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PARENTS, FRIENDS, SIBLINGS, AND ADULTS: UNFOLDING REFERENT OTHER IMPORTANCE DATA FOR ADOLESCENTS *
Author(s) -
Keats J.A.,
Keats D.M.,
Biddle B.J.,
Bank B.J.,
Hauge R.,
Valantin S.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
international journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1464-066X
pISSN - 0020-7594
DOI - 10.1080/00207598308247477
Subject(s) - referent , psychology , nationality , ethnic group , ignorance , developmental psychology , social psychology , immigration , political science , philosophy , linguistics , law
Few studies have yet examined the importance of referent others. One reason for avoiding this topic may be ignorance of appropriate methods for analyzing data. This paper reports two comparative studies of referent others for adolescents. (One study compared four Western countries, the other a Western country with the major ethnic groups in Malaysia.) Data were analyzed by means of the unfolding method. Adolescents were found to rank parents first in importance, followed by friends, adults, and then siblings. Parents were perceived as less similar to friends than they were to siblings or adults. Rankings of referent others varied more by question content than by nationality. Techniques and advantages of the unfolding method are spelled out.