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This study examined how values and their congruence with classmates’ values relate to psychological adjustment in 460 Estonian adolescents (Mage = 12.95 years). Participants rated the importance of...

Uurimuse eesmärk oli välja selgitada, kuidas seostuvad hilisteismeliste väärtustega tajutud eakaaslaste ja õpetajate hoolivus, aga ka kooli asukoht ja pere sotsiaalmajandusliku staatuse näitajad. Uurimuses osales 528 kümnenda klassi õpilast (keskmine vanus 16,25). Nende väärtusi hinnati Schwartzi portreeküsimustikuga ning tajutud eakaaslaste ja õpetajate hoolivust kahe üksikväitega. Tulemused näitasid, et teismelised väärtustasid enim heasoovlikkust ja hedonismi. Väikelinna koolide õpilastele oli võim vähem oluline ning turvalisus olulisem kui suurlinna koolide õpilastele. Teismelised, kelle emal oli kõrgem haridus, pidasid kõikehaaravust vähem oluliseks kui need, kelle emal oli madalam haridustase. Kui eakaaslaste hoolivus teismeliste väärtustega ei seostunud, siis õpetajate hoolivus seostus enamiku väärtustega. Mida hoolivamatena tajuti õpetajaid, seda kõrgemalt väärtustati teiste inimeste heaolule, looduse hoidmisele ja reeglite järgimisele orienteeritud väärtusi. Summary

The study examines the value structure and priorities of Estonian primary school students by using the Estonian adaptation of the Picture-Based Value Survey for children (PBVS-C). Three hundred and thirty three elementary-school children (aged 7–14, M age = 10.0) completed the instrument. Eighty-eight older students (M age = 11.94) also filled out the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ). Multidimensional scaling confirmed the theorized structure of values. High correlations between the scores of four higher-order values measured by the two instruments supported the content validity of the Estonian PBVS-C. The value hierarchies of children and sex and age differences were similar to those previously reported. The study contributes to the literature by showing that students of higher educated mothers rated openness to change and self-enhancement more highly and self-transcendence less highly than children of lower educated mothers. Moreover, students from schools in the capital city attached more importance to openness to change and less importance to self-enhancement than students from schools in small towns and villages.

The present study examined associations between boys’ and girls’ self-reported psychological adjustment and a wide spectrum of peer-rated behaviours in the school context using a sample of 463 Estonian early adolescents (Mage = 12.90). Although girls had more internalised problems and boys more externalised problems, the associations between adolescents’ psychological adjustment and behaviour were not gender-specific. Among both boys and girls, hostility was positively associated not only with their peer-reported misbehaviour, but also with sociable behaviour and negatively with studiousness. Adolescents with negative self-esteem were perceived to exhibit high levels of self-centred competitive behaviour, misbehaviour and also sociable behaviour. Those with negative self-adequacy, on the contrary, were less likely to behave in a self-centred competitive and sociable manner. In general, the findings show that psychological maladjustment may appear not only in well-observed problematic behaviour but...

The study examined the extent to which the sociocultural context shapes mothers' values and parenting patterns and moderates associations between adolescents' perceptions of mothers' acceptance and control and adolescents' friendship satisfaction. Questionnaire data were collected from a total of 834 Estonian, German, and Russian middle adolescents and their mothers. The findings indicated culture-specific patterns and meanings of parenting. In all cultures, mothers who valued interdependence more highly considered children's social-oriented characteristics more important. German and Russian maternal behavior was linked to their parenting goals. For instance, German mothers who considered adolescents' obedience more important were more controlling. Although boys and girls perceived mothers' behavior somewhat differently, maternal acceptance (but not control) predicted both boys' and girls' friendship satisfaction in all cultures.

The study examined associations among adolescents’ perceived mother-child and father-child relationship quality (intimacy, conflict, and admiration), perceived peer acceptance, and their values (individualism and collectivism) in a sample of 795 Estonian, German, and Russian 15-year-olds. Adolescents from the three cultural contexts differed in terms of their relationships with parents and peers but were similar in valuing both individualism and collectivism highly. Individualistic values were positively linked to adolescents’ peer acceptance in individualistic cultures, whereas collectivistic values of adolescents were positively associated with the quality of their relationships with parents in all cultures. Across cultures, maternal and paternal admiration showed the strongest positive association with peer acceptance of adolescents. Among Estonian adolescents, further associations emerged: higher levels of intimacy with fathers and conflict levels in both mother-child and father-child relationship were related to adolescents’ lower peer acceptance. The results are discussed from a social-cultural perspective.

The study examined adolescents' strategies for managing hypothetical conflicts with the same-sex best friend and their reasons behind these strategies. The sample included 905 14-year-old Estonian adolescents. The findings indicated that negotiation was the most frequently suggested strategy by adolescents. At the same time, adolescents' strategies and reasons strongly depended on the source of conflict. Coercive strategies and self-oriented reasons were more common in case of severe conflicts that could damage interpersonal relatedness or pose a threat to the attainment of autonomy. Girls reported having conflicts more frequently and suggested more negotiation than boys in all conflict situations. Sex differences did, however, occur only in adolescents' strategies. Boys' and girls' reasons behind their strategies were similar. Implications will be discussed.

The study examined cultural similarities and differences in how adolescents deal with conflicting expectations of parents and peers. It was tested to what extent adolescents’ interdependence values and satisfaction with family and friendships predict the way they would solve the disagreement, where they had planned to go out with friends, but their parents wanted them to stay at home to do chores. Moreover, adolescents’ reasons for their reported actions were examined. The sample included 894 Estonian, German, and Russian adolescents ( M age around 15 years). Russian adolescents were more likely than their Estonian and German peers to comply with parents’ requests. This was possibly due to interdependence values being more important for them. Satisfaction with family relationships and friendships was not linked to adolescents’ compliance. Adolescents from all cultures were similar in terms of suggesting self-oriented reasons for noncompliance, while Estonian and German adolescents expressed their need for autonomy more explicitly. Russian adolescents were, however, more oriented to maintaining good relationships with parents and friends, respectively, in their reasons for compliance and noncompliance. They were also less likely to suggest compromise.

The study examined associations between Estonian children's language performance and their mothers' self-reported language teaching practices, and factors related to the frequency of using these language teaching practices. Mothers reported their language teaching practices, child-rearing value orientation, and their children's expressive vocabulary at 36 months (N = 88; Mage = 35.85) via the ECDI-II. Language comprehension and production were directly assessed using the New Reynell Developmental Language Scales (NRDLS). Girls outperformed boys on language production. Children of mothers with university education scored higher than others on all language measures. Mothers with stronger autonomy orientation and fewer children reported more frequent use of informal language stimulation and corrective feedback. Self-reported informal language stimulation was positively related to children's expressive vocabulary and language comprehension, whereas corrective feedback was negatively linked to children's language comprehension and production. This study highlights the importance of engaging language-learning children into conversations rather than explicitly correcting their speech.