistance:
American Psychologist, 1993
Although most individuals pass through adolescence without excessively high levels of "s... more Although most individuals pass through adolescence without excessively high levels of "storm and stress," many do experience difficulty. Why? Is there something unique about this developmental period that puts adolescents at risk for difficulty? This article focuses on this question and advances the hypothesis that some of the negative psychological changes associated with adolescent development result from a mismatch between the needs of developing adolescents and the opportunities afforded them by their social environments. It provides examples of how this mismatch develops in the school and in the home and how it is linked to negative age-related changes in early adolescents' motivation and self-perceptions. Ways in which more developmentally appropriate social environments can be created are discussed.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. eBooks, May 11, 2018
Journal of Family Studies, Mar 25, 2021
Psychological Bulletin, 1992
The literatures on hormone changes at adolescence, hormonal influences on moods and behavior in n... more The literatures on hormone changes at adolescence, hormonal influences on moods and behavior in nonhuman animals and adult humans, and mood and behavioral changes at adolescence and the small but burgeoning literature on hormonal influences at adolescence are examined. The focus is on moods and behaviors often identified as typically adolescent (e.g., mood lability, mood intensity, irritability, conflict with parents) and the primary hormones of puberty (i.e., the adrenal androgens, gonadotropins, and sex steroids). Through an integration of these literatures evidence is assessed for specific hormone-mood and hormone-behavior associations, as well as for more general types of hormone-outcome relations that transcend specific hormones or outcomes. Nonbiological factors that appear to be important in moderating the role of hormones in adolescent moods and behavior are identified. Implications for the design of future studies in this area are detailed. The adolescent period in most Western cultures is marked by change. Internal physiological changes spark outward morphological changes; school environments often change; expectations of parents, peers, and self also change. Alterations of mood, attitudes, and behavior are believed to occur as well. Historically, most of the changes in mood and behavior were presumed to be negative and to be the result of biological factors, particularly of hormones (e.g.
Actor- and Partner-Effects among Mothers and Fathers’ Parental Self-efficacy, Marital Satisfactio... more Actor- and Partner-Effects among Mothers and Fathers’ Parental Self-efficacy, Marital Satisfaction, and Depressive Symptoms
Family Relations, May 9, 2022
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Papers by Christy Buchanan