Adolescent-Family Connectedness among Arabs

Abstract

The Multigenerational Interconnectedness Scale was administered to 2,893 Arab adolescents in eight Arab societies. Results show that adolescent-family connectedness differs significantly across the Arab societies. Arabs scored higher in emotional, financial, functional, and total connectedness than Americans. Female adolescents were more connected than male adolescents in all three kinds of connectedness. A low but significant effect of urbanization was found on emotional and financial connectedness. First-born adolescents scored higher in financial connectedness. Further studies that employ additional tools such as interviews, observations, and parents' self-report are needed.