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A Longitudinal Research on the Development of Emotional Autonomy During Adolescence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Agueda Parra  and
Alfredo Oliva
Agueda Parra*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)
Alfredo Oliva
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Agueda Parra Jimenez. Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación., Universidad de Sevilla, Camilo José Cela s/n, 41018 Sevilla (Spain). Phone: 34-954-554333. Fax: 34-954-559544. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The purpose of the present paper was to study the development of emotional autonomy through adolescence analysing its association with family relationships. The development of emotional autonomy involves an increase in adolescents' subjective sense of his or her independence, especially in relation to parents. From some scholars emotional autonomy is a normative manifestation of the detachment process from parents, however, others point out that detachment from parental ties is not the norm, so high level of adolescent emotional autonomy is the consequence of negative family relationships. In our study a sample of 101 adolescents were followed for 5 years, from early to middle adolescence, and completed questionnaires to measure their emotional autonomy and the quality of their family relationships. Our results showed that over the course of adolescence some dimensions of emotional autonomy increase, meanwhile others decrease, so the global level of emotional autonomy global level remains stable. On the other hand, emotional autonomy is associated with negative family relationships, so emotional autonomy, more than a necessary process to become adult, could be indicating an insecure attachment to parents.

El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar el desarrollo de la autonomía emocional a lo largo de la adolescencia analizando su relación con la dinámica establecida en el sistema familiar. El desarrollo de la autonomía emocional supone un aumento del sentido de independencia por parte de los adolescentes especialmente en relación a sus padres. Para algunos autores la autonomía emocional es una manifestación normativa del proceso de separación de los padres, sin embargo, para otros, este desapego hacia los padres no es la norma sino una consecuencia de relaciones familiares problemáticas. En nuestro estudio un grupo de 101 adolescentes fueron seguidos durante 5 años a lo largo de su adolescencia, desde los años iniciales hasta la adolescencia tardía, y completaron cuestionarios para medir su autonomía emocional y la calidad de sus relaciones familiares. Nuestros resultados muestran que a lo largo de la adolescencia algunas dimensiones que componen la autonomía emocional muestran un incremento, mientras que otras decrecen, provocando una estabilidad en el constructo global. Por otro lado, la autonomía emocional se asocia con relaciones familiares negativas, por lo que más que un proceso necesario para convertirse en adulto, parece ser un indicador de vínculos afectivos inseguros hacia los padres.

Keywords

adolescenceemotional autonomyfamily relationshipslongitudinal studyadolescenciaautonomía emocionalrelaciones familiaresestudio longitudinal
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , May 2009 , pp. 66 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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