Projects and Publications

Connectedness in Youth

Connectedness in Youth is the largest research project to date completed by the Centre in 2009.

Selected Publications and Conference Presentations from the Youth Connectedness Research:

Crespo, C., Kielpikowski, M., Pryor, J., & Jose, P. E. (2011). Family rituals in New Zealand families: Links to family cohesion and adolescents' well-being. Journal of Family Psychology, 25(2), 184-193.

Crespo, C., Kielpikowski, M., Jose, P. E., & Pryor, J. (2010) Relationships between family connectedness and body satisfaction: A longitudinal study of adolescent boys and girls.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39, 1392-1401.

Jose, P. E., & Pryor, J. (2010). New Zealand youth benefit from being connected to their family, school, peer group and community.  Youth Studies Australia, 29, 30-37.

Jose, P. E., & Pryor, J. (2010). Does social connectedness lead to a greater sense of well-being in New Zealand adolescents? Findings from The Youth Connectedness Project. Psychology Aotearoa, 2(2), 94-97.

Jose, P. E., & Pryor, J. (November, 2010). New Zealand youth benefit from being connected to their family, school, peer group, and community. Invited paper presented at the INVOLVE conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

Jose, P. E. (2010, July). Is social connectedness a protective factor against maladjustment in adolescence? Symposium paper presented at the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD) conference, Lusaka, Zambia.

Fox, S., Jose, P., Kleeb, J., Ward, C., Wilson, M., & Pryor, J. (2008, July). Creating ourselves: Traditional and Ethnic Arts (TEA) participation and well being in New Zealand Youth and Māori/Pasifika performing arts. Poster presented at the International Congress of Psychology conference, Berlin, Germany.

Jose, P. E., & Pryor, J. (2008, March). Social connectedness and well-being in early adolescents. Paper presented at the biennial Society for Research in Adolescence conference, Chicago, IL USA.

Youth Connectedness Project Families and Whānau
Crespo, C.
Conference: Auckland University, 6 July 2009

Has your Family Changed? Young People's Accounts of Family Transitions
Pryor, J. & Crespo, C.
Conference: National Council of Family Relations (NCFR) Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, November 2008.

The prediction of well-being in early adolescents by four domains of social connectedness
Jose, P. E., & Pryor, J.
Conference: ISSBD Meeting, Wurzburg, Germany, 13-18 July, 2008.

How Do I Look? Links amongst body image, family functioning and parent-child relationships in teenage girls.
Crespo, C., Pryor, J., Kielpikowski, M., & Jose, P. E.
Conference: Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, 2008.

"What would you want to be when you grow up?"Links between family functioning and young people's aspirations/purpose in life.
Crespo, C., Jose, P. E., & Pryor, J.
Conference: Involve 08: Relate, Wellington, 2-3 July, 2008.

Adolescent Wellbeing and Connectedness to School, Family, Peers, and Community over Time
Jose, P. E., & Pryor, J.
Conference: Society of Australasian Social Psychologists, (SASP) Conference, Wellington, 27-30 March, 2008.

'Tea Time!' Family rituals and their links to family functioning and youth wellbeing
Crespo, C., Pryor, J., & Jose, P. E.
Conference: Society of Australasian Social Psychologists, (SASP) Conference, Wellington, 27-30 March, 2008.

Introduction to the Youth Connectedness Project
Jose, P. E.
Youth Connectedness Seminar, Victoria University of Wellington, October 2007

Family Data from the Youth Connectedness Project
Pryor, J.
Youth Connectedness Seminar, Victoria University of Wellington, October 2007

Family / Community Workshop - "Connectedness in Youth"
Pryor, J.
Youth Connectedness Seminar, Victoria University of Wellington, October 2007

School, Bullying & Technology
Kleeb, J.
Youth Connectedness Seminar, Victoria University of Wellington, October 2007

Stress and Coping by adolescents in the Youth Connectedness Project
Jose, P. E.
Youth Connectedness Seminar, Victoria University of Wellington, October 2007

Youth Connectedness Project: Methodology and dissemination strategies
Crespo, C., Pryor, J., Kleeb, J., & Jose, P. E.
Conference: 6th Australia and New Zealand Health Conference, September 2007.

A selection of results from Year 1 Data
Kleeb, J., Pryor, J., Crespo, C., & Jose, P. E.
Conference: 6th Australia and New Zealand Health Conference, September 2007.

