Dyadic family relationships and adolescent internalizing and externalizing problem behavior: Effects of positive and negative affect

Abstract

The aim of the present study was (1) to examine the longitudinal effect of negative and positive affect in the parent-child, marital and sibling relationship on adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems, and (2) to compare the strengths of these effects for the different family relationships, for internalizing and externalizing problems, and for negative and positive affect. In this longitudinal study, 280 families (father, mother, and two adolescents 11–15 years old) reported on their affective relationships. Adolescents also reported on their problem behavior. Our results show significant longitudinal effects of negative and positive affect of the parent-adolescent and sibling relationship on adolescent internalizing and externalizing problem behavior. Neither positive nor negative marital affect were significant predictors of adolescent problem behavior. Model comparison showed that the effects were similar for externalizing versus internalizing problems, and for negative versus positive affect. Our study supports the notion that the family system is important for adolescent functioning, as the different family subsystems have different effects on adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems. An interesting finding is the relatively large contribution of the father-adolescent and sibling relationship to adolescent problem behavior. Whereas these relationships are usually not the focus of intervention, our results suggested that these relationships also deserve attention.

Keywords:

• family system
• adolescent problem behavior
• parent-adolescent relationship
• marital relationship
• sibling relationship

Acknowledgement

The data for this study were collected as part of a research project (TVWF-MAMM), which was supported by the innovative research fund of the University of Nijmegen, grants from N.W.O. (Dutch Organization for Scientific Research; 575-28-008), from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Radboud University and the Faculty of Social Sciences of Utrecht University.