Differential impact of fathers' authoritarian parenting on early adolescent adjustment in conservative protestant versus other families.
The purpose of the study was to determine whether well-established associations between authoritarian parenting and adolescent adjustment pertain to conservative Protestant (CP) families. Structural equation modeling was used to test paths from biological fathers' authoritarian parenting to adolescent adjustment in 65 CP versus 170 comparison families in the Nonshared Environment and Adolescent Development Study (NEAD; D. Reiss et al., 1994). The hypothesis that adolescents in CP families would be less harmed by authoritarian parenting than would adolescents in control families was partially supported: Authoritarian parenting directly predicted greater externalizing and internalizing for adolescents in control families but not for adolescents in CP families. In contrast, parents' religious affiliation failed to moderate the negative associations between authoritarian parenting and positive adjustment. Understanding family processes specific to the CP subculture is important for helping these families raise competent children.
Gunnoe
Marjorie Lindner
ML
Department of Psychology, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA. mgunnoe@calvin.edu
Hetherington
E Mavis
EM
Reiss
David
D
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001318:Authoritarianism; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D033303:Protestantism; D011678:Punishment; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012951:Socialization