The Role of Discrepancies in Parent and Youth Reporting of Parental Monitoring on Anxiety Symptoms in Early Adolescence

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Parental control has been associated with increased risk for internalizing symptoms in adolescence. For example, higher levels of parental monitoring are associated with adolescent’s anxiety symptoms (Hamza & Willoughby, 2011). However, much of this work relies on a parent or an adolescent report of parent monitoring, and less research has focused on the agreement or discrepancy between parent and adolescent in reporting the amount of monitoring. The goal of this study is to explore the role of teen-parent discrepancy in parental monitoring and its association with adolescent’s anxiety symptoms.
Participants are drawn from an ongoing study of adolescent anxiety development. To date, we have collected Wave 1 data on 107 teens (approximately 50% female, Mage = 13.5). By spring 2021, we expect to have a sample of 180 teens and their parents. This study will use questionnaires from parents and adolescents to measure each construct of parental monitoring reported by both parent and adolescent and adolescent-reported anxiety symptoms. Monitoring will be measured by the Child Monitoring (CMO), and Child Monitoring parent report (CMOP) questionnaire (Kerr & Stattin, 2000). Anxiety will be measured using the Screened for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) (Birmaher, et.al. 1995). To get an understanding of parent-teen discrepancy, the questionnaires of the parent and the adolescent will be compared by calculating a difference score between the two reports. Planned analyses will include exploration of the data to determine cutoff points to create two groups: a low discrepancy group (reflecting a high agreement between parent and adolescent report) and a high discrepancy group (reflecting a low agreement).
Analyses will be conducted through a 3 (maternal monitoring: high, moderate, low) x 2 (teen-parent perceived discrepancy: high, low) Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). We will first test whether adolescent anxiety symptoms differ between high, moderate, and low levels of maternal monitoring. We will then test if teen-parent discrepancy has an effect on the differences in symptoms between the maternal monitoring groups.
As seen in Figure 1, it is hypothesized that adolescents who have a high level of monitoring or a low level of monitoring will have more anxiety symptoms than those who have a moderate level of maternal monitoring. It is also expected that a high discrepancy between mothers and teens will have a higher number of anxiety symptoms than a relationship with a lower discrepancy among high and low monitoring groups. Adolescents who have a closer relationship with their mothers with low rates of discrepancy are expected to have lower anxiety symptoms as compared to those who have a higher discrepancy with their mothers.












Figure 1:

Group Authors

Margaret Mary Burke
Dr. Kristen Buss
Dr. Meghan McDoniel

Authors

• Margaret Mary Burke, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Presenting Author

• Kristin A. Buss, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Non-Presenting Author

• Meghan Elizabeth McDoniel, Child Trends -Maryland
  Non-Presenting Author