ACROSS THE TRANSITION TO ADOLESCENCE - QUALITIES OF PARENT ADOLESCENTRELATIONSHIPS AND ADJUSTMENT/

Numerous researchers have identified qualitatively different types of parent/adolescent relationships, with most relying on theoretical conc eptions to derive their typologies. This study employed an inductive, statistical analytic technique (i.e., confirmatory cluster analysis) t o identify qualitative differences in parent/adolescent relationships based on short-term, longitudinal data. To validate the various relati onship profiles, links were examined between relationship types and ad olescents' adjustment. Participants included 133 early adolescents ((X ) over bar = 12.5 years of age at Time I) who were interviewed in thei r homes on two occasions one year apart. Although most adolescents rep orted having ''individuated'' relationships with parents, ''connected' ' and ''detached'' relationships also were evident. Relationship types , which were stable over a one-year period, were associated with signi ficant differences in adolescents' well-being. Specifically, adolescen ts in detached relationships reported greater anxiety, more depressive symptomatology, and lower self-worth than those in either individuate d or; more especially those in connected relationships with parents.