Network Of Relationships Inventory Research Articles

Adolescent attachment, family functioning and depressive symptoms

<p><span><strong>Background.</strong> Adolescence represents a challenging transitional period where changes in biological, emotional, cognitive and social domains can increase the risk of developing internalised problems including subthreshold depression. Adolescent-parent attachment style, perceived support and family functioning may increase risk for depressive symptoms or may reduce such risk. Adolescent-parent attachment, adolescent-perceived support from parents and family functioning were examined as correlates of depressive symptom presentation within this age group.</span></p><p><strong>Methods.</strong> Participants included a maternal parent and an adolescent (65.5% female) from each family. Adolescents were in Grade 7 (<em>n</em>=175) or Grade 10 (<em>n</em>=31). Data were collected through home interviews. The Self-Report of Family Inventory (SFI), Experiences of Close Relationships Scale (ECR), Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used to assess depression, parental support and attachment. </p><p><strong>Results. </strong>Two models were examined: one with adolescent report of depressive symptoms as the outcome and a second with parent report of adolescent internalising symptoms as the outcome. The model predicting adolescent-reported depressive symptoms was significant with older age, higher levels of avoidant attachment, and higher levels of youth-reported dysfunctional family interaction associated with more depressive symptomatology. In the model predicting parent report of adolescent internalising symptoms only higher levels of dysfunctional family interaction, as reported by the parent, were associated with higher levels of internalising symptoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusion. </strong>Positive family communication, cohesion and support predictive of a secure parent-adolescent attachment relationship reduced the risk of a depressive symptom outcome. Secure adolescents were able to regulate their emotions, knowing that they could seek out secure base attachment relations within their family and from friends during times of stress, buffering against the development of depressive symptoms.</p>

Is friendship quality reflected in memory narratives?

The purpose of this study was to explore the link between friendship quality and content and structure of autobiographical narratives about friends. Gender differences were investigated as well. A total of 93 Italian undergraduates (51 males and 42 females) were asked to recall memories about their friends. Then, they were requested to write in detail one of their recalled memories. The Network of Relationships Inventory was used to measure the participants’ friendship dimensions. The results showed that males and females express their memories differently depending on the degree to which their friendship relationships are positive or negative. Authors interpret these results in terms of a mirror metaphor because linguistic characteristics of narratives about friends reflect qualitative features of their friendships.

“Do Not Leave Your Values at Home”: A Study of Value Orientations of Italian Emerging Adults and Their Parents

The aims of this work, involving a convenience sample of 184 emerging adults and both their parents, recruited in universities and worker cooperatives and factories located in northern Italy, were to: (a) compare the emerging adults’ and their parents’ values to uncover gender and generational specificities; (b) measure value similarities between each emerging adult and his/her parents and between the two parents; and (c) examine the importance of family relationship quality as accounting for value similarities. Participants filled out the Portrait Values Questionnaire and the Network of Relationship Inventory (3 subscales). Through ANOVAs, correlations and dominance analyses, the results revealed gender-related and intergenerational differences in the importance attributed to values. Within family dyads, on average, a moderate degree of similarity was found between each emerging adult’s value profile and his/her own father’s and mother’s value profiles, but lower than those between father and mother. The family relationship quality explained only a small proportion of variance of parent-child value similarities and slightly larger of mother-father value similarity. Implications of the results for transmission of values and their possible development are discussed.

Predictors of sense of coherence in typically developing adolescent siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be a stressor for family members yet there is little published research on the impact of having a child with ASD on their typically developing (TD) adolescent siblings. According to Antonovsky's salutogenic model, a strong sense of coherence leads to the view that the stressor is a manageable challenge rather than a burden and promotes healthier adaptation. This study examines the relationship between stress, TD sibling resources and the sense of coherence in TD siblings. This quantitative mail-based study uses a survey methodology, analysing the responses of TD adolescent siblings (n = 96) of individuals with autism, Asperger's syndrome, or pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified to several rating scales. Adolescent siblings, ages 11 to 18 years, completed the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experience (ACOPE), Network of Relationship Inventory - Social Provision Version (NRI-SPV), Youth Self Report (YSR), and Sense of Coherence (SOC) instruments; parents completed the Child Autism Rating Scale - 2nd Edition (CARS-2). The salutogenesis model was used to guide and inform this research. Findings suggested the following: (a) the stress of ASD severity and resource of adjustment are related in TD adolescent siblings; (b) TD sibling adjustment has a strong relationship with sense of coherence levels; and (c) a greater number of positive coping strategies buffer TD sibling coherence levels when ASD severity scores are high. ASD severity and TD adolescent sibling resources influence sense of coherence in adolescent TD siblings of individuals with ASD.

