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The Relationship between Maternal Overprotection, Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Problems, and
Stijn Van Petegem1, Jean-Philippe Antonietti2, Cindy Eira Nunes2
1Family and Development Research Center (FADO), Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Stijn.VanPetegem@unil.ch.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|October 5, 2019
Summary
Discrepancies in perceived overprotective parenting between mothers and adolescents are linked to adolescent maladjustment. When adolescents feel more overprotected than their mothers report, it correlates with increased externalizing problems and psychological need frustration.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Parental behaviors significantly influence adolescent adjustment and psychological well-being.
- Discrepancies between parent and adolescent perceptions of parenting can lead to negative outcomes.
- Overprotective parenting is a specific parental behavior that warrants investigation into its effects on adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between overprotective parenting and adolescent internalizing/externalizing problems.
- To examine the link between overprotective parenting and the frustration of adolescents' psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness, competence).
- To consider both congruence and incongruence in adolescents' and mothers' reports of overprotective parenting.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 402 mother-adolescent dyads participated.
- Mothers and adolescents reported on mothers' overprotective parenting.
- Adolescents completed questionnaires on internalizing/externalizing problems and psychological need frustration.
- Data were analyzed using polynomial regressions with response surface analysis.
Main Results:
- Higher reports of overprotective parenting by both mothers and adolescents were associated with increased adolescent maladjustment and psychological need frustration.
- Incongruence between mother and adolescent reports of overprotection was linked to more externalizing problems and frustration of autonomy and relatedness needs.
- Adolescents perceiving higher overprotection than reported by mothers showed particularly heightened externalizing problems and need frustration.
Conclusions:
- Both shared and differing perceptions of overprotective parenting impact adolescent adjustment and psychological needs.
- The study highlights the critical role of considering multiple perspectives in understanding the effects of overprotective parenting.
- Addressing discrepancies in perceived overprotection may be crucial for mitigating adolescent maladjustment.
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