This review focuses on how the expression of parental autonomy support (particularly the promotion of independence and volitional functioning) and its impact on adolescent adjustment varies across cultural groups in the United States. We review history involving the conceptualization of parental autonomy support and its impact on adolescent development, discuss cross‐cultural research focused on the expression and impact of autonomy support, review theoretical perspectives suggesting the importance of studying variability in parental autonomy support across cultural groups, and summarize research conducted in the United States across four racial/ethnic groups: European American, African American, Latinx, and Asian American. Much of this research does not adequately reflect current understanding regarding the forms of autonomy support, nor is it grounded in theoretical perspectives recognizing the role of culture in shaping parental behaviors. We conclude by discussing directions for further research to overcome existing shortcomings in this literature.

This review focuses on the measurement of parental autonomy support across different developmental periods. We begin with a summary of current theoretical perspectives on autonomy development and how they have informed the conceptualization of autonomy supportive parenting. We then discuss four different developmental periods (infancy/early childhood, middle childhood, early/middle adolescence, and late adolescence), summarizing developmental considerations for each and how such considerations have an impact on both the nature of autonomy support and how it is assessed. We hope that this information will serve as a resource for researchers who study parental autonomy support across a range of developmental periods, supporting them as they make measurement decisions.

No abstract

Parenting interventions have shown to be effective in improving parenting behaviors quality, reducing child behavior problems, and increasing overall family well-being. However, the majority of research on the effectiveness of parenting interventions has been conducted with a focus on White and Western populations. As a result, intervention designs and guidelines often fail to address the unique characteristics and experiences of Latino immigrant families, which in turn are likely to impact the implementation and effectiveness of parenting interventions. The current article identifies challenges and discusses strategies that we have found to be effective with respect to our experience implementing a parenting intervention with low-income Latino immigrant mothers in the United States. These include (a) language barriers, (b) recruitment of families, (c) retention of families, (d) building trust and community, and (e) integrating culture into parenting interventions.

This review focuses on the role of parental control in the sociocultural context of U.S. Latino families with young children in the 21st century. The review begins with a historical overview of the concept of parental control and a summary of theoretical approaches to the study of parenting in context. Associations between different forms of parental control and children’s adjustment are summarized, with special attention to cultural considerations and the role of maternal warmth in research involving Latino families. Variability and inconsistencies within the literature on parental control within this population are discussed. The review concludes by discussing future directions for research on this topic, and implications of this literature to move the field toward a better understanding of parenting behaviors and its effects on child functioning in families from different ethnic backgrounds in the 21st century.