Authors

• Pulkkinen, Lea (University of Jyväskylä. Department of Psychology)

Keywords

adolescents, childhood, drug addiction, expectation, family life, housing, interpersonal relations, parent-child relationship, parents, partnerships (personal), personal identity, smoking, spouses, upbringing, vocational education

Abstract

The data are part of the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS), in which the same individuals have been followed over 30 years. The themes in the interviews of 20-year-olds corresponded to the themes in the interviews of 14-year-olds, which were conducted at an earlier research stage. The themes included the respondents' current family, relationship with parents and the upbringing provided by them, becoming self-sufficient, relationship with peers and the opposite sex, use of drugs, education, and future expectations. No predetermined response categories were used. The recorded interviews were classified numerically only afterwards, when it was possible to observe the whole range of responses. The original open-ended answers are available in the data set "FSD2202 Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS): Interviews of 20-Year-Olds 1980: Text Data". The research stage also includes self-ratings and free time activity questionnaires of 20-year-olds.

First, the respondents were asked about the size of their primary family and the age of their parents and siblings. The stability of housing and the reason for the last change of residence were canvassed. The respondents were also asked whether their parents worked and what kind of working hours they had. Some questions pertained to child day care, the family's financial situation, and the health of family members. The respondents' relationship with their parents was charted by asking them to indicate how much they discuss various issues with their parents, whether their parents trust them, and whether their parents give them support and guidance. Opinions on the parents' mutual relationship and the respondents' relationship with other family members and relatives were canvassed. The respondents' self-sufficiency was charted by asking them how they experienced living at home or elsewhere, whether their parents supported them financially, and whether their parents influenced their decisions. The respondents' main activity was queried, as well as when they had moved away from home and how often they communicated with their parents.

The respondents' relationship with their peers was investigated by asking them about the number of friends they had, how close they were, and how long they had been friends. Further questions covered themes such as smoking, alcohol and drug use, leisure, dating, premarital sex, and marriage.

In view of education, the respondents were asked about their situation after completing primary school and their choice of career. They were asked to assess the satisfaction with their choices and study success. The respondents who were employed were asked whether their work matched their education, whereas the respondents who were unemployed were asked about the duration of unemployment and its effect on their mood. Some questions pertained to the completion of military service and future expectations.

In relation to the respondents' upbringing, they were asked whether their parents knew what they did in their leisure time, and whether their parents had used corporal punishment. The respondents also assessed whether their parents had had enough time for them in childhood, whether their opinion was taken into account in decision making, and whether their parents had justified the rules they had made. The respondents' views on their self-image, their satisfaction with themselves, and their parents' influence on their self-image were charted.

The background variables included the 20-year-old's gender.