Presents a model of adolescent development that emphasizes the relationship dynamics of autonomy and relatedness. Reviews research findings from concurrent and longitudinal analyses to support the model, particularly regarding the process of leaving home in young adulthood. (HTH)

Used vignettes and self-reports to examine adolescents' and mothers' reasoning about family conflicts. Found that mothers and adolescents differentially evaluated reasons for parental requests and adolescent noncompliance. They also differed in their judgments of the likelihood of particular justifications succeeding or leading to conflict. (BC)

Examined the possibility that the degree of synchronization between parent and adolescent ratings of pubertal maturity is related to faulty beliefs about interpersonal relationships in the family. Results indicated that adolescent-parent synchrony affected adolescents' faulty beliefs. Mothers' endorsement of faulty beliefs was related to…

Examined discrepancies in mothers' and adolescents' perceptions of decision making and behavioral autonomy. Discrepancies in decision-making judgments led to a high level of conflict. Discrepancies between adolescents' desire for and mothers' granting of autonomy led to a high conflict level and adolescent adjustment difficulties. (BC)

Assessed the significance of distinctive versus shared family realities. Data indicated a divergence of adolescents' and parents' perception of the family in domains that concerned adolescents' emerging intellectual and emotional autonomy. Parents' and adolescents' perceptions converged in regard to domains that threatened family cohesion. (BC)