Maternal and Paternal Psychological Control Dimensions: Relations with Adolescent Outcomes

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Parental psychological control (PC) is an emotionally manipulative parenting behavior that is used to control adolescents’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Barber, 1996). Although PC has consistently been associated with greater problematic outcomes during adolescence, few studies have explored this parenting construct in its conceptual fullness. The current study aimed to 1) examine the factor structure of items from three commonly used measures of psychological control for mothers and fathers, separately (Barber, 1996; Hart & Robinson, 1995; Olsen et al., 2002) and 2) determine whether resulting factors are uniquely associated with a range of adolescent outcomes including substance use, risky cyber behaviors, problem eating behaviors, depression, anxiety, delinquency, and aggression.

Participants were 406 adolescents (Mage=15.00, SD=1.64, range=11-19; 57.6% female; 85.7% White) who were recruited from their classrooms in two middle schools and two high schools in an Appalachian, southeastern region. Participants completed surveys assessing maternal/paternal PC, substance use, risky cyber behaviors, problematic eating behaviors, depression, anxiety, delinquency, and aggression (α = .72-.94) in their classrooms.

With regards to maternal PC, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) suggested that a three-factor solution provided the best fit to the data (χ2/df = 2.13, RMSEA = .05, [.044, .062], RMR = .08) and was composed of conceptually meaningful factors reflective of the underlying PC construct (Table 1). The first factor, invalidating feelings, included items assessing constraining verbal expressions and controlling thoughts and feelings. The second factor, personal attack, included statements concerning the parent inducing guilt and shaming the adolescent. The third factor, love withdrawal, contained items assessing withdrawing attention towards the adolescent. With regards to paternal PC, an EFA indicated that a one-factor solution provided the best fit to the data (χ2/df = 1.93, RMSEA = .05, [.042, .056], RMR = .07).

Two structural equation models were performed to examine the role of maternal and paternal PC factors on adolescent problematic outcomes (Table 2). Findings indicated that maternal love withdrawal was associated positively with substance use, delinquency, physical and relational aggression. Maternal invalidating feelings was associated with greater under-eating behaviors, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. Maternal personal attack was associated positively with over-eating behaviors. Additionally, findings suggested that paternal PC was associated positively with substance use, over-eating behaviors, under-eating behaviors, depressive and anxiety symptoms, delinquency, and relational aggression.

The current study is among the first to explore the factor structure of a range of PC measures that assess maternal and paternal PC, separately. An overarching take-away is that adolescents vary in how they perceive maternal and paternal PC, and thus, researchers should uniquely measure these constructs. Because the measurement of maternal and paternal psychological control has important implications for predicting outcomes, it is imperative that researchers consistently measure this construct across studies in order to most accurately and efficiently inform intervention. Findings support the idea that intervention efforts should be tailored to the specific parent or parents who are exhibiting the control and that the nature of this intervention will depend on the problematic outcome experienced.

Authors

• Katelyn Romm, George Washington University
  Presenting Author

• Lauren Alvis, The Hackett Center for Mental Health
  Non-Presenting Author