Feeling disrespected by parents: Refining the measurement and understanding of psychological control

Abstract

This study investigated parental psychological control of adolescents when construed as disrespect of individuality. First, 120 adolescents from 5 cultures were interviewed and asked to identify specific parental behaviors that communicated to them that they were disrespected as individuals. The interview data were coded and 8 new survey items were constructed to reflect key content. These items were then administered to 2100 adolescents in the same cultures along with a traditional measure of psychological control (PCS). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that model fit was better when the two scales were kept separate, across culture and sex of parent. In structural equation models, the new scale – labeled Psychological Control – Disrespect – accounted for all and more of the variance in youth depression and antisocial behavior than the PCS did. The discussion centers on the validation the study makes of the construct and offers several suggestions for future research.

Parenting Practices and Quality of Life in Dutch and Portuguese Adolescents: A Cross-Cultural Study // Prácticas parentales y calidad de vida en adolescentes holandeses y portugueses: Un estudio transcultural

“…Una posible explicación es que las diferencias culturales entre Portugal y los Países Pajos no son tan acentuadas como las de otros estudios que compararon culturas individualistas y colectivistas (Barber, Xia, Olsen, McNeely, y Bose, 2012;Soenens, Park, Vansteenkiste, y Mouratidis, 2012). En síntesis, las prácticas parentales parecen jugar un papel importante para explicar la CdV de los adolescentes independientemente del contexto.…”

“…Algunos estudios justifican la ausencia de relación entre disciplina severa y bienestar adolescente por la influencia de otras variables contextuales (p. e., la calidad del vecindario, la cohesión familiar) como moderadores de esta interacción (Roche et al, 2010). Una posible explicación de la falta de poder predictivo del control psicológico en la CdV es la dificultad para conceptualizar y medir este constructo (Barber et al, 2012;Soenens et al, 2012).…”

Maternal Psychological Control, Use of Supportive Parenting, and Childhood Depressive Symptoms

“…Consistent with Barber's notion that psychological control is detrimental to a child's selfdefinition, self-efficacy, and identity (Barber et al, 2012), stress-process theory may best explain the impact of competing parenting practices on child depressive symptoms. Stress-process theory asserts that life events and chronic strains are more likely to result in distress when they function to diminish the self (Pearlin, Menaghan, Lieberman, & Mullan, 1981).…”

“…Considering the feelings of guilt, self-responsibility, dependency, low self-esteem, and depressed affect that often characterize the experience of psychological control (Barber, 1996), researchers have largely explored its relation to anxiety and depression. Barber et al (2012) proposed that the chief mechanism leading to such negative outcomes is the derogation of the child's self-definition, self-efficacy, and identity.…”

“…Recent research on psychological control has adopted Barber's expanded definition, further differentiating the three major components of the construct: manipulation and coercion, intrusion into the personal domain, and disrespect (Barber, Xia, Olsen, McNeely, & Bose, 2012). …”