“Because I Said So”: The Effect of Parenting Practices on Adolescent Adjustment

This study aimed to examine the relationship between specific parenting practices (i.e., psychological control, behavioral control, and parental expectations) and adolescent adjustment outcomes (i.e., internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and self-worth). It was hypothesized that psychological control would have a positive relationship with internalizing behaviors and a negative relationship with self-worth. It was also hypothesized that behavioral control would have a negative relationship with externalizing behaviors and a positive relationship with self-worth. The study was longitudinal as data collection occurred over a 5-year period in order to determine if parenting practices not only affect adolescent adjustment outcomes, but if they do so over time. Parents reported psychological control, behavioral control, and parental expectations at time 1 (1997) and reported child internalizing behaviors and child internalizing behaviors at time 1 and time 2 (2002). Children reported self-worth at time 1 and time 2. None of the hypotheses were supported. Surprisingly, behavioral control was found to be a significant positive predictor of both internalizing behaviors and externalizing behaviors, and a significant negative predictor of self-worth. In addition, psychological control was found to be a significant negative predictor of externalizing behaviors. Parental expectations was found to be a significant negative predictor of internalizing behaviors. Research that focuses on parental control and adolescent adjustment outcomes has produced mixed findings. The contradictions that exist within the field could be attributed to inconsistent methodology and a general lack of research. Limitations of the study and potential future directions are discussed