Positive and negative qualities of South African adolescents' parent and peer relationships

Parent and peer relationships are important social resources for adolescents. South African research on adolescents' relationships, however, underemphasises these relationships as potential positive resources. Studies also tend to use samples from urban populations, while rural and semi-rural adolescent populations are neglected. This study focused on White and Coloured adolescents living in one South African semi-rural community and their ratings of positive and negative relationship qualities in relationships with parents and peers. Using the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI), we found that mothers, best friends and romantic partners were relatively equal sources of social support. Mothers' high ratings for support, conflict and punishment may point to mothers bearing the primary responsibility for child care. Fathers' low support ratings raise concern as father involvement is important for adolescents' well-being. White participants overall rated their relationship higher for support and lower for negative qualities than the Coloured participants.

A Battery for the Assessment of Young Spanish Adults

In Spanish families, parent-child relationships play a crucial role, but they also present specific risks for the children’s transition to adulthood which may hinder their individuation and foster the creation of dysfunctional family patterns in their family of origin. In Spain there is a lack of instruments to assess parent-child relationships in these terms. The present study examines the psychometric properties of a battery to assess individuation with mother, individuation with father, and the existence of dysfunctional family patterns (DFP) in 535 young Spanish adults (20–31 years). Items from the Munich Individuation Test of Adolescence ( Walper, 1998 ), the Network of Relationships Inventory ( Furman & Buhrmester, 1985 ), the Filial Responsibility Scale ( Jurkovic & Thirkield, 1999 ), and the Feeling Caught Between Parents and Parental Pressure scales ( Walper & Schwarz, 2001 ) have been used. The initial structure obtained through exploratory factor analysis underwent a confirmatory factor analysis. The results hint at a model adjusted to the data which guarantees the construct validity of the proposed structure. Internal consistencies for scales and subscales were acceptable to excellent, with α ranging from .62 to .91. Different indices of concurrent validity were also analyzed. The results generally support the reliability and validity of the new instrument. Limitations are discussed.

Parental Influences on Memories of Parents and Friends

ABSTRACT The authors evaluated the role parent–child relationship quality has on two types of memories, those of parents and those of friends. Participants were 198 Italian university students who recalled memories during 4 separate timed memory-fluency tasks about their preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school and university years. Half were instructed to recall memories involving parents and the remainder memories involving friends. Moreover, parent–child relationships were assessed by the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI; W. Furman & D. Buhrmester, 1985) and Adolescents’ Report of Parental Monitoring (D. M. Capaldi & G. R. Patterson, 1989). Results showed that men with positive parent–son relationships had more memories of parents and more affectively positive memories of friends, supporting a consistency model positing similarity between parent–child relationships and memories of friends. Women with positive parental relationship quality had more affectively positive memories of parents but for friends, positive relationship quality only predicted positive memories when young. At older ages, especially middle school-aged children, negative parent–daughter relationships predicted more positive memories of friends, supporting a compensatory model. The gender of parent also mattered, with fathers having a more influential role on affect for memories of friends.

