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Parent-Adolescent Discrepancies in Perceiving Parental Psychological Control and Autonomy Support Predict Adolescents’ Psychological Adjustment: Does Adolescent Gender Make a Difference?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Few studies simultaneously examined how parent-adolescent discrepancies in reporting psychological control and autonomy support predicted adolescents’ adjustment and the moderation by adolescent gender remains unknown. This longitudinal study addressed these gaps using a Chinese sample of 310 adolescents (158 girls; M age = 13.34, SD = 0.36) and their parents. Adolescents reported depression and resilience and dyads reported parenting. The latent difference scores analysis showed higher psychological control and lower autonomy support perceived by adolescents than parents and larger parent-boy discrepancies in psychological control. Psychological control discrepancies predicted higher adolescents’ depression and autonomy support discrepancies predicted lower boys’ depression. The results suggest that parent-adolescent discrepant perceptions of different parenting behaviors predict adolescents’ adjustment via different processes, which vary for boys and girls.

Source: Journal of Youth and Adolescence

DOI: 10.1007/s10964-025-02144-5

Authors: Jiayin Zheng, Bin-Bin Chen

Institutions: University of Cambridge, Fudan University

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,890