Abstract

Attachment is an important aspect of parent-adolescent relationships, and thus it may play a key role in predicting adolescents' behavioral outcomes and well-being. This study examined how parenting dimensions (authoritative, psychological control, and over-protecting) relate to youth outcomes (self-esteem, autonomy, and friend attachment) by way of parent-adolescent attachment, among Chinese families. The sample included 298 Chinese adolescents ages 15-18 years (M age = 16.36, SD =.678 ; 60% female). A series of structural equation models was estimated to examine the hypothesis that authoritative parenting, psychological control, and over-protecting would predict adolescent outcomes as mediated by attachment. The best fitting model included only indirect paths from the three parenting variables to the three outcome variables, by way of attachment. In this final model, authoritative parenting was positively predictive of attachment, while psychological control was a negative predictor. In turn, parent adolescent attachment was positively related to the three outcomes: autonomy, self-esteem, and friend attachment. Lastly, parenting related to the outcomes similarly for boys and girls. These findings suggest that what parents do might relate to the well-being of their adolescents by way of the quality of their relationships with their adolescents.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2010-07-13

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd3807

Keywords

adolescents, attachment, parenting

Language

English

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