Reviews findings of two large adoption studies. Both examined the levels of intellectual and personality development, as well as the degree of resemblance, among family members. Focus is directed toward intelligence quotient and school achievement tests, with briefer attention given to personality interests and attitudes. (Author/RH)

Study focused on the relationship among adolescents' negative thoughts, depressive mood and family environment. Family cohesion was found to be related to the degree of negative thoughts and depressive mood, while perceived control within the family was not. (BF)

This study investigates the relationship between the degree of individuation in families and the personality development of adolescent family members. A subsample of 30 white, middle-class families were chosen for analysis from a larger sample of 99 families. Fifteen families from the subsample had adolescent girls who scored high, and fifteen had…

Investigates the concurrent correlates and developmental antecedents of personality types in a sample of 14 to 19-year-old Dutch adolescents. Three main personality types with behavioral and parenting correlates and antecedents were identified. Discussion highlights the importance of the family environment in understanding behavioral correlates of…

Administered three personality scales, designed to measure similar dimensions in different age ranges, to pre-adolescent, adolescent, and young adult samples. Results indicated considerable stability in the personality correlates of self-esteem at these ages. Anxiety and extraversion appeared consistently as significant correlates. (Author/JAC)

Used a longitudinal sibling research design and a large, nationally representative sample of 15- to 22-year-old siblings to study shared and unshared environmental influences on delinquency. Although no unshared family environmental influences were found for sisters and mixed-sex siblings, they may have existed for brothers. Data suggested…

Examines the role of parents as a significant social environment for children in transition to adolescence. Differentiates four groups according to perceived parental environment: children with conflict parents, with control parents, with partner parents, and with "easy-going" parents. Explores the familial contexts of these groups and…

This paper explores three research issues on adolescent development using an elaborated effects model: (1) Are there consistent sex main effects on a variety of student outcomes? (2) What are the relative influences of family status, family processes, school processes, and individual ability on academic and nonacademic behavior of males and…

The relationship between family and classroom social environment and high school students' self-esteem was studied in 18 tenth-grade classrooms in Hong Kong public schools. As hypothesized, higher self-esteem was associated with students having more positive perceptions of family and classroom. Specific traits of environments producing self-esteem…

Developed a model of individuation in family relationships focused on communicative processes. Expressions of four dimensions of the model (self-esteem, separateness, permeability, and mutuality) were predicted to be positively associated with identity exploration in adolescents. Analysis of observations of families in a Family Interaction Task…

Focuses on the relationship between family climate and personality structure, as well as the relationship between family of origin and self-esteem. Results indicate that sociability was positively and moderately related to healthy family functioning. Life satisfaction and self-esteem were much more strongly associated with perceived family…

Examined the influence over time of demographic variables and perceived family and friend support and school climate on changes in psychological adjustment among Black, Latino, and Asian American adolescents from low-income families. Found a greater increase in self-esteem in students reporting more positive perceptions of school climate and,…

Relationships between patterns of family interaction and child development are investigated in this study on how family environment and quality of interaction relate to an adolescent's psychological and social functioning. A sample of 99 white middle-class families participated in a 2-hour structured interview in their homes. The interview…

A study examined age and sex differences in engagement style and locus of control and their influence on African-American parent-adolescent relationships. The study subjects were 71 students in 9th grade and 57 students in 11th grade from 4 high schools in a large midwestern city; 46 college freshmen attending a large midwestern university; and 46…