Transcript Parental Advice Giving and Psychological Control

Parental Advice Giving and Psychological Control:
Links to Close Friendships and
Behavioral Outcomes in Early Adolescence
Jessica Meyer
Heather Tencer
Felicia Smith
Jennifer Haynes
University of Virginia
Society for Research in Adolescence
March 2004
Abstract
Many parents struggle with the desire to provide guidance during the
transition to adolescence, yet also remain sensitive to adolescents’ desire
to develop autonomy. There is a wealth of evidence that indicates that
autonomy-undermining methods of parental influence relate to negative
outcomes in adolescents. However, less is known about the implications
of parental behaviors that attempt to influence adolescents while still
supporting their individuation. The current study begins this process by
examining the ways in which attempts at influence via psychological
control versus advice-giving diverge in their prediction of social and
behavioral outcomes for adolescents. Data were obtained on a sample of
185 adolescents at ages 13 and 14, their friends, and their parents.
Results revealed that higher levels of parental advice-giving were linked
to less adolescent depression, drug/alcohol use, and delinquency. In
contrast, psychological control was linked to more adolescent depression
and delinquency and weaker teen/parent relationships. Interestingly,
both psychological control and advice-giving were associated with
weaker teen/peer relationships over the one-year period.
Introduction
 Psychological control is a type of behavior in which the parent
attempts to control the child’s or adolescent’s behavior through
psychological means, such as guilt induction and manipulation
(Schaefer, 1965).
 Psychological control has been linked with:
High rates of externalizing behaviors, including delinquency
and drug/alcohol use (Gray & Steinberg, 1999; Pettit & Laird, 2002)
High rates of internalizing behaviors, including depression,
anxiety, and poor self-confidence (Barber, 1996; Conger, Conger, &
Scaramella, 1997)
 Although undermining adolescents’ autonomy carries the risk of
impeding adolescents’ separation from parents and progress into
the peer world, little is known about the effects of psychological
control on adolescents’ relations with parents or peers.
Introduction (cont’d)
 In contrast, supportive styles of parental involvement foster the
individuation process and relate to positive psychological
outcomes in adolescence (Barber & Erickson, 2001).
 However, supportive adolescent-parent processes involve
minimal attempts to influence youth behavior per se.
 Interestingly, little is known about the behaviors that parents
use to influence their adolescents, while still supporting their
individuation (e.g., without intrusiveness, strict regulation or
manipulation).
Central Questions
1.
Do parents exert influence over the behavior of their
adolescents simply by providing advice and suggestions,
and how does this influence compare to the effects of
psychological control on the behavioral outcomes of
adolescents?
2.
How do parental attempts at influence via advice-giving
differ from psychological control in their prediction of
social developmental outcomes?
3.
Will youth perceive these methods of parental influence
as autonomy-promoting or autonomy-undermining?
Method
Sample characteristics. Data were collected from 185
adolescents (53% female), their close friends, and their
parents, who were recruited from a public middle school.
Adolescents were 13 years of age at Time 1 of the study and
14 years at Time 2. The sample was composed of Caucasians,
African-Americans, and other minorities (58%, 29%, and
13%, respectively). The median family income was $43,700,
with a range of $2,500 to over $70,000.
Method (cont’d)
Parenting measures. The Childhood Report of Parenting
Behavior Inventory (CRPBI) was used to assess both
adolescent and maternal reports of maternal psychological
control (Schaefer, 1965). The Ways Parents Influence
Questionnaire (WPIQ) was used to assess both adolescent
and maternal reports of parental advice-giving (Allen & Hall,
2000).
 Sample Items - Childhood Report of Parenting Behavior Inventory
My mother would like to be able to tell me what to do all the time.
My mother is less friendly with me if I do not see things her way.
 Sample Items - Ways Parents Influence Questionnaire
My parents explain to me who I should hang out with and what I
should do with my friends.
Method (cont’d)
Friendship measure. The Supportive Behavior Task (SBT) was used
to measure adolescents’ and their friends’ behaviors during a
discussion (Allen et al., 2003). Each adolescent was asked to talk
about a problem with their friend for a period of 6 minutes. These
interactions were videotaped and subsequently coded.
