De relatie tussen psychologische controle van ouders en Effortful Control bij adolescenten en de rol van het geslacht

Abstract

Introduction: This study examined the relationship between psychological control of parents and Effortful Control of adolescents, and whether this relationship differs between boys and girls. Method: This study used quantitative data from a large scale longitudinal study called ‘Research on Adolescent Development And Relationships (RADAR)’, with seven measurement waves. The population exists of Dutch adolescents who are on average 13 years old. There were 294 boys (59%) and 228 girls (47%). The adolescents were in their first year of high school and came from families with an average or high socioeconomic status. The data has been collected through adolescent self-reports. Effortful Control is measured with the Behavioral Inhibition Scale (BIS) and Behavioral Activation Scale (BAS). Results: The analyses showed that there was no significant relation between psychological control of parents and Effortful Control BAS. However, psychological control of parents was positive related to Effortful Control BIS. This means that a high level of psychological control of parents is related to a high level of adolescent behavioral inhibition. The results did not support the expectations that psychological control was negatively related to Effortful Control BIS/BAS. There were no differences found between boys and girls in the relationship between psychological control and Effortful Control BIS/BAS. Conclusion: This study provides information for the development and improvement of preventive treatments and intervention programs. This can increase the degree of Effortful Control among adolescents and can reduce the psychosocial, cognitive, academic, and social problems.