OBJECTIVE:Adolescent dating motivations are often considered a key issue in understanding dating and sexual behaviors. Despite their initial identification, the development of these motivations and their correlates remains understudied. The present study aimed to investigate the development of dating motivations over a 3-year period using a longitudinal design, and to explore the moderating roles of romantic experiences and current dating status. METHOD:French late adolescents (N = 493; 61% girls) completed a questionnaire six times over 3 years. Rooted in self-determination theory, the questionnaire assessed their amotivation for dating, intrinsic motivation (intimacy and companionship), identified regulation (pleasure and dating timetable), and external motivation (peer pressure), as well as their romantic experiences and current dating status. RESULTS:As expected, growth models revealed an increase in identified regulation and intrinsic motivation, and a decrease in amotivation, and external motivation between the beginning and end of high school. Gender differences emerged in the developmental trajectories of these motivations: girls showed a more rapid decline in amotivation and a steeper increase in identified regulation than boys. Furthermore, the gender gap in intrinsic motivation increased across the six waves. CONCLUSIONS:Overall, the findings support the view that adolescents progressively shift toward more self-determined motivations with age-a process that appears to occur earlier in girls than in boys. Romantic experiences and current dating status hindered the decrease in amotivation and made only a small contribution to the development of other forms of regulation. Practical implications of the development of dating motivation and gender differences are discussed.

The aim of this study was to examine whether attachment to each parent moderates the relationship between bullying victimisation and self-esteem. The sample consisted of 250 junior high school students (114 males, 136 females; mean age: 11.3 years). The administered scales were the Bully/Victim Questionnaire Revised, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment for Children and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed that early adolescents subjected to bullying had lower self-esteem than non-bullied peers. For girls, attachment to mother also accounted for self-esteem over and above the effect of bullying. For boys, attachment with the father appeared as a pure moderator of the effect of bullying as the association with self-esteem was non-significant when attachment scores were high. The findings suggest that attachment to same sex parents may foster better self-esteem in the face of bullying. Parents' participation in preventive measures could be encouraged.

The present study examined the role of eco-emotions in youths' career development. We hypothesized that eco-anxiety and empathy toward animals account for children's and adolescents' earth-friendly career aspirations (EFCAs). Relying on focus groups of third-to-ninth-grade French students, we used a thematic analysis to explore their view of careers that respect the earth. The main themes uncovered were used to construct a self-report EFCA scale. French third-to-ninth graders (N = 587, 51% girls) from middle-to-high socio-economic levels participated in a survey assessing EFCA, eco-anxiety, and empathetic attitudes toward animals. The results showed that these two emotions made independent contributions to EFCAs. The EFCAs were lower in early adolescents than in children, and higher in girls than in boys. We propose that eco-emotions are adaptive and function as a "watchtower" by enhancing youths' earth-friendly plans for their adult life. We discuss the relevance of taking EFCAs and eco-emotions into account in career counseling.

We propose a model of the anxiety adolescents experience about their educational and occupational future that includes three topics they worry about: (a) career failure, (b) parental disappointment, and (c) separation from loved ones to achieve one’s career. A total of 16,663 15-year-old French participants filled out a new anxiety questionnaire and other self-reports. Factor analyses showed that all three topics belong to the same type of anxiety, and suggested that the adolescents’ fear about their career is closely interwoven with parental attachment. This new kind of anxiety varied across gender and was correlated with school-adjustment and personality variables.

L’objectif de cette étude transversale est d’investiguer l’épanouissement relationnel de jeunes S/sourds et de jeunes malentendants français au sortir de l’adolescence. Compte tenu de l’inexistence d’un outil adapté et accessible pour recueillir l’avis de ces jeunes, le préalable à cet objectif a été la construction d’un auto-questionnaire en ligne, élaboré dans le cadre d’un appel à projet. Pour le recueil des données, nous avons eu recours au questionnaire en ligne, à des observations participantes en établissements pour les S/sourds, de même qu’à des focus groupes de jeunes sourds et de jeunes malentendants dans ces établissements. Les résultats obtenus sur 40 jeunes, âgés de 18 à 25 ans, montrent que leur épanouissement relationnel en termes de qualité de vie, de participation sociale et d’humeur dépressive n’est pas très éloigné de l’épanouissement relationnel d’autres jeunes S/sourds d’origine différente ou de jeunes français entendants. L’accessibilité de l’outil est globalement satisfaisante même si les observations et les analyses des échanges issus des focus groupes mettent en évidence des difficultés d’accès à certaines questions.

