External colloquium - July 3, 2012 - William J. Burk (Radboud University Nijmegen)

July 3, 2012, 15:30-16:45:
William J. Burk (Radboud University Nijmegen): Selection and Socialization of Alcohol Use, Delinquency, and Depressive Symptoms across Adolescence

It is generally acknowledged that adolescents select friends with similar problem behaviors, and that adolescent become more similar to their friends’ problems over time. Less is known about when selection and socialization emerge, when these mechanisms peak, and when (or if) these mechanisms dissipate. This study provides a more complete account of the development of selection and socialization of three problem behaviors (alcohol intoxication, delinquency, and depressive symptoms) using a cross-sequential design of three age cohorts: early, middle, and late adolescents. Results generally suggest selection and socialization of externalizing behaviors were more robust than for depressive symptoms and that peer socialization was most robust during middle adolescence than in early or late adolescence. Findings are discussed in terms of various developmental models emphasizing the importance of peers on adolescent psychosocial functioning.

William Burk is an assistant professor of Developmental Psychology in the Behavioural Science Institute at Radboud University Nijmegen. He received his PhD at Florida Atlantic University (USA), and post-doctoral training at the Center of Developmental Research at Örebro University (Sweden). His research broadly concerns the impact of parental and peer relationships on psychosocial adjustment of children and adolescents.