Youth Connectedness Project: A Kaupapa Māori approach to understanding rangatahi Māori connectedness and wellbeing
Newman, K., Brown, T., Cooper, G., Penetito, W., Grootveld, C.,  & Gifford, M.
Conference: 6th Australia and New Zealand Health Conference, September 2007.

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Successful Stepfamily Functioning

NZ Longitudinal Study of Children and Families

Dr Jan Pryor is Leader of Family and Whanau domain of Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study. Data collections are complete for the antenatal phase and the 9-month follow-up and the 2-year follow-up is being piloted.  For recent developments please go to www.growingup.co.nz.

Families in Transition

This research directed by Dr. Jeremy Robertson began in late 2007 and was completed in 2009. Seminars aimed at a wide audience were held at the Wellington Convention Centre and at the Auckland University Tamaki Campus by the Roy McKenzie Centre and the Department of Psychology at Auckland University. Recent research on ‘Families in Transition’ was showcased and included presentations on parenting after separation, educational programmes for couples who separate, impact of parental separation on children and issues of stepfamily formation.

Evaluation of the Parenting Through Separation Programme

Jeremy Robertson and Jan Pryor have undertaken an evaluation of the Parenting Through Separation Programme for the Ministry of Justice. The Parenting Through Separation course is a brief educational programme for parents who are separated or considering separating. It provides parents with information on how to help children adjust to their parent's separation, how the Family Court works, and how to make parenting plans when parents separate. Jeremy and Jan talked to parents, programme providers and those who work with parents who are separating. The report is available from the Ministry of Justice website: http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/global-publications/e/evaluation-of-the-parenting-through-separation-programme/publication, also see Robertson, J. P. & Pryor, J (2011). Evaluation of an information program for separating parents, Journal of Family Studies, 17(1), 24-35.

Post Separation Parenting

(December 2007). Most couples who separate in New Zealand make their own decisions about living arrangements for their children, without going to the Family Court. What arrangements do parents make, and how do they make them? How do their decisions affect their children? These questions and others were the focus of research undertaken by Dr Jan Pryor and Dr Jeremy Robertson supported by the Families Commission.

Family Wellbeing - Confusions and Challenges

(2007). Dr. Jan Pryor. This paper addresses the questions "what is family?" and "what is wellbeing?". By identifying the functions and practices of families, we can then move toward an examination of wellbeing as it is linked to those aspects of families. Download Report

Beyond Demography: History, Rituals and Families in the Twenty-first Century.

(2006). Dr. Jan Pryor. This research was completed for the Families Commission, Blue Skies series.

Parental Decision Making

(2006). Dr. Jeremy Robertson completed reports on two pieces of research. One has examined the decisions parents make about the use of early childhood education, and has been completed for the Ministry of Education. The other piece of research looks at decisions about out-of-school care, and has been done for the Ministry of Social Development. The report is available on the Families Commission website.

Impact of Government Policies on Changes in Family Form

(November 2006). Dr. Jeremy Robertson and Dr. Jan Pryor. This review was completed for the Families Commission, examining the research literature on the impacts of government policies and services on changes in family form (e.g. marriage, dissolution, and fertility). This has been published by the Families Commission as Review of the empirical literature assessing the impacts of government policies on family form.

Children in Changing Family Structures

The discipline of developmental psychology can be characterised as the efforts to understand change in individuals from conception and throughout the lifespan. Impinging on individual change, and happening at an historically rapid rate, is change in the crucible of early individual development - the family. Paper by Jan Pryor (Word Doc - 56.5KB)
(July 2005 - Address to 14th Biennial Australasian Human Development Conference. Perth, Western Australia.)

Understanding and Responding Effectively to the Impact of Separation

In the past two decades there has been kaleidoscopic changes in the foci taken on issues to do with children and the law - particularly family law. As an underpinning, we have taken children's well-being and best interests seriously for a long time, and children have been seen as of primary concern in issues such as separation and divorce.
Paper by Dr. Jan Pryor (Word Document 62.5KB)
March 2005. Keynote address for Child Law Conference, Auckland.

Resilience in Stepfamilies

The project 'Resilience in Stepfamilies' was funded by the Ministry of Social Development. The study included 100 stepfamilies, and interviews with children, resident and non-resident parents, stepparents, and information from teachers. Project manager, Meg Dawson, did an impressive job in finding and arranging interviews with the families. The report is available from MSD www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/stepfamilies-resilience/.

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