Life Events and Adjustment in Adolescents: The Significance of Event Independence, Desirability, and Chronicity

In this study, we examined the significance of three objectively defined characteristics of life events for understanding the relation between stressful life experiences and adolescent adjustment Using a questionnaire method, a normative sample of 176 adolescents and their mothers provided information on multiple aspects of adolescent adjustment an well as life events. Judges classified events on their independence, desirability, and chronicity. Events independent of the adolescent's behavior were expected to have lower correlations with adjustment scores than events that could be influenced by the adolescent or that were overlapping in content with adjustment Results supported this hypothesis, suggesting that a substantial portion of the covariance between life events and adjustment is due to item overlap and adolescent behavior. Results also supported the validity of distinguishing positive from negative events and discrete from chronic events. Implications for the interpretation of existing data and de...