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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Parenting Dimensions and Internalizing Difficulties in Italian and U.S. Emerging Adults: The Intervening Role of Autonomy and Relatedness
Maria Grazia Lo CricchioPasquale MussoCristiano IngugliaMindy R. GutowHui Jun LimCharissa S. L. CheahSonia IngogliaAlida Lo CocoFrancesca Ligasubject
media_common.quotation_subject050109 social psychologyDevelopmental psychologyEmerging adulthoodSettore M-PSI/04 - Psicologia Dello Sviluppo E Psicologia Dell'EducazioneParental autonomy supportParental autonomyPsychological controlDevelopmental and Educational Psychologymedicine0501 psychology and cognitive sciencesIntervening variableParental control Culture as moderator Emerging adulthood Parental autonomy supportLife-span and Life-course StudiesAssociation (psychology)Depressive symptomsmedia_commonAutonomy supportCulture as moderator05 social sciencesParental controlAnxietymedicine.symptomPsychologyIntervening variableAutonomy050104 developmental & child psychologyClinical psychologydescription
The present study examined the associations between emerging adults’ perceived parental psychological control and autonomy support, and their autonomy, relatedness and internalizing difficulties in Italy and the U.S. The participants included 494 Italian and 414 U.S. college students, between 18 and 28 years of age (Mean = 21.58, SD = 2.18). Our findings showed that dependency-oriented psychological control had no significant direct associations with autonomy, relatedness or internalizing difficulties. Moreover, the association between parental autonomy support and internalizing problems was fully intervened by autonomy and relatedness, whereas the association between achievement-oriented psychological control and anxiety and depressive symptoms was partially intervened by autonomy and relatedness. Finally, although parental psychological control and autonomy support had similar effects on maladjustment across the two countries, relatedness appeared to play a more central role as an intervening variable for anxiety in the Italian group than in the U.S. group. Overall, our findings highlighted the importance of examining parents’ contributions to emerging adults’ internalizing problems via autonomy support and psychological control across cultures.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-06-03 | Journal of Child and Family Studies |