Trajectories of perceived parenting across an educational transition: Associations with psychosocial adjustment and identity development among Swiss adolescents.

Educational transitions involve a number of changes for adolescents and can be challenging for adolescents and parents alike. The present study was designed to gain a better understanding as to how adolescents' perceptions of parenting evolves across a major educational transition and how the parenting perceived across this transition may facilitate adolescents' psychosocial adjustment and identity formation. Swiss adolescents (N = 483, Mage = 14.96 years old; 64.6% female) in their last year of mandatory secondary school completed self-report measures at two semiannual time points both prior to and following their educational transition. Adolescents reported on their perceptions of their parents' autonomy support and psychological control as well as their self-esteem, risk-taking behaviors, and identity processes. Group-based trajectory analyses identified three parenting trajectory classes (i.e., Highly Supportive Parenting, Decreasing Supportive Parenting, Stable Controlling Parenting), three psychosocial adjustment trajectory classes (i.e., Low Self-Esteem/Low Risk-Taking, High Self-Esteem/Low Risk-Taking, Moderate Self-Esteem/Increasing Risk-Taking), and four identity trajectory classes (i.e., Lost Searchers, Guardians, Pathmakers, Successful Searchers). These solutions support the contention that adolescents are likely to experience academic transitions differently, whether in terms of their parent-adolescent relationship, their psychosocial adjustment, or their identity. Furthermore, parenting trajectory classes were associated with specific identity and psychosocial adjustment classes. Notably, Highly Supportive Parenting was associated with the High Self-Esteem/Low Risk-Taking class and the Pathmaker identity class, whereas Stable Controlling Parenting was most strongly associated with the Low Self-Esteem/Low Risk-Taking class and the Lost Searcher identity class. These findings highlight the importance of autonomy supportive parenting for adolescent development during educational transitions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Putting parental overprotection into a family systems context: Relations of overprotective parenting with perceived coparenting and adolescent anxiety.

Previous research offers evidence for how overprotective parenting is related to psychosocial maladjustment among adolescents, and documents the parent-related and child-related antecedents of overprotective parenting. Using a family systems perspective, the present study aimed at extending this knowledge by looking into contextual determinants of overprotective parenting. More specifically, the goal of this study was to examine associations between adolescents' perceptions of the coparental relationship (i.e., the way parental figures relate to each other in their role as parents) and overprotective parenting, which in turn was expected to relate to more adolescent anxiety symptoms. A sample of 174 Swiss adolescents (Mage  =16.99 years, 73% girls) completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of the coparental relationship (in terms of cooperation, conflict, and triangulation), overprotective parenting, and symptoms of anxiety. Analyses indicated that triangulation, in particular, was uniquely related to higher levels of overprotective parenting, which in turn was associated with more anxiety symptoms among adolescents. These results provide evidence for the importance of considering the larger family systems context for understanding the dynamics involved in overprotective parenting. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Existen investigaciones previas que comprueban cómo la crianza sobreprotectora está relacionada con la inadaptación psicosocial entre los adolescentes y que documentan los antecedentes de la crianza sobreprotectora relacionados con los padres y los niños. Utilizando una perspectiva de sistemas familiares, el presente estudio tuvo como finalidad ampliar estos conocimientos estudiando los determinantes contextuales de la crianza sobreprotectora. Más específicamente, el objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las asociaciones entre las percepciones de los adolescentes de la relación de cocrianza (p. ej.: la manera en la que las figuras de los padres se relacionan mutuamente en su papel como padres) y la crianza sobreprotectora, que a su vez se esperaba que se relacionara con más síntomas de ansiedad en los adolescentes. Una muestra de 174 adolescentes suizos (edad promedio =16.99 años, el 73% niñas) contestó cuestionarios que evaluaban sus percepciones de la relación coparental (desde el punto de vista de la cooperación, el conflicto y la triangulación), la crianza sobreprotectora y los síntomas de ansiedad. Los análisis indicaron que la triangulación, en particular, estuvo relacionada exclusivamente con niveles más altos de crianza sobreprotectora, la cual, a su vez, estuvo asociada con más síntomas de ansiedad entre los adolescentes. Estos resultados comprueban la importancia de tener en cuenta el contexto mayor de los sistemas familiares para comprender la dinámica que supone la crianza sobreprotectora. Se debaten las implicancias teóricas y clínicas de estos resultados.

Further insight into adolescent personal identity statuses: Differences based on self-esteem, family climate, and family communication.

INTRODUCTION: During adolescence, youngsters are faced with the challenging task of forming an identity. This process can be either supported or hindered by adolescents' family context. The present study used a six-process model of personal identity including the five identity processes described by the dual-cycle model of identity (exploration in breadth, commitment making, exploration in depth, identification with commitment, and ruminative exploration) as well as a sixth identity process of reconsideration of commitment, commonly described in the three-factor model of identity. In the current investigation, we sought to evaluate how adolescents in identity statuses derived from this six-process model differed based on psychological adjustment, perceived family climate, and family communication. METHOD: A total of 1105 Swiss adolescents (Mage = 15.08; 51% female) completed self-report questionnaires at one time point. Using a person-centered approach, identity statuses were empirically derived and unique profiles for each identity status were identified. RESULTS: We identified six identity statuses: Achievement, Foreclosure, Ruminative Moratorium, Reconsidering Achievement, Troubled Diffusion, and Carefree Diffusion. Statuses with the highest degree of commitment showed the most optimal profiles of psychological adjustment and perceived family climate, whereas those with the lowest levels of commitment demonstrated the least optimal profiles. Adolescents in the Reconsidering Achievement status, however, reported high levels of both parental support and psychological control. CONCLUSION: The use of the six-process model of identity allowed for the derivation of six identity statuses and provided further insight into how adolescents in different identity statuses confront identity-related issues in the context of their family.