Parent/adolescent relationship measure. The Supportive Behavior
Task (SBT) was also used to measure adolescents’ and their
parents’ behaviors during an 8-minute discussion about a problem.
Engagement - How well the adolescent is engaged with their friend (e.g., eye contact,
listening, asking questions).
Receptivity - Extent that the friend understands the concern raised by the adolescent and
the adolescent feels satisfied with the friend’s attempts to address the problem.
Warmth - A sum score of three behaviors: warmth/mutual liking, engagement, and
receptivity.
Method (cont’d)
Depression measure. A version of the Childhood Depression
Inventory (CDI) was used to assess adolescents’ self-reported
depressive symptoms (Kovacs & Beck, 1977).
Delinquency measure. The Child Behavior Checklist-Youth SelfReport (YSR) was used to assess delinquent behavior in this
sample (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1987). The adolescents were asked to
rate how well six delinquent behaviors applied to them during the
previous six months.
Method (cont’d)
Drug/alcohol use measure. Drug and alcohol use was measured in this
sample using the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (Harter,
1988). Adolescents and their friends completed the measure about
the target adolescents’ behaviors.
Autonomy measure. Autonomy and relatedness were measured using
the Autonomy and Relatedness Observational Coding System (Allen
et al., 1996). Each adolescent was asked to talk about an area of
disagreement with their mother for a period of 8 minutes. These
interactions were videotaped and subsequently coded.
Positive Autonomy – How well the adolescent demonstrates independence (e.g.,
stating reasons clearly for disagreeing, showing confidence in stating opinions).
Results
Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to assess parental
psychological control and advice-giving as predictors of:
(1) change over time in teen and peer reports of teen drug/alcohol
use, and teen self-reports of delinquency and depression
(2) change over time in observed supportive behaviors of teens and
their peers
(3) observed supportive behaviors of teens and their mothers
(4) observed autonomy of teen with their mothers
Gender, age, and minority status were included as covariates in
each regression model.
Means and Standard Deviations
Variables
M (SD) - Wave 1
M (SD) - Wave 2
Parental Advice-giving
2.90 (0.57)
------
Maternal Psychological
Control
14.81 (2.98)
------
5.65 (2.03)
5.67 (2.07)
Drug/Alcohol Use
Delinquency
Depression
1.49 (1.57)
6.50 (5.45)
1.18 (1.42)
5.59 (5.27)
Dyadic Warmth
(Teen/Peer)
2.50 (0.68)
2.39 (0.73)
Dyadic Engagement
(Teen/Peer)
2.53 (0.73)
2.52 (0.76)
Dyadic Receptivity
(Teen/Peer)
2.98 (0.70)
3.05 (0.76)
Dyadic Engagement
(Teen/Mother)
2.63 (0.78)
------
Dyadic Receptivity
(Teen/Mother)
2.87 (0.88)
------
Positive Autonomy
3.30 (1)
------
Results: Predicting Adolescent Behavioral Outcomes
Behavioral/psychological outcomes. Adolescents who received
more psychological control from their mothers reported more
depressive symptoms and more delinquent behaviors than other
adolescents. In contrast, parental advice-giving was related to
less delinquency, less drug/alcohol use, and less depression.
Step 1.
Gender
Age
Minority status
Statistics from
step
Delinquency
β
R2
ΔR2
.07
.18*
.17*
.07** .07**
Depression
β
R2
ΔR2
.08
.17*
.10
.04+ .04+
Step 2.
.30***
Psychological
.23**
Control
.14*** .07***
Statistics from
.09** .05**
step
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05, +p≤.10
Ns range from 181 to 182 due to missing data.
Results: Predicting Adolescent Behavioral Outcomes
Step 1.
Gender
Age
Minority status
Statistics from
step
Drug/Alcohol Use
β
R2
ΔR2
-.12
.21**
.00
Delinquency
β
R2
ΔR2
-.14*
-.03
-.02
.25***
.25***
Depression
β
R2
ΔR2
.08
.05
-.03
.18***
Step 2. Advice- -.30***
-.19*
giving
.32*** .07***
.20***
Statistics from
step
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05, +p≤.10
Ns range from 132 to 173 due to missing data.
