Affiliations: Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Note: [] Address for Correspondence: Frosso Motti-Stefanidi, Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, University of Athens, Panepistimiopoli, 15784 Athens, Greece. E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between the frequency of parent-adolescent conflict and the quality of adaptation of immigrant Albanian adolescents and of their native Greek classmates. Aims of the present study were: (a) to compare the frequency of immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents' conflicts with their parents; (b) to compare the quality of their adaptation with respect to core developmental tasks and to their psychological well-being; and (c) to examine how parent-adolescent conflict is related to adaptation in immigrant and non-immigrant youth. These questions were investigated using two waves of data from a longitudinal study of immigrant students from Albania and their non-immigrant classmates (N = 392, mean age 12.73 years). Frequency of conflict, self-esteem and psychological symptoms were assessed through self-reports. Academic achievement, conduct in school and popularity were assessed with multiple methods and informants. A complex pattern of relationships was found between the frequency of parent-adolescent conflict, on the one hand, and adolescents' quality of adaptation and psychological well-being, on the other, differentiated by domain of adaptation, and ethnic group.
Keywords: parent-adolescent conflict, immigration, adaptation, longitudinal study
