DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADOLESCENT AND ADULT MOTHERS ...

DISCUSSION
The present study utilized LGC modeling to explore changes in parenting
behavior from 4 to 18 months in a diverse sample of first-time adolescent and adult
mothers. Multiple data points and LGC modeling allowed for thorough explorations of
the antecedents and consequences of changes in parenting over time, improving upon
previous work that has neglected to investigate parenting as a dynamic process. Instead,
the majority of past research studies during the 0-3 period have used cross-sectional data
or assumed change with only two time points (i.e., Whiteside-Mansell et al., 1996). The
present study also employed multi-group comparisons to explore differences between
teens and adults. In addition to comparing group means, the method of analysis allowed
for an assessment of the strength of relationships among constructs. In sum, the inclusion
of sophisticated analytic techniques permitted the investigation of complex questions
regarding how parenting processes, such as warmth and hostility, influence children’s
language development.
Stability and Change in Parenting over Time
In the present study adolescents exhibited fewer warmth behaviors than adult
mothers when children were 4 months of age, replicating previous findings of decreased
levels of warmth and responsiveness from teenaged mothers (Keown et al., 2001; Luster
& Vandenbelt, 1999). Although adolescents differed from adults in terms of their initial
levels of warmth, both groups were similar in terms of their patterns of warmth behaviors
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