.18***
.06*
.06*
-.22***
.02*
.50*** .44***
Results: Predicting Adolescent Friendship Outcomes
Friendship outcomes. Maternal psychological control was
related to adolescents and their friends demonstrating less
warmth, less receptivity, and less engagement over time.
Likewise, advice-giving was linked to adolescents and
their friends demonstrating less warmth and less
receptivity over time.
Warmth
Receptivity
2
2
β
R
ΔR
β
R2
ΔR2
Step 1. Gender .19**
.12
Age
.14+
.10
Minority status -.11
-.18*
.19*** .19***
Statistics from
.10** .10**
step
Engagement
β
R2
ΔR2
.19*
.13
-.12
Step 2.
-.20*
Psychological
Control
Statistics from
.23*** .04*
step
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05, +p≤.10
N=155 due to missing data
-.23**
-.18*
.12**
.02*
.17***
.17***
.23*** .06**
Results: Predicting Adolescent Friendship Outcomes
Step 1. Gender
Age
Minority
status
Statistics from step
Warmth (Dyadic)
β
R2
ΔR2
.19**
.14+
-.11
Receptivity (Dyadic)
β
R2
ΔR2
.12
.10
-.18*
.19***
.10**
.10**
.13**
.03*
Step 2. Advice-.16*
giving
Statistics from step
.21***
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05, +p<.10
N=155 due to missing data
.19***
-.19*
.02*
Results: Predicting Parent/Adolescent Outcomes
Parent/adolescent relationships. Maternal psychological control
was related to adolescents and their parents demonstrating less
engagement and less receptivity in an interaction task.
Step 1. Gender
Age
Minority status
Statistics from
step
Engagement
Receptivity
2
2
β
R
ΔR
β
R2
ΔR2
.10
.07
-.07
-.11
-.38***
-.25***
.15* .15**
.08** .08**
**
*
Step 2.
-.21**
Psychological
Control
Statistics from
.20* .05**
step
**
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05, +p<.10
N = 161 due to missing data
-.24**
.13***
.05**
Results: Predicting Adolescent Autonomy with Mother
Adolescent autonomy with parents. Parental advice-giving was
related to adolescents demonstrating less positive autonomy with
their mothers, while psychological control was not related to
adolescent autonomy.
Step 1.
Gender
Age
Minority
status
Statistics from
step
Positive Autonomy
β
R2 ΔR2
.05
.03
.30***
.09**
.09**
-.22**
Step 2.
AdviceGiving
.13*** .04***
Statistics from
Step
***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05, +p<.10
N=155 due to missing data
Discussion
 In sum, this study provides initial support for the idea that parental advicegiving is related to both behavioral and social developmental outcomes in
adolescents.
 This study indicates that parental advice-giving is related to improvements in
adolescents’ psychological functioning, while psychological control is related
to declines in adolescents’ psychological functioning over a one-year period.
 However, both parental advice-giving and psychological control are related to
declines in adolescents’ social functioning over a one-year period.
 Parental advice-giving diminishes positive autonomy in adolescence, which
may prohibit teens’ successful transition into the peer group and disrupt teens’
relationships with their friends. Psychological control is linked to negative
relatedness in adolescent/parent relationships, which may carry over and
negatively affect teens’ relatedness with their peers.
References
Achenbach, T.M., & Edelbrock, C. (1987). Manual for the youth self report and profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
Allen, J.P. & Hall, F.D. (2000). Ways Parents Influence Questionnaire. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia,
Department of Psychology.
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University of Virginia.
Allen, J.P. Hauser, S., Bell, K. L., Boykin, K.A., & Tate, D.C. (1996). Autonomy and relatedness coding system manual. Unpublished manuscript. University of
Virginia, Charlottesville.
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge support from the National Institute of
Mental Health and Joseph Allen (Principal Investigator) for the
conduct and write-up of this study.
Copies of this poster and related work in our lab are available at
http://faculty.virginia.edu/allen.