Internal and External Parental Control: Associations with Children’s Symptomatology and Self-Related and Relational Outcomes

• In Event: 2-027 - Understanding the Complexity of Parental Control: Definitions, Measures, Outcomes, and Moderators

Integrative Statement

According to Self-Determination Theory (SDT), controlling parenting pressures children towards specific behaviors, which undermines their need for autonomy (Grolnick & Ryan, 1989). Controlling parenting has been examined as both psychological control which is more covert, and harsh parenting which is more overt, and has been related to negative outcomes in children including anxiety, depression, and externalizing behaviors (Barber, 1996; Chang et al., 2003). Soenens and Vansteenkiste (2010) distinguished between parenting strategies aimed at controlling the child with harsh words and external contingencies, labeled external control, and those that cause children to pressure themselves, labeled internal control.

This study used an SDT framework to further examine these different types of controlling parenting, including internal (guilt induction and love-withdrawal) and external (yelling/demanding and rewards/punishment) control. We examined whether these different types of parenting could be measured as separate constructs, and whether they showed unique relations with children’s symptomatology (internalizing and externalizing) and other self-related and relational outcomes (self-regulation, attachment, self-worth). Finally, we examined whether self- and other-related variables mediated relations between controlling parenting and child symptoms.

Participants were 117 5th and 6th graders (mean age 11.07; 51% European American, 32% Asian, 3% Hispanic or Latino, 14% other). Students reported on controlling parenting, (Grolnick & Wellborn, 1988) anxiety, (Reynolds & Richmond, 1978), depression (Kovacs, 1981), externalizing behaviors (Cook, 1986), self-regulation (Ryan & Connell, 1989), attachment (Gullone & Robinson, 2005), and self-worth (Harter, 1982).

Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that guilt induction, love withdrawal, yelling/demanding, and rewards/punishment could be measured separately. The model showed good fit, χ2(67) = 94.86, χ2/df = 1.42, IFI = .97, CFI = .97, RMSEA = .06. The four control variables were highly related (rs = .4-.6), and therefore were not combined into two higher order factors of internal and external control.

When all four types of control were examined simultaneously in regressions, guilt induction was uniquely associated with higher child depression (t = 2.27, p < .05, β = .28) and anxiety (t = 2.35, p < .05, β = .29). Rewards/punishment was uniquely associated with higher child anxiety (t = 1.99, p = .05, β = .28). None of the control measures uniquely predicted child externalizing. Use of rewards/punishment uniquely predicted children’s less autonomous self-regulation (t = -2.56, p < .05, β = -.36). Guilt induction (t = -3.24, p < .01, β = -.32) and yelling/demanding (t = -1.97, p = .05, β = -.27) negatively predicted children’s attachment (See Tables 1, 2). Attachment mediated the positive relations between guilt induction and love withdrawal, and children’s anxiety and depression. Attachment also mediated the positive relation between yelling/demanding and child externalizing, while child self-regulation mediated the positive relation between rewards/punishment and child externalizing.

Results revealed that these four types of controlling parenting could be measured as unique constructs. Certain types of control uniquely predicted child outcomes, indicating the importance of further differentiating the various types of control. Mediation analyses highlighted the important role of attachment security in understanding how controlling parenting may exert negative effects on children’s adjustment.

Authors

• Madeline Levitt, Clark University
  Presenting Author

• Wendy Grolnick, Clark University
  Non-Presenting Author