Dynamics of psychological control in parent-youth relationships: A Simpson’s paradox in family processes
Refereed conference paper presented and published in conference proceedings
Full Text
There are no full text file(s) associated with this record. |
Other information
AbstractMost studies on psychological control (PC) in family relationships assume that parents are the perpetrators (e.g., Scharf & Goldner, 2018), thus emphasizing unidirectional and detrimental processes from parents' PC to youth outcomes. As youth enter adulthood and become increasingly powerful in directing family interactions (Arnett, 2014), they might also perpetrate these manipulative behaviors towards parents. Given inconsistencies in prior research, youth PC and parental PC may be either positively or negatively associated. Specifically, youth socialized in a coercive family context might pick up controlling tactics from parents. In the long run, these problematic interactions might perpetuate a positive link between parental PC and youth PC (Butkovic & Bratko, 2007). Alternatively, PC might be a means that youth use to assert their personal agency and desire for control in family interactions (e.g., Ledbetter & Vik, 2012). As such, youth PC may serve a 'protective' function that potentially diminishes parents' power and prevents future coercive parenting. In fact, predictions with different valences may hold true, since power dynamics within a family may be distinct from the averaged differences between families (i.e., a Simpson's paradox, Keijsers, 2016). This longitudinal, multi-informant study examined the between-family and within-family associations between youth PC and maternal PC in an Asian context (i.e., Hong Kong).
Emerging adults (N = 349; MT1age = 18.20; 39.8% male) and their mothers (MT1age = 49.10) completed four assessments, at the beginnings and ends of two consecutive college semesters. Youth reported perceived maternal PC and mothers reported perceived youth PC. Random Intercept Cross-lagged Panel Modeling (RI-CLPM; Fig. 1) showed a positive link between maternal and youth PC at the between-family level; when youth perceived their mothers as more controlling than other youth, their mothers also perceived children as more controlling than other mothers. At the within-family level, greater youth PC predicted decreases in later maternal PC; mothers who perceived youth as more controlling than usual were, according to adolescents, less controlling than usual later on. Within-family paths from maternal PC to later youth PC were not significant. This study represents a departure from most PC studies and offers a novel interpretation of how power struggles and flows in family relationships. Youth play an active role in leading family interactions that align with their developmental needs for great power, which may challenge controlling parenting. The results also provide empirical evidence for the existence of Simpson's paradox in family dynamics.
Emerging adults (N = 349; MT1age = 18.20; 39.8% male) and their mothers (MT1age = 49.10) completed four assessments, at the beginnings and ends of two consecutive college semesters. Youth reported perceived maternal PC and mothers reported perceived youth PC. Random Intercept Cross-lagged Panel Modeling (RI-CLPM; Fig. 1) showed a positive link between maternal and youth PC at the between-family level; when youth perceived their mothers as more controlling than other youth, their mothers also perceived children as more controlling than other mothers. At the within-family level, greater youth PC predicted decreases in later maternal PC; mothers who perceived youth as more controlling than usual were, according to adolescents, less controlling than usual later on. Within-family paths from maternal PC to later youth PC were not significant. This study represents a departure from most PC studies and offers a novel interpretation of how power struggles and flows in family relationships. Youth play an active role in leading family interactions that align with their developmental needs for great power, which may challenge controlling parenting. The results also provide empirical evidence for the existence of Simpson's paradox in family dynamics.
Acceptance Date07/12/2023
All Author(s) ListPeng S., Hawk S.T.
Name of Conference2024 Society for Research on Adolescence Annual Meeting
Start Date of Conference18/06/2024
End Date of Conference20/06/2024
Place of ConferenceChicago
Country/Region of ConferenceUnited States of America
Year2024
LanguagesEnglish-United States