Percepcija kvaliteta odnosa unutar porodice - iskustvo adolescenata iz Srbije

Istraživanje prikazano ovim radom opisuje specifičnosti porodice u Srbiji kao razvojnog okruženja u adolescenciji. Uzorak istraživanja činilo je 780 ispitanika, prosečnog uzrasta 19 godina. Uzorkom su obuhvaćeni mladi u srednjoj i kasnoj adolescenciji (raspon godina bio je od 15-28). U istraživanju je korišten srpski prevod Inventara mreže socijalnih odnosa (Network of Relationships Inventory -NRI, Furman, Buhrmaster, 1985), sa 9 merenih dimenzija odnosa: Prijateljstvo (Companionship), Instrumentalna pomoć (Instrumental Aid), Intimnost (Intimacy), Sigurnost u trajnost odnosa (Reliable Alliance), Poštovanje (Admiration), Briga (Nurturance) i Privrženost (Affection) (kao mere pozitivne razmene), te Konflikti (Conflict) i Antagonizam ( Antagonism) (kao mere negativne interakcije). Rezultati ukazuju na značajne razlike u percepciji odnosa sa majkom i ocem, koje jasno oslikavaju društveno normirane uloge roditelja. Odnos sa siblingom je značajno različit od odnosa sa roditeljima i uključuje više simetričnosti. Rezultati su prodiskutovati u kontekstu doprinosa dominirajućih kulturnih vrednosti proceni odnosa unutar porodice.

Support and conflict in ethnically diverse young adults’ relationships with parents and friends

We examined support and conflict with parents and close friends in a sample of ethnically diverse young adults (European-, Asian-, Cuban-, Latin-, and Mexican Americans). College students (N = 495) completed six subscales from the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI; Furman & Buhrmester, 1985). Friends were rated higher than parents on global support by Asian- and European Americans, but not by the three Latino groups. Regardless of ethnic group, friends and parents provided different types of support, and conflict with parents was more frequent than conflict with friends. No differences due to age, gender, or generation of immigration emerged for European-, Cuban-, or Asian Americans; differences emerged attributable to gender among Mexican Americans (support and conflict), and generation of immigration among Latin Americans (support). Findings reveal ethnic group similarities in how college students’ social relationships are structured, but also highlight unique within-group experiences.

Parental support as mediator between optimism and depression in early adolescents

A number of studies showed a relation between parental support and depression and between optimism and depression. However there is a lack of studies that considered together the influence of parental support and dispositional optimism on depression in early adolescence. In the current study we examined the mediating role of parental support on the relation between optimism and depression in a community sample consisting of 149 middle school students (68 boys and 81 girls) aged from 12 to 13 (mean age = 12.60, SD = 0.60) and living in an urban area in Northern Italy. In order to assess the level of optimism, we used the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R; Scheier et al., 1994). The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1985) and the Network of Relationship Inventory (NRI; Furman, Laursen and Mooney, 1985) were used to investigate respectively depression and parental support. Using the approach proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986), we found a partially mediating effect of parental support between optimism and depression. That is, adolescents who perceived higher dispositional optimism were also less depressed. However, the negative effect of lack of optimism was mediated by parental support, which in turn negatively affected depression. Implications for practice as the possibility to work with parents in order to improve the psychological condition of pessimistic early adolescents were discussed. Key words: Optimism, parental support, mediation, depression, early adolescents.

Jovens vivendo com HIV/AIDS: a influência da rede de relações, do coping e do neuroticismo sobre a satisfação de vida

OBJETIVOS: Verificar o efeito das variáveis rede de relações, neuroticismo e estratégias de coping sobre a variável satisfação de vida em jovens soropositivos. Também buscou-se apresentar um perfil descritivo da amostra para as variáveis investigadas. MÉTODO: Participaram 45 jovens soropositivos, com média de idade de 18,7 anos (desvio padrão = 2,7), procedentes de três centros de atendimento da Grande Porto Alegre. Os instrumentos utilizados foram um questionário de dados sociodemográficos, a Escala Multidimensional de Satisfação de Vida para Adolescentes, o Inventário de Rede de Relações, o Inventário de Estratégias de Coping e a Escala Fatorial de Ajustamento Emocional/Neuroticismo. Os dados dos instrumentos foram analisados através de análises de covariância e de variância multivariadas e análise de regressão múltipla. RESULTADOS: De forma geral, o nível de satisfação de vida dos jovens portadores do vírus HIV é bom, porém há um certo declínio na satisfação com as amizades. Em relação às estratégias de coping, as médias entre elas foram semelhantes. Níveis altos de neuroticismo foram evidenciados nos participantes, em especial no que se refere ao fator depressão. Esse foi o fator que melhor predisse a satisfação de vida total da amostra. CONCLUSÕES: Pode-se perceber onde residem as maiores dificuldades desse grupo e, dessa forma, elaborar programas de intervenção efetivos.

