Autonomy-control variation in child rearing and level of alienation in young adults

Thirty-six young adults referred by professionals, and 60 university students selected by questionnaire, took part in studies investigating the relationship between autonomy-control variation in child rearing and level of alienation in young adults. Results disclosed that subjects coming from autonomy and intermediate families tended to report lower levels of alienation than those from control backgrounds. An interaction effect revealed that in females autonomy and intermediate levels of control were related to low alienation, while in males only the autonomy level showed this relationship. The relative contributions of powerlessness, normlessness, and social isolation to the total alienation scores were explored.