The moderating role of adolescent personality in associations between psychologically controlling parenting and problem behaviors: A longitudinal examination at the level of within-person change.

Research increasingly demonstrates the detrimental effects of psychologically controlling parenting on children's adjustment. An important and practically relevant question is whether some children are more vulnerable for the effects of psychologically controlling parenting. In the current diary study, we investigated whether daily psychologically controlling parenting relates to children's daily externalizing and internalizing problems and whether these associations depend on child personality. A total of 206 children ( M age = 9.93 years; 46.6% female) along with their mothers and fathers ( M age = 40.30 and 42.40 years) participated in this multi–informant diary study. All three family members filled out a diary each day for seven days. Multilevel analyses indicated that daily maternal and paternal psychological control were positively related to daily externalizing and internalizing problems, a pattern that was fairly consistent across informants. Out of the 35 interactions tested, only three turned out to be significant. Overall, the limited number of interactions suggests that psychologically controlling parenting is generally detrimental to children's daily functioning. Still, children differ somewhat in their susceptibility to the effect of psychologically controlling parenting. © 2018 European Association of Personality Psychology

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Adolescent personality, problem behaviour and the quality of the parent–adolescent relationship

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.574 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 237-254 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Willeke A. Manders ◽

Ron H. J. Scholte ◽

Jan M. A. M. Janssens ◽

Eric E. J. De Bruyn

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Emotional Stability ◽

Problem Behaviour ◽

Adolescent Relationships ◽

Adolescent Relationship ◽

Internalizing Problem ◽

Moderating Role ◽

Adolescent Personality

The relationship between adolescent personality and problem behaviour has been well established. However, relatively little attention has been given to the role of the social environment in the association between adolescent personality and problem behaviour. We tested the mediating and moderating role of the quality of the parent–adolescent relationship in the associations between adolescents' personality traits and problem behaviour. The sample consisted of 140 adolescents (11 to 18 years of age) and both their parents. Results supported a mediating role of the father/mother–adolescent relationship in the associations between Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, and Conscientiousness and externalizing problem behaviour. The father/mother–adolescent relationships did not mediate the associations between personality traits and internalizing problem behaviour. We also found support for a moderating role of the father/mother–adolescent relationships in the association between Emotional Stability and both externalizing and internalizing problem behaviours. Other moderated effects were specific for parent, personality trait and type of problem behaviour. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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