EXPECTATIONS REGARDING DEVELOPMENT DURING ADOLESCENCE - PARENTAL AND ADOLESCENT PERCEPTIONS

The aims of this study were (1) to compare the age-related expectation s of parents and adolescents concerning the timing of achievement in a number of developmental task (2) to examine whether personal characte ristics of the adolescent affect developmental expectations, and (3) t o examine whether discrepancies between the adolescent's and the paren t's expectations are related to the amount of parent-adolescent confli ct. The sample consisted of 508 families with adolescents (12-18 years old). During a home visit, a battery of questionnaires was administer ed individually to mothers, fathers, and adolescents. A new 24-item in strument to assess expectations for adolescents' mastery of developmen tal tasks was developed for this study. Analyses showed that when the expectations of adolescents and those of their parents are compared at aggregate level, parents consistently indicate later ages for the ach ievement of developmental tasks than adolescents. Although parents hav e later timetables, parents and adolescents have strikingly similar vi ews of the sequence in which achievement of developmental task should occur. The adolescent's age appears to be the most potent predictor of developmental timetables, followed by gender, pubertal timing, and te mperament, respectively. The amount of conflict within the parent-adol escent relationship was associated with differences in developmental e xpectations. The utility of the new instrument for research and clinic al work is discussed.