Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Self-Regulation in Early Adolescence: Relations with Mother–Son Relationship Quality and Maternal Regulatory Support and Antagonism

  • Empirical Research
  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine relations among maternal regulatory support, maternal antagonism, and mother–son relationship quality in relation to boys’ self-regulation during early adolescence. As part of a larger longitudinal study on 263 low-income, ethnically diverse boys, multiple informants and methods were used to examine associations among parenting practices and mother–son relationship quality in relation to boys’ self-regulation at ages 10 and 11. Multivariate analyses indicated that high levels of regulatory supportive parenting and relationship quality and low levels of antagonistic parenting independently predicted high levels of boys’ self-regulation at age 10. Only antagonistic parenting and relationship quality explained variance in levels of boys’ self-regulation at age 11 after accounting for prior self-regulation. The findings suggest that parenting and the context of the parent–child relationship are linked to self-regulation during early adolescence; however, it appears that parental antagonism and relationship quality, not maternal regulatory supportive parenting, contribute to rank-order change in self-regulation abilities. Implications of these results for research and practice are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barber, B. K., & Harmon, E. L. (2001). Violating the self: Parental psychological control of children and adolescents. In B. K. Barber (Ed.), Intrusive parenting: How psychological control affects children and adolescence (pp. 15–52). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumrind, D. (1991). The influence of parenting style on adolescent competence and substance use. Journal of Early Adolescence, 11, 56–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bedford, V. H., & Volling, B. L. (2004). A dynamic ecological systems perspective on emotion regulation development within the sibling relationship context. In F. R. Lang & K. L. Fingerman (Eds.), Growing together: Personal relationships across the lifespan (pp. 76–102). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G. H., & Ge, X. (2001). Linking parenting processes and self-regulation to psychological functioning and alcohol use during adolescence. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 82–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G. H., Murry, V. M., McNair, L., Chen, Y., Gibbons, F. X., Gerrard, M., et al. (2005). Linking changes in parenting to parent-child relationship quality and youth self-control: The strong African American families program. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 15, 47–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burt, S. A., McGue, M., Krueger, R. F., & Iacono, W. G. (2005). How are parent–child conflict and childhood externalizing symptoms related over time? Results from a genetically informative cross-lagged study. Development and Psychopathology, 17, 145–165.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bynum, M. S., & Brody, G. H. (2005). Coping behaviors, parenting, and perceptions of children’s internalizing and externalizing problems in rural African American mothers. Family Relations