Longitudinal links between father-daughter and mother-daughter relationship quality and adolescent adjustment among low-income families

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

An extensive body of research has demonstrated the importance of adolescent relationships with mothers and fathers in predicting adjustment (Waizenhofer et al., 2004). For instance, research has shown that warm and supportive relationships with mothers and fathers to be linked to adolescent academic achievement and adjustment (Hair et al., 2009; Wang & Sheikh-Khalil, 2014). While evidence has indicated that relationships with parents are linked to several critical adolescent outcomes, less is understood whether relationships with mothers are uniquely and significantly related to adolescent adjustment after controlling for father-daughter relationships (i.e., incremental effects). The goal of the present longitudinal study was to examine the link between mother-daughter relationships (i.e., involvement, openness) and adolescent adjustment (i.e., internalizing problems, school grades, self-esteem) after controlling for father-daughter relationships using a sample of predominantly low-income and ethnic minority families.

The sample consisted of 171 adolescent girls (M age = 13.58; range = 12-17 years, 24.6% European American, 75.4% racial/ethnic minorities) and parents (81.3% biological mothers; Median annual income = $27,300; 42.1% single parents; 47.4% living below poverty line) who were part of a study focused on predictors and outcomes of emotion regulation. At Time 1, data were collected during lab assessments in which adolescents separately reported on two dimensions of their relationships with their mothers and fathers: parental involvement and openness. At Time 2 (two years later), adolescent adjustment was based on parent and youth reports of school grades and adolescent reports of internalizing problems and self-esteem.

Findings indicated that father involvement was negatively and significantly related to internalizing problems (see Table 1). After controlling for father-daughter relationships, mother-daughter relationships explained a significant percentage of variance in internalizing problems, school grades, and self-esteem. Specifically, high levels of mother involvement were significantly related to low levels of adolescent internalizing problems. Moreover, mother-daughter openness was positively and significantly related to adolescent self-esteem.
Although the results indicated that both mother and father involvement significantly predicted youth internalizing symptoms, the findings demonstrated that mother-daughter relationships were significant and incremental predictors of adolescent adjustment after controlling for father-daughter relationships. Given that adolescence is a period marked by a number of key developmental transformations within the adolescent and within the adolescent-parent relationship, these findings suggest that girls’ relationships with their mothers may serve as unique contexts for socialization during adolescence. It is possible that among low-income and ethnic minority families, mothers may play critical roles in the lives of their daughters in shaping their moods, academic achievement, and overall feelings of self-worth. In sum, the findings from the current longitudinal student demonstrated that active mother involvement and open and mutual responsive relationships may promote more adaptive outcomes among girls from at-risk backgrounds after controlling for father-daughter relationships.

Authors

• Erin Wood, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author

• Michael M Criss, Oklahoma State University - Stillwater
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lixian Cui, NYU Shanghai
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amanda Sheffield Morris, Oklahoma State University - Tulsa
  Non-Presenting Author