Relations with Parents and Friends During Adolescence and Early Adulthood

Relative power, conflict, and intimacy in adolescents' and young adults' relations with mothers, fathers, and best friends were examined. Two hundred eighty-five students from German high-track (i.e., university bound schools 6th, 9th, 12th grade), undergraduate and graduate students completed the respective scales of the Network of Relationships Inventory (Furman & Buhrmester, 1985). Relations with friends were more symmetrical and had a better socio-emotional quality than relations with parents. Still, increases in relative power in relations with parents were accompanied by low absolute levels of conflict. A symmetrical distribution of power in the family was not reached before the end of the third decade of life. To explore the influence of the entry into worklife on close relations, an additional subsample of 55 working young adults was compared with the participating university students. Despite slight differences in age-related patterns of intimacy, similarities prevailed. Overall, findings mostly converge with observations in U.S. samples of high school and college

Grandmothers and Their Granddaughters

ABSTRACT The present study applied Weiss's theoretical framework to better understand interpersonal relationships between grandmothers and their young adult granddaughters. The questions that were of primary focus for the research addressed importance of the relationship provisions, predictors of relationship satisfaction, and variability in importance of closeness and instrumental support. The sample consisted of 48 grandmother-adult granddaughter pairs where the granddaughter was an undergraduate student at a Midwestern university. The Furman and Buhrmester Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI) was used to examine the relationships between grandmothers and their granddaughters. Grandmothers and granddaughters rated the perceived level of admiration, affection, reliable alliance, and relationship satisfaction higher in their relationship with each other than the other relationship provisions. Reliable alliance was rated as the highest relationship provision for grandmothers and granddaughters with the lowest rated being intimacy. The results of ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses show that these intergenerational relationships vary along provisions of closeness and instrumental support when predicting relationship satisfaction. These results suggest that programs designed to link generations of women

Diversity in Romantic Relations of Adolescents with Varying Health Status

In a longitudinal study on adolescents varying in health status, the similarities and differences between adolescents’ close friendships and romantic relationships were analyzed. From a total of 91 diabetic and 107 healthy adolescents, a subsample of 95 adolescents who consistently had experiences with both relationships over 4 years was drawn. Information was obtained from semistructured interviews and the Network of Relationship Inventory. The results demonstrated important time-dependent links between intimacy in both relationship types in healthy adolescents. Despite considerable gains in intimacy toward close friends and romantic partners across time, diabetic adolescents did not focus as much on intimacy in their romantic relations as their healthy peers did but looked for romantic partners who could offer them security, support, and assistance in a stable relationship. Results emphasize that although intimacy with close friends is a normative precursor of later romantic relationships, there is still not a single path for romantic development.

Interpersonal relationships in Brazilian adolescents

Interpersonal relationships were evaluated in 260 middle-class Brazilian youths aged 11–12, 15–16, and 19–20 years, using the Network of Relationships Inventory (Furman & Buhrmester, 1992). Participants rated four dimensions (support, conflict, relative power, and punishment) of relationships with five social network members (mother, father, teacher, sibling, and same-sex friend). Ratings were consistent with ecological models predicting culture-specific characteristics of relationships. In contrast to previous research on US adolescents, Brazilian adolescents reported high levels of both support and conflict and there was no shift from parents to peers as the primary source of support. Differences between early and late adolescents were not consistent with the processes of individuation and rapprochement. One of the few significant sex differences resulted from females rating support higher than males in relationships with siblings and friends.

