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The Role of Effortful Control in the Relationships Among Parental Control, Intentional Self-regulation, and Adolescent Obedience

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Abstract

This study aimed to examine how effortful control moderates the relationship between parental psychological and behavioral control and adolescent obedience through intentional self-regulation. The sample consisted of 329 adolescents who were in seventh grade and from northern Taiwan (141 females; 188 males; average age = 13.32 years). We collected data at schools by administering questionnaires to the participants. Regression analysis was used to examine the proposed hypotheses. The results indicated that there were a direct pathway from fathers’ and mothers’ behavioural control to obedience, and an indirect pathway from fathers’ and mothers’ behavioural control to obedience through intentional self-regulation. Effortful control moderated the direct effect between mothers’ behavioural control and obedience but did not moderate the indirect effect between mothers’ behavioural control and obedience via intentional self-regulation. Adolescent obedience to parental authority was affected by the mutual influences of individual characteristics and maternal discipline. Effortful control and intentional self-regulation have distinctive roles in the relationship between parental control and adolescent obedience.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the National Science Council of the Republic of China for financially supporting this research under Contract No. NSC 99 – 2410 – H – 009 – 020.

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  1. Institute of Education/Center for Teacher Education, National Chaio Tung University, 1001 University Rd., Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC

    Yih-Lan Liu & Hui-Tzu Chang

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  1. Yih-Lan Liu
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  2. Hui-Tzu Chang
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Correspondence to Yih-Lan Liu.

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Liu, YL., Chang, HT. The Role of Effortful Control in the Relationships Among Parental Control, Intentional Self-regulation, and Adolescent Obedience. J Child Fam Stud 25, 2435–2446 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0405-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0405-x

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