Poster #150 - The Mediating and Moderating Role of Attachment in the Relation Between Parental Control and Child Symptomology

• In Event: 3-206 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

A secure caregiver attachment has been related to numerous positive outcomes in childhood such as greater well-being, whereas an insecure attachment relationship has been related to child internalizing and externalizing symptoms (Muris et al., 2003). Research indicates that controlling parenting undermines the security of parent-child attachment, which in turn may relate to symptomatology development (Brumariu & Kerns, 2010). Additionally, higher maternal control was associated with externalizing problems for insecure, but not securely attached adolescents (Allen et al., 1998).

This study used a Self-Determination Theory framework, which suggests that parental control (coercion, pressure) undermines children’s need for autonomy and therefore negatively impacts child outcomes (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Controlling parenting was broken into internal (guilt-induction, love-withdrawal) and external (yelling/demanding, rewards/punishment) control. This resulted in two hypothesized models in which internally and externally controlling parenting undermine attachment security, which are in turn associated with child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, respectively (See Figures 1, 2). We then examined whether attachment moderates the effects of internal and external control on child symptomatology.

Participants were 117 5th and 6th graders (mean age 11.07) who reported on controlling parenting, (Grolnick & Wellborn, 1988) anxiety, (Reynolds & Richmond, 1978), depression (Kovacs, 1981), and externalizing behaviors (Cook, 1986).

The internal control mediation model was a good fit, χ2(38) = 59.50, p < .05, GFI = .92, CFI = .95, RMSEA = .07. Results showed that there was a significant indirect effect of parent guilt induction on child depression (B = .15, 95% CI [.02, .15], p = .011) and anxiety (B = .07, 95% CI [.01, .09], p = .020) through attachment. There was also a significant indirect effect of parent love withdrawal on child depression (B = .13, 95% CI [.00, .29], p = .044) and anxiety (B = .06, 95% CI [.00, .15], p = .068) through attachment. The external control model was a good fit (χ2(31) = 43.71, p < .10, GFI = .94, CFI = .98, RMSEA = .06), and revealed a significant indirect effect of parent yelling/demanding on child externalizing through attachment (B = .23, 95% CI [.03, .18], p = .002).

Regression analyses revealed that attachment moderated the relation between yelling/demanding and child externalizing (t = 2.26, p < .05, β = .35). Simple slopes analyses showed that there was a positive relation between yelling/demanding and externalizing only for children with an insecure attachment, (t = 2.35, p < .05, β = .33) while this relation was not significant for children with a secure attachment. Attachment moderated the relation between love withdrawal and child externalizing (t = 2.43, p < .05, β = .26), indicating there was a positive relation between love withdrawal and externalizing (t = 2.24, p < .05, β = .31) only for children with an insecure attachment.

Mediation results highlighted the important role of attachment security in understanding the complex relation between controlling parenting and child symptomology. Moderation results revealed that when children lack a secure attachment relationship, the negative effects of controllingness on externalizing behaviors are strongest.

Authors

• Madeline Levitt, Clark University
  Presenting Author

• Wendy Grolnick, Clark University
  Non-Presenting Author