This article is part of the Com2SiCa research, which seeks two objectives: firstly, to understand the diversity of human behavior and the way in which it can evolve during a major, sudden and unpredictable disaster; and, secondly, to analyze the trajectories associated with spontaneous decisions to evacuate (or not) the area where a disaster has occurred. Knowledge in this field is scarce because of the difficulty, for both practical and ethical reasons, to address the diversity of behavioral responses during the course of a disaster. In order to capture this precise moment, "during" the event, we have developed an experimental field survey methodology that relies on an immersive visual and acoustic simulation. By immersing participants in disaster scenarios, this innovative method aims to produce data on observable behavioral responses to emergency situations. Trialed in two coastal cities, Nice and Le Havre, in order to test the replicability of the approach and compare the results, it was designed for "natural" or "industrial" disaster scenarios with common temporal characteristics, that is, a sudden, rapid onset with little or no warning. We present the approach, its goals and the type of methodological innovation it entailed. The city of Le Havre was chosen as a case-study to test our method. Our results highlight the validity and value of conducting immersive field investigations and confirm the fact that, for the same disaster scenario, people can behave in a wide variety of ways, and may be alert, in control or in a state of panic. Some people are static (for example, immobile or stunned), while others are dynamic (for example, searching for loved ones or fleeing). The result of this behavioural diversity is a heterogeneity in the trajectories taken to evacuate the site of the disaster or to take cover. We also observe that trajectories depend on the spatial configuration of the location where the event takes place. Knowledge of this behavioural heterogeneity as well as the influence of location could be useful to decision-makers and other stakeholders.

This article is part of the Com2SiCa research, which seeks two objectives: firstly, to understand the diversity of human behavior and the way in which it can evolve during a major, sudden and unpredictable disaster; and, secondly, to analyze the trajectories associated with spontaneous decisions to evacuate (or not) the area where a disaster has occurred.Knowledge in this field is scarce because of the difficulty, for both practical and ethical reasons, to address the diversity of behavioral responses during the course of a disaster. In order to capture this precise moment, “during” the event, we have developed an experimental field survey methodology that relies on an immersive visual and acoustic simulation. By immersing participants in disaster scenarios, this innovative method aims to produce data on observable behavioral responses to emergency situations. Trialed in two coastal cities, Nice and Le Havre, in order to test the replicability of the approach and compare the results, it was designed for "natural" or "industrial" disaster scenarios with common temporal characteristics, that is, a sudden, rapid onset with little or no warning. We present the approach, its goals and the type of methodological innovation it entailed. The city of Le Havre was chosen as a case-study to test our method. Our results highlight the validity and value of conducting immersive field investigations and confirm the fact that, for the same disaster scenario, people can behave in a wide variety of ways, and may be alert, in control or in a state of panic. Some people are static (for example, immobile or stunned), while others are dynamic (for example, searching for loved ones or fleeing). The result of this behavioural diversity is a heterogeneity in the trajectories taken to evacuate the site of the disaster or to take cover. We also observe that trajectories depend on the spatial configuration of the location where the event takes place. Knowledge of this behavioural heterogeneity as well as the influence of location could be useful to decision-makers and other stakeholders.

Few studies have been carried out on emerging adults’ friendships and on their developmental roots. Research suggests that in adolescence, both attachment to parents and attachment to peers play a role in future socio-emotional development. The aim of the present study was to compare attachment in these two types of relationships in adolescence according to gender and test whether they respectively predicted the perception of best friendship in early adulthood. A sample of 83 participants (49 girls) was seen in early adolescence (M = 13.66 years, SD = 0.64) and 7 years later (mean age = 21.15 years, SD = 0.83). At T1, participants completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment , which measures attachment using three subscales (communication, alienation and trust) and one global security score. At T2, they completed the McGill Friendship Questionnaire . Results show that in adolescence, boys report higher security with parents compared to peers (mainly due to better communication), unlike girls who obtain higher scores with peers. Longitudinal findings reveal that alienation in the relation with parents is what best predicts friendship quality in early adulthood. These findings underline the specific internal working models at play in socio-emotional development and the way gender differences evolve from adolescence to early adulthood.

