Over-Time Changes in Adjustment and Competence among Adolescents from Authoritative, Authoritarian, Indulgent, and Neglectful Families

Abstract

DARLING, NANCY; MOUNTS, NINA S.; and DORNBUSCH, SANFORD M , Over-Time Changes in Adjustment and Competence among Adolescents from Authoritative, Authoritarian, Indulgent, and Neglectful Families. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1994, 65, 754-770. In a previous report, we demonstrated that adolescents' adjustment varies as a function of their parents' style (e.g., authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, neglectful). This 1-year followup was conducted in order to examine whether the observed differences are maintained over time. In 1987, an ethnically and socioeconomically heterogeneous sample of approximately 2,300 14-18-year-oIds provided infomiation used to classify the adolescents' families into 1 of 4 parenting style groups. That year, and again 1 year later, the students completed a battery of standardized instruments tapping psychosocia! development, school achievement, internalized distress, and behavior problems. Differences in adjustment associated with variations in parenting are either maintained or increase over time. However, whereas the benefits of authoritative parenting are largely in the maintenance of previous levels of high adjustment, the deleterious consequences of neglectful parenting continue to accumulate.

It takes two to tango: How parents’ and adolescents’ personalities link to the quality of their mutual relationship.

“…Consistent with this finding, the trend toward a negative association between conscientiousness and restrictive control became stronger with age. This may be because more conscientious individuals (vs. less conscientious individuals) are more adept at self-regulation, which is required to deal with increasing expectations to act more autonomously (Steinberg, Lamborn, Darling, Mounts, & Dornbusch, 1994). If adolescents' levels of self-regulation do not match these expectations, parents may react by exerting more restrictive control.…”

Growth in temperament and parenting as predictors of adjustment during children's transition to adolescence.

“…Parenting behaviors related to warmth and control have been shown to shape infant and child characteristics, as well (e.g., Eisenberg et al, 1999;Lerner & Galambos, 1985;Steinberg, Lamborn, Darling, Mounts, & Dornbusch, 1994). Parent behaviors are related to changes in child negative emotionality.…”

Psychosocial Outcomes of Urban African American Adolescents Born to Teenage Mothers

“…First, it is possible that other factors may be more relevant for adolescent outcomes than mother's age when they were born. Family relationships (Chatters, Taylor, & Jayakody, 1994;Salem, Zimmerman, & Notaro, 1998;Stice, Barrera, & Chassin, 1993;Zimmerman, Salem, & Maton, 1995;Zimmerman, Salem, & Notaro, 2000;Zimmerman, Steinman, & Rowe, 1998) and parenting style (Baumrind, 1991;Steinberg, Lamborn, Darling, Mounts, & Dornbusch, 1994) may be more relevant for adolescent development than age of mother at birth. Second, teen mothers may work hard to make certain their children are not disadvantaged as compared to mothers who have children later in life.…”