I won’t obey!: Psychologically Controlling Parenting and (Non)-Clinical Adolescents’ Responses to Rule-setting

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined associations between maternal psychologically controlling parenting and adolescents’ responses to rule-setting, as well as the link between both study variables and adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems. Method: Both clinical and non-clinical adolescents reported upon maternal psychological control, responses to rule-setting (i.e., oppositional defiance, submissive compliance, negotiation, accommodation), and both adolescents and mothers reported upon adolescents’ problems. Results: Perceived psychological control related positively to adolescents’ oppositional defiance and submissive compliance and negatively to negotiation and accommodation. Further, an integrated path model indicated that psychological control related to externalizing problems via oppositional defiance and to internalizing problems via submissive compliance. Conclusions: Psychological control relates to different types of problem behaviors via diverse responses to maternal rule-setting. The discussion emphasizes the importance for future prevention and intervention programs to focus on both parenting and on adolescents’ active contribution to their socialization process