Parent–Child Attunement Moderates the Prospective Link between Parental Overcontrol and Adolescent Adjustment

Abstract

Parental overcontrol (OC), behavior that intrusively or dominantly restricts child autonomy, has been identified as a transdiagnostic risk factor for youth. However, it is as yet unknown whether the association between parental OC and child maladjustment remains even when OC is exerted infrequently or by attuned parents. Rather, the selective use of OC might steer children away from danger. Taking a developmental psychopathology approach, this study focuses on the larger parent-child relationship context, testing whether either the dose at which parents demonstrate OC or the degree to which children perceive their parents as attuned determines whether OC is risky or protective for adolescents' adjustment. Among a community sample of 114 families of children followed from the ages of 12-18, we examine whether OC, behaviorally coded from triadic mother-father-child discussions in middle childhood, is associated with later risky behavior and anxiety symptoms in adolescence. Overcontrol exerted by either mothers or fathers had a curvilinear effect on adolescent risky behaviors, and this effect was moderated by children's perceived attunement. Although OC generally was associated with increased risky behaviors, low doses of OC or OC exerted by highly attuned parents protected against engagement in risky behaviors. No main effect of OC was observed on adolescent anxiety; however, mothers' OC interacted with perceived parental attunement, such that OC exerted by less attuned parents predicted greater anxiety. Results underscore that the effect of parenting behaviors depends on the larger parent-child relationship context.

The curvilinear effect of mothers’ parenting stress and attunement on children’s internalizing symptoms: A six wave study of mother–youth dyads across the transition to adolescence.

“…However, our effect sizes could be used to inform predictions and power considerations in future longitudinal studies on the curvilinear effects of normative family stressors. In addition, the obtained effect sizes were rather modest, as may be expected when testing the effect of common family stressors in normative mother-child dyads and in accordance with prior studies on similar constructs e.g., (Miller et al, 2018). In addition, mothers reported on global PS and not specifically their PS related to the participating children; thus, we cannot rule out the possibility that children’s symptom level was indirectly affected by maternal parenting stress related to siblings (Dirks, Persram, Recchia, & Howe, 2015).…”

“…The handful of studies examining maternal attunement among older children has focused on children' perception of maternal attunement. For example, in a study of midadolescents, child-reported maternal attunement buffered the detrimental effects of observed parental overcontrolling on children's internalizing symptoms (Miller, Borelli, & Margolin, 2018).…”

“…Attunement. Children provided reports of mothers' attunement using the 15-item Child's View Questionnaire (Margolin, 2000), which has been use in prior samples of children (Miller et al, 2018). Items measured children's beliefs about their mothers' support and understanding (e.g., "My mother understands me") and children's interpretation of their mothers' parenting behavior as indicative of understanding and support (e.g., "My mother talks to me about my day at school").…”

Mother–child adrenocortical synchrony: Roles of maternal overcontrol and child developmental phase

“…We coded mothers’ OC from the video‐recorded PCT using the Behavioral Involvement Parenting Scale (BIPS; Rasmussen & Borelli, ), a scale modeled after the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training Teaching Scales (NCAST; Barnard & Eyres, ), a common coding system used to assess parent–child interactions. The BIPS was developed as a measure of parental OC and support using definitions of these constructs within the literature and after consulting other coding systems and parenting experts regarding these constructs (Barber, ; Bögels & Brechman‐Toussaint, ; Grusec & Davidov, ; Miller, Borelli, & Margolin, ). The BIPS was specifically developed to be appropriate for assessing parental OC and support in the context of the PCT, and therefore seeks to capture the full range of parenting behaviors exhibited in this task.…”

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on expectant and new parents’ experience of pregnancy, childbirth, breast feeding, parental responsiveness and sensitivity, and bonding and attunement in high-income countries: a systematic review of the evidence

“…63 Attunement Attunement between parent and child is the ability to perceive and respond appropriately to the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of the child and to adapt to the needs of the child (Di Renzo et al, 2020). 64 Attunement may be essential for sensitive parenting (Miller et al, 2018). 65 Parental sensitivity…”