"Because I’m still the parent, that’s why!" Parental legitimate authority during emerging adulthood

Keywords

emerging adulthood, legitimate authority, parenting

Abstract

The current study sought to examine the discrepancies between parent and child reports of legitimate parental authority, to identify heterogeneity in college students’ perceptions of parental legitimate authority, and to examine potential variables that might differ as a function of group membership. Participants (Mage = 19.65, SD = 2.00, range = 18–29) consisted of 438 undergraduate students (320 women, 118 men) and at least one parent (376 mothers, 303 fathers). Results suggested that parents reported higher levels of legitimate authority than did children. Results found three groups and group membership varied as a function of perceptions of adult status, parental financial support, parental control, and the quality of the parent–child relationship. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for the parent–child relationship.

Original Publication Citation

Padilla-Walker, L. M., Nelson, L. J., & *Knapp, D. J. (2014). “Because I’m still the parent, that’s why!” Parental legitimate authority during emerging adulthood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 3, 293-313.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2013-09-03

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7499

Publisher

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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