Romance constitutes a central experience in adolescence, which can take several forms including (a) serious romance with a steady partner, (b) casual and short-lived dating, and (c) pending experiences of romantic thoughts and attempts. Using a three-way longitudinal design, the present study examined the gender differences and developmental changes of these romantic experiences, and their cross-lagged associations with identity processes, throughout one year in late adolescence. 389 students (63% girls) filled out questionnaires about their romantic experiences and identity processes. Girls reported more serious romance than did boys, who reported more casual dating and pending experiences. Serious romance increased over the year for both genders whereas casual dating and pending experiences continued to rise only for boys. The cross-lagged model highlighted that serious romantic experience positively predicted identity commitments and exploration in depth whereas identity exploration in breadth positively predicted casual dating. This pattern was stable over the three time points and across gender and age groups. Overall, this study invites consideration of more diverse romantic experiences than those associated with tangible involvement. We discuss the contribution of romantic experiences to the identity dynamic.

Adolescents ( N = 359) completed a self-report questionnaire assessing the emotional impact of an anticipated transition, their social-sharing modes, the motives and benefits of sharing, and their relationship intimacy with significant others. Partners and motives of vocational sharing depended on the transition’s valence. The intensity of negative emotions and perceived intimacy were positively related to frequency and depth of vocational sharing; intensity of positive emotions and intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits only with the depth of sharing. The links between the quality of relationships with significant others, emotions, social sharing, the management of vocational transitions and career development are discussed.

Le premier objectif de cette recherche était d’apporter un soutien empirique à un modèle tridimensionnel de la perception qu’ont les adolescents de la relation avec leur camarade de classe préféré. Les trois dimensions étaient : l’attachement émotionnel au camarade, le sentiment qu’il serait prêt à apporter son aide pour réussir une activité scolaire, et le fait de s’attendre à ce qu’il offre son soutien en cas d’agression par d’autres élèves. Le deuxième objectif était de tester des hypothèses concernant les facteurs de variation de cette perception. Dans le cadre d’une enquête nationale, un échantillon représentatif des élèves français en classe de 3 e , âgés en moyenne de 15 ans et 4 mois, a répondu à un questionnaire destiné à évaluer cette perception. Une analyse factorielle confirmatoire (AFC) indique que le modèle tridimensionnel est bien ajusté aux réponses des élèves. Les trois sous-échelles sont positivement mais modérément inter-corrélées. Une analyse multivariée de la variance a révélé que la relation avec le camarade de classe préféré est mieux perçue par les filles que par les garçons, qu’elle est évaluée à un niveau plus élevé lorsque ce camarade est le meilleur ami en dehors du collège et aussi lorsque cette préférence n’est pas trop récente.

We set out to show that sociosexual orientation (SSO) and erotophilia are two different traits that can be evidenced as early as middle adolescence, and to examine their associations with attachment to parents. Self-report scales measuring SSO, erotophilia, and attachment to the mother and the father were administered to 289 12- to 17-year-olds. Based on an exploratory factor analysis, SSO and erotophilia are two different, consistent dimensions in this age range. A six-month test-retest revealed a moderate-to-high rank-order stability of the two traits, which were positively and moderately correlated. Boys scored higher than girls on both traits. During the six-month interval between T1 and T2, erotophilia increased whereas SSO did not change. Regression analyses showed that a positive perception of attachment to the same-sex parent among boys accounted for SSO, regardless of perceived attachment to the other-sex parent. This held true for girls also, but to a lesser extent. In the discussion, we emphasize the differences between boys' and girls' mating behavior, and the differences between attachment to same-sex vs other-sex parents as possible influences on SSO.

The first aim of this study was to provide an empirical support for a three-dimension model of adolescents' perception of their relationship with their preferred classmate. The three dimensions were: emotional attachment to the classmate, confidence in his or her willingness to offer assistance in academic achievement, and expectation that s/he would spontaneously offer protection from aggression committed by other students. The second aim was to test hypotheses on factors affecting this perception. The data were collected as part of a national survey targeting French 10th graders, averaging 15 years and 4 months in age. They completed a questionnaire devised to assess this perception. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) clearly supported a meaningful three-dimension structure. The three resulting subscales were positively although moderately correlated. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that: (a) girls more than boys have a positive perception of this relationship; (b) this perception is more positive when the preferred classmate is the best friend outside of the school; and (c) it is more positive when the interpersonal preference is not too recent.

Friendships are a powerful healing force for physical and mental illness. The study of the role of friendship for cancer patients has been relatively neglected and academic evidence-based studies are lacking. A literature review of research was performed linking cancer with friendships and social support (other than that provided by family members or members of medical staff). Some studies report the importance of friendships formed amongst young children and often in a school context; fewer studies have focused on friendships amongst adults with cancer. Direct links between friendships formed and/or maintained amongst cancer patients and their precise effects on an individual's battle with cancer have yet to be explored.