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Adolescents’ and Parents’ Evaluations of Helping Versus Fulfilling Personal Desires in Family Situations
Author(s) -
Smetana Judith G.,
TasopoulosChan Marina,
Gettman Denise C.,
Villalobos Myriam,
CampioneBarr Nicole,
Metzger Aaron
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01259.x
Subject(s) - psychology , social psychology , developmental psychology , sample (material) , chromatography , chemistry
A sample of 118 predominantly European American families with early and middle adolescents ( M ages = 12.32 and 15.18 years) and 1 parent evaluated hypothetical conflicts between adolescents’ and parents’ requests for assistance versus the other’s personal desires. Evaluations differed by level of need, but in low‐need situations, adolescents viewed teens as more obligated to help parents than did parents, whereas parents rated it as more permissible for teens to satisfy personal desires than did teenagers. Justifications for helping focused on concern for others, role responsibilities, and among parents, psychological reasons. Middle adolescents reasoned about role responsibilities more and viewed satisfying personal desires as less selfish than did early adolescents, but satisfying personal desires was seen as more selfish by parents of middle than early adolescents. Implications for adolescent–parent relationships are discussed.