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Disclosure and secrecy in adolescent-parent relationships
Judith G Smetana1, Aaron Metzger, Denise C Gettman
1University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. smetana@psych.rochester.edu
Child Development
|February 8, 2006
Summary
Adolescents perceive different disclosure obligations based on issue type, with parents viewing obligations more broadly. Trust and parental behaviors influence adolescent disclosure and secrecy.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Adolescent Behavior
Background:
- Parent-adolescent relationships involve complex dynamics of disclosure and privacy.
- Understanding adolescents' perceptions of parental authority and disclosure obligations is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine adolescents' and parents' beliefs about legitimate authority and disclosure obligations.
- To investigate actual disclosure and secrecy patterns across different issue domains.
- To identify factors predicting adolescent disclosure and secrecy.
Main Methods:
- Survey research involving 276 adolescents (9th and 12th graders) and 249 parents.
- Data collected on perceived obligations, actual disclosure, and secrecy in various domains.
- Analysis of adolescent and parent perceptions.
Main Results:
- Adolescents felt more obligated to disclose prudential issues than personal ones, differing from parents' broader views.
- Adolescents disclosed more to mothers than fathers, especially on personal matters.
- Mothers tended to overestimate their daughters' disclosure levels.
- Trust, perceived obligations, parental acceptance, and psychological control predicted increased disclosure and reduced secrecy.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent perceptions of disclosure obligations are domain-specific and differ from parental views.
- Interpersonal factors like trust and parental strategies significantly impact adolescent disclosure behaviors.
- Findings highlight the nuanced nature of privacy and communication in parent-adolescent relationships.
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