How are adolescents selected to participate in this study?

We will survey adolescents from participating high schools in Southern California. These 9th graders consist of two groups, students who are in the 9th grade during Fall of 2002, and students who are in the 9th grade in Fall of 2003. We will then give follow-up surveys to these same students again during 10th and 11th grades. Students from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds will be included in the adolescent survey portion of the study.

How are parents selected to participate in this study?

For the parent telephone interviews, only parents of Chinese-, Filipino-, Korean-, and European-American adolescents who report that both of their parents are of the same ethnic ancestry will be included. From the adolescents who identified themselves as being of Chinese, Filipino, Korean or European ancestry, one parent of each adolescent will be asked to participate. From the group of parents who complete the telephone surveys, we will recruit a group of parents and adolescents to participate in the qualitative interviews.

How do I participate?

-Adolescent Participation:

Parents of all 9th graders will be mailed consent forms requesting their teenager’s participation in our study. These consent letters will also include the date that the survey will be given in the classroom. In order to correct for potential biases in the sample due to use of active consent, passive consent procedures will be used. Passive consent means that parents send back the forms only if they do not wish their child to participate. So, if you want to allow your child to participate, DO NOT return the denied consent letter to us. Previous research has shown that high functioning families are over-represented in samples when active consent is used due to the requirement placed upon parents for returning the forms. In order to assure that parents understand the nature and goals of the study, translated versions (in Chinese, Korean, and Spanish) of the letters will also be sent to parents along with the English version.

In addition, students can decide whether to complete the survey in class on the day we give the survey. For students who missed the survey for any reason, and would like to take it, you may contact Inna Padmawidjaja at 909-787-4725 or innapad@citrus.ucr.edu, survey and she will then mail you a postage paid reply envelope (as long as you have parent permission). In addition, if you move, please e-mail us your new address and phone number so you can continue to be in the study. Because this study looks at changes throughout the high school years, it is very important for students to continue to participate in the survey for all three years.

-Parent Participation:

The parent interviews are a very important component of our study! It is critical to understand how parent beliefs and goals are linked to parenting practices and adolescent success and well-being. Parents of Chinese, Filipino, Korean or European ancestry will be contacted on the phone by our trained interviewers and invited to participate. Participation is voluntary. Parents will be interviewed over the telephone once a year for the three years (when adolescents are in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades). The interviews will be conducted in the parent’s language of choice (either English, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Korean). We greatly appreciate and encourage parent participation. Because this study looks at changes over time, it is also important for parents to continue to participate throughout the study. All parents who choose to participate will be given an honorarium each year in appreciation for their time and help with our study.

-Qualitative Interview Participation:

The qualitative interview is one of the strengths of this study in that it allows parents and adolescents the opportunity to explain the way their family works in their own words. Parents and adolescents will be recruited to participate in the qualitative interview from the group of parents who participate in the telephone interview.

How long does it take to complete the adolescent survey?

The survey can be finished during one class period. It takes about 35-45 minutes to complete.

How long does it take to complete the parent telephone interview?

The telephone survey will take about 30 minutes to complete.

How long does it take to complete the qualitative interview and where will they be conducted?

The qualitative interview will take about 45-60 minutes to complete. The interviews will be taken place in the home or in wherever else the adolescents and parents prefer (e.g., our research lab).

Why do we need to study this research question?

This study will provide a thorough appreciation of how family processes influence the school performance and adjustment of adolescents through an understanding of how these processes are part of a larger cultural context. It is important to understand the meaning and impact of parenting practices in light of culturally influenced parenting beliefs and goals. Not only have the findings for the effects of parenting on adolescent outcomes with Asian Americans not been consistent with what has been found with European Americans, these effects have also been quite inconsistent with across studies. As a resolution to this paradox, Dr. Chao has demonstrated that parenting has different meanings for Asian Americans, specifically Chinese immigrants, than for European Americans (Chao, 1994). The purpose of this study, therefore, is to examine how the meaning of parenting differs for these two groups by analyzing distinctions in adolescents' and parents' scripts for parenting (their interpretation of parenting) and in parents' beliefs systems and folk theories of parenting. This will improve our understanding of cultural similarities and differences in the ways that parenting practices are related to adolescent outcomes for Asian immigrant and European American families. Families like your own can then use this information in the future.

How can I learn about the progress and results of this study?

As our lab answers the questions we are asking in the Multicultural Families and Adolescents Study, we will write and publish journal articles, posters, and other literature describing our results. We will also post these papers and reports on our web site for everyone to read. We will publish the results for the Southern California area as a whole, not for specific schools or individuals. Once it is published, the information from this study can be used to improve our understanding and support of culturally diverse families and also to inform future research in this area. Because this is a longitudinal study that takes place over five years, and we are collecting a substantial amount of information, it will take time to complete the study and present the results. If you have questions in the mean time, please feel free to contact us. In addition, we will use newsletters to communicate with participating families about the progress of our study.