Does Emotional Dependence and Perceived Parental Acceptance Predict Children's Psychological Maladjustment?

Abstract

Objective To analyze associations among child dependence, perceived parental acceptance, and children's psychological adjustment. Background Extreme levels of both perceived parental acceptance and rejection are postulated to be associated with dependence in such a way that may lead to psychological maladjustment. However, this influence has not been empirically tested to date. Method A convenience sample of 989 children (9–16 years of age, 45.7% boys) in Spain completed the Personality Assessment Questionnaire, the Youth Self Report (YSR), and the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for children. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical multiple regressions. Results Child dependence and parental acceptance had a curvilinear relationship and were both associated with children's psychological maladjustment. Children's dependence, family structure, and children's age moderated the relationship between parental rejection and children's maladjustment. Conclusion Results provide empirical support for the postulated relationships between perceived parental acceptance and child dependence and show the relevance of considering children's age and family structure as potential moderators. Furthermore, child dependence tends to buffer the impact of parental rejection in certain individuals. Implications Child dependence and parental rejection should be considered together in parenting intervention programs. Moreover, promoting dependence could be part of this intervention in certain family settings.

Coercive Parenting and Adolescent Developmental Outcomes: The Moderating Effects of Empathic Concern and Perception of Social Rejection

“…For example, in support of the differential susceptibility hypothesis, Davis, Luce and Davalos [44] found that, compared to their counterparts lower in empathic concern, adolescents who possessed higher empathic concern were more heavily involved in prosocial behavior when exposed to fewer negative life events, but were less likely to exhibit prosocial behavior when exposed to more negative life events. Similarly, in their empirical test of the interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory, Carrasco et al [45] found that children's emotional dependence mitigates the impact of parental rejection on adolescent psychological maladjustment, including impaired self-esteem, emotional instability, and hostility and aggression when they experienced a moderate level of the stressor. However, when parental rejection reaches a high level, adolescents would develop more externalized and internalized problems.…”