Malinauskienė, Oksana

Identity formation is an important developmental process during adolescence. The inter- play between adolescents’ gender identity, loneliness, and body dissatisfaction is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Adolescent gender identity issues are thought to be related to loneliness, and body dissatisfaction is a risk factor for greater loneliness. It can be hypothe- sized that adolescents experiencing gender identity issues could feel lonelier when they have greater body dissatisfaction. The present study addresses the following two research questions: (1) Are adolescents’ (both girls and boys) gender identities associated with loneliness, body dissatisfaction, and fear of negative appearance evaluation? (2) Does body dissatisfaction and fear of negative appearance evaluation mediate between adolescents’ gender identity and loneliness, and does this differ for girls and boys? The sample consists of 211 adolescents (54.5% girls) aged 15–17 (Mage = 16.20) from five secondary schools in Vilnius. Adolescent gender identity was measured using the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults (GIDYQ-AA); body dissatisfaction was established using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ); loneliness was established using the UCLA Loneliness Scale; and apprehension regarding appearance evaluation was established using the Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale (FNAES). The results show that the gender identity of both girls and boys is negatively related to loneliness, body dissatisfaction, and fear of negative appea- rance evaluation. The results also revealed that the association between gender identity and loneliness was mediated by body dissatisfaction, and that the association between body dis- satisfaction and loneliness was stronger for boys than for girls. However, fear of negative ap- pearance evaluation does not mediate the association between gender identity and loneliness. These results illustrate the importance of examining adolescents’ gender differences regarding body dissatisfaction, loneliness, and gender identity, especially the experiences of boys regar- ding body dissatisfaction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect (via objective and subjective markers of adulthood) relations of parental trust and emerging adults’ life satisfaction in samples of Lithuanian (N ¼ 399, ages 18–25) and Japanese (N ¼ 585, ages 18–25) emerging adults. Results revealed that parental trust was associated with emerging adults’ life satisfaction both directly and indirectly via subjective markers of adulthood (i.e., self-perception of oneself as an adult) but not via objective markers of adulthood. Importantly, these associations were largely similar in both countries with a slight variation. These findings underscore the complex and important relations between parental trust and life satisfaction during emerging adulthood.

The present study examines direct and indirect associations between perceptions of parenting and adolescent adjustment. We focus on self-esteem as an intervening variable. Participants included 446 girls and 471 boys ages 14 to 17 (M= 15.64) at the outset. A community sample of high school students was tracked for 3 consecutive years, completing annual surveys describing perceptions of parenting (i.e., psychological control and support), self-esteem, and adjustment (i.e., internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms). Longitudinal bidirectional associations emerged between adolescent perceptions of parenting (psychological control and support) and adolescent adjustment (externalizing and internalizing symptoms). Full longitudinal mediation analyses confirmed the hypothesized indirect links from perceived parenting to adolescent internalizing symptoms through adolescent self-esteem. High psychological control and low connectedness were associated with subsequent decreases in self-esteem, which, in turn, were associated with later increases in internalizing symptoms. Psychological control and connectedness also directly (but not indirectly) predicted changes in adolescent externalizing symptoms. Perceived psychological control and a lack of relatedness undercut self-confidence and undermine feelings of positive self-regard, which can eventually widen into more serious manifestations of psychological distress

Šio tyrimo* tikslas – atskleisti jaunuolių, esančių tapsmo suaugusiu periode, nerimastingumo / depresiškumo ir tapatumo procesų (įsipareigojimo, išsamaus tyrinėjimo, įsipareigojimo persvarstymo) sąsajas, kontroliuojant lytį ir amžių. Tyrime dalyvavo 491 18–29 metų jaunuolis (74,7 proc. merginos). Buvo naudota Utrechto tapatumo skalė (U-MICS) bei Suaugusių emocijų ir elgesio sunkumų įvertinimo lapas (ASR). Rezultatų analizė atskleidė, kad kuo nerimastingesni / depresiškesni jaunuoliai, esantys tapsmo suaugusiu periode, tuo mažiau jie yra įsipareigojimo ir išsamaus tyrinėjimo bei tuo labiau – įsipareigojimo persvarstymo procese. Kontroliuojant sociodemografinius veiksnius, nerimastingumas / depresiškumas yra susijęs su mažiau adaptyviu tapatumo formavimusi.