Families as Contexts for Adolescents’ Socioemotional Competencies: Contributions of the Nuclear Family and Grandparents

Extended families are a growing influence in adolescent development, including the nuclear family and grandparent–grandchild relationship; still, the simultaneous contribution of these relational contexts to the development of socioemotional competencies in adolescents remains underexplored. This study examined the role of perceived overall family satisfaction and family communication in explaining socioemotional competencies in adolescents, and the additional contribution of grandparent–grandchild relationship quality. Sex differences were also analyzed. A community-based sample of 189 adolescents aged 15–18 years (53.4% female) completed self-report measures on overall family satisfaction and communication, grandparent–grandchild relationship quality, and socioemotional competencies. Path analyses showed that family communication and satisfaction were positively associated with socioemotional competencies; grandparent–grandchild relationship quality showed a more specific association between love and esteem and social awareness. These findings support the relevance of relational experiences within families for adolescents’ socioemotional development and suggest that emotionally positive relationships with grandparents may provide an additional contribution, particularly in the social domain. They also point to the value of considering grandparent–grandchild relationships as a specific intergenerational context that may contribute to socially oriented aspects of socioemotional development.