Transmission of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction between Parents and Adolescents: The Critical Role of Parental Perceptions

Abstract

While studies have documented the importance of basic psychological need satisfaction in parent-child relationships, a gap remains in understanding how parental and adolescent need satisfactions are associated. Using two longitudinal intergenerational datasets (200 parent-adolescent dyads and 408 mother-adolescent dyads; two waves), the study examined whether (1) parents’ need satisfaction predicts adolescents’ need satisfaction (parental needs effect), (2) adolescents’ need satisfaction predicts parents’ need satisfaction (child’s needs effect), and (3) parental perception of adolescent’s need satisfaction, a possibly influential point of view, predicts adolescents’ need satisfaction (parental perception effect). Findings from cross-lagged path models supported only parental perception effects: parents’ T1 perception of their adolescent’s need satisfaction predicted their adolescent’s T2 self-reported need satisfaction, especially for autonomy and competence needs. Furthermore, the effects were not mediated by autonomy-supportive or controlling parenting practices. Findings highlight the importance of parents’ perceptions, which may benefit the design of new interventions on basic psychological needs.

Longitudinal Association between Maternal Autonomy Support and Controlling Parenting and Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms

“…In the second wave of data collection (T2), a total of 373 mother-child pairs (194 girls) remained to complete the study. The dataset used in this study is also used in study by Kurdi et al (2022) to investigate basic need satisfaction in parents and adolescents.…”