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. 2024 Dec;34(4):1598-1610.
doi: 10.1111/jora.13029. Epub 2024 Oct 15.

Like parents, like children… this is not always the case! A longitudinal study on the family transmission of intergroup contact

Maria Pagano  1 , Ioana Zagrean  2 , Daniela Barni  3 , Elisabetta Crocetti  1
Affiliations

Like parents, like children… this is not always the case! A longitudinal study on the family transmission of intergroup contact

Maria Pagano et al. J Res Adolesc. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

During adolescence, opportunities for interethnic interactions can shape future attitudes toward diversity. However, it is unclear how family can influence adolescents' quality of contact in different life contexts. This study aims to fill this gap. A sample of 702 Italian adolescents (Mage = 15.61, SDage = 1.11, 48.58% girls) and their parents (615 mothers, Mage = 48.45, SDage = 4.34; 487 fathers, Mage = 51.22, SDage = 4.92) completed questionnaires at two time points. Cross-lagged models indicated that adolescents' intergroup contact at T1 was associated with mothers' contact over time, mainly in structured (i.e., school and work) contexts. No significant associations were found regarding fathers' intergroup contact and unstructured contexts. These results shed new light on the process of family transmission during adolescence, particularly regarding intergroup dynamics.

Keywords: developmental ecological contexts; family transmission; intergroup contact; longitudinal.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Significant standardized results of the cross‐lagged panel model of intergroup contact in structured contexts (school and work). For the sake of clarity, only significant cross‐lagged paths are displayed. Intergroup contact has been coded with higher values indicative of higher positive or negative intergroup contact. Gray arrows indicate within‐construct effects (e.g., paths between positive and negative intergroup contact of adolescents). Bold arrows indicate significant effects between adolescents' intergroup contact and parents' intergroup contact. *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Significant standardized results of the cross‐lagged panel model of intergroup contact in unstructured contexts (leisure time). For the sake of clarity, only significant cross‐lagged paths are displayed. Intergroup contact has been coded with higher values indicative of higher positive or negative intergroup contact. Gray arrows indicate within‐construct effects (e.g., paths between positive and negative intergroup contact of adolescents). Bold arrows indicate significant effects between adolescents' intergroup contact and parents' intergroup contact. *p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.
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