The intergenerational transmission of perfectionism: parents' psychological control as an intervening variable.
The present study investigated the role of parental (adaptive and maladaptive) intrapersonal perfectionism as a predictor of parental psychological control and the role of parents' psychological control in the intergenerational transmission of perfectionism in a sample of female late adolescents and their parents. First, parental maladaptive perfectionism, but not parental adaptive perfectionism, significantly predicted parents' psychological control even when controlling for parents' neuroticism. This relationship was found to be stronger for fathers than for mothers. Second, a significant direct relationship was found between mothers' and daughters' maladaptive perfectionism but not between fathers' and daughters' maladaptive perfectionism. Third, process analyses showed that, for both mothers and fathers, psychological control is an intervening variable in the relationship between parents' and daughters' maladaptive perfectionism.
Soenens
Bart
B
Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. bart.soenens@psy.kuleuven.ac.be
Elliot
Andrew J
AJ
Goossens
Luc
L
Vansteenkiste
Maarten
M
Luyten
Patrick
P
Duriez
Bart
B
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology