Autonomy and Relatedness in Family Interactions as Predictors of Expressions of Negative Adolescent Affect

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Abstract
This study examined the connection between adolescents' expressions of negative affect and their attempts to meet the developmental task of establishing autonomy and relatedness in interactions with their parents. Longitudinal, observational data were obtained by coding family interaction tasks administered to 96 adolescents at ages 14 and 16 and their one or two parents. These were then related to observer-rated adolescent depressive affect in an interview at age 16 and to self-reported internalizing and externalizing behavior at age 17. Results revealed that difficulties establishing autonomy and relatedness with parents were linked to both depressed affect and externalizing behaviors. However, depressed affect was more closely linked to difficulties establishing autonomy, whereas externalizing behaviors were more closely linked to difficulties maintaining relatedness.

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