Social Networks Among Early Adolescent Zimbabweans in Extended Families

This project examined the impact of extended family organizational patterns on adolescents' perceptions of their social networks. The sample was 13- to 15-year-old Zimbabwean adolescents residing in traditional extended families and modified extended families (N = 128). The instrument used in the investigation was the Network of Relationships Inventory. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance was conducted with sex (boys vs. girls) and type of extended family (modified vs. traditional) treated as between-group factors and type of relationship (mother, father, favorite other adult relative, teacher, best friend, and favorite sibling) as a within-subjects factor. Adolescents in traditional extended families perceived themselves as receiving higher levels of intimacy from their family and conflict/discipline from all members of their social network in comparison to their counterparts living in modified extended families. In contrast, participants in modified extended families rated nonfamily ta...

Mothers’ Reports of Early Attachment Experiences and their Perceptions of the Quality of their Network of Family Relationships

This study examined the relationships between mothers’ reports of their early attachment experiences and the quality of their current relationships with their youngest child, partner, mother and father. It aimed to evaluate the argument that early attachment experiences lay down mental models which form a basis for all future relationships and considered how important different family figures were to mothers on a range of relationships dimensions. 101 mothers with pre‐school children participated in the study. Recall of early attachment experiences with mothers and fathers was assessed using Hazen and Shaver's (1987) Parental Style Descriptions. Quality of current relationships was measured using Furnham and Buhrmester's (1985) Network of Relationships Inventory. The results demonstrated that memories of early attachment experiences were selectively associated with some dimensions of current relationships. However, continuity of past and current experiences was largely evident in the relationships with the subjects’ mothers and fathers and was largely absent in their current relationships with their child and partner. Finally, the mothers’ current relationships with their children was generally rated as more important in many aspects than other relationships. The implications of the results for several aspects of attachment theory was discussed.

The association between divorce and late adolescent grandchildren's relations with grandparents

While researchers have documented the possible effects of divorce on children's interpersonal relationships with significant others (e.g., parents, siblings, peers), research efforts examining the role of grandparents within these children's social networks are limited. For the present study, 588 late adolescent college students (266 males, 322 females) completed the Network of Relationships Inventory (W. Furman and D. Buhrmester [1985] “Children's Perceptions of the Personal Relationships in Their Social Network,” Developmental Psychology, Vol. 21, pp. 1016–1024) and frequency of contact estimates on each available biological grandparent. One hundred sixty-eight students were from families in which their biological parents had been divorced for more than two years. The remaining late adolescents were from intact families (i.e., biological parents still married). As hypothesized, late adolescent grandchildren from divorced families indicated less satisfactory relationships with paternal grandparents. In addition, granddaughters from divorced families indicated poorer relationships with parental grandparents when contrasted to grand-daughters in intact families and grandsons from divorced families. However, visible and phone contact with grandparents played a major role in sustaining relationships with grandparents for grandchildren from divorced families. Granddaughters, in general, also reported stronger relations with maternal grandmothers, regardless of group status. Explanations are offered for these results, as well as suggestions for future research.

Adolescent grandchildren's relationships with maternal and paternal grandmothers and grandfathers

The purpose of this study was to specify older adolescents' perceptions of relationships with maternal and paternal grandmothers and grandfathers. Late adolescent college students ( n = 142) indicated their relationship perceptions of each available biological grandparent on Furman and Buhrmester's Network of Relationships Inventory. Grandparents were not viewed as major targets of intimacy nor were they reported to be the bearers of instrumental aid. However, grandparents, regardless of kinship status, were still rated as important attachment figures to these older adolescents. In general, granddaughters reported better relationships than grandsons, and grandchildren reported more optimal relations with grandmothers. Implications for future research efforts are discussed.

Costa Rican children's perceptions of their social networks.

Cultural differences in Costa Rican and U.S. children's perceptions of their relationships with social network members were examined. Fourth- and 6th-grade children (N=358) in both countries were given Furman and Buhrmester's (1985) Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI), which assessed 6 qualities of relationships (intimacy, conflict, companionship, affection, satisfaction, and instrumental aid) with 6 persons (mother, father, favorite sibling, favorite grandparent, same-sex best friend, and teacher)