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Examining Temporal Associations between Perceived Maternal Psychological Control and Early Adolescent Internalizing Problems

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Abstract

The present study examined a) the associations between adolescent-reported maternal psychological control and self-reported internalizing problems one year later, while simultaneously examining the opposite direction of effects and b) the equivalence of these associations across gender. Participants were 479 10-to-14-year old adolescents (55% female) participating in two waves of a study. Results from multi-group, cross-lagged panel analyses indicated that although early adolescents’ depressive symptoms and social anxiety predicted change in perceived maternal psychological control one year later, perceived maternal psychological control did not predict change in early adolescents’ internalizing problems. Elevated levels of depressive symptoms were associated with increased levels of perceived maternal psychological control one year later, whereas elevated levels of social anxiety were associated with decreased levels. Aforementioned findings were consistent across boys’ and girls’ data. Study findings extend limited research on adolescent effects, demonstrating that early adolescents’ internalizing problems play a role in perceived maternal psychological control.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology & Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station D3700, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Alexandra Loukas

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  1. Alexandra Loukas
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Correspondence to Alexandra Loukas.

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Loukas, A. Examining Temporal Associations between Perceived Maternal Psychological Control and Early Adolescent Internalizing Problems. J Abnorm Child Psychol 37, 1113–1122 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9335-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9335-z

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