Journal of Research on Adolescence

The Journal of Research on Adolescence (JRA) presents methodological and theoretical papers of the highest standards of scholarship. Studies are featured that use diverse methods including multivariate, longitudinal, demographic, clinical, ethnographic, and experimental analyses. Cross-national, cross-cultural, and studies of gender, ethnic, and racial diversity are of particular interest. Members of SRA receive the Journal four times per year, and are encouraged to submit original papers for peer review and publication. 

CALL FOR SPECIAL ISSUE SUBMISSIONS

Journal of Research on Adolescence
Special Issue on Network and Behavior Dynamics in Adolescence
Call for Manuscript Proposals

Guest Editor
René Veenstra, University of Groningen, the Netherlands

Guest Consulting Editors
Jan Kornelis Dijkstra, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Christian Steglich, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Maarten Van Zalk, Orebro University, Sweden

The goal of this special issue (8-10 articles) of Journal of Research on Adolescence is to give an overview of the use of stochastic actor orientated models for analyzing the joint interdependent dynamics of networks and behavior in adolescence. These models can be estimated by software called SIENA, Simulation Investigation for Empirical Network Analysis. It has proven to be a useful analytic tool for questions about selection (friends change but behavior stays similar) and influence (friends stay similar but behavior changes) effects, with as strengths that it models unobserved changes between observation points, controls for network structure effects, and takes dependencies in the data into account.

For this special issue we invite authors to look at selection and influence dynamics and its applications for adolescent adjustment. We seek contributions that derive testable hypotheses from different theoretical approaches and test these hypotheses empirically using innovative designs (longitudinal network data) and analyses (multivariate models). Besides questions about selection and influence dynamics, we hope that the authors also address additional questions, such as questions de-selection dynamics and questions about moderation and mediation processes in network and behavior dynamics. To provide a coherent focus to the special issue, we would like that authors build upon two recent review articles in this area:

• Brechwald, W. A., & Prinstein, M. J. (2011). Beyond homophily: A decade of advances in understanding peer influence processes. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21, 166-179.
• Veenstra, R., & Dijkstra, J. K. (2011). Transformations in adolescent peer networks. In B. Laursen & W. A. Collins (Eds.), Relationship pathways: From adolescence to young adulthood (chapter 7). New York: Sage (available at www.gmw.rug.nl/~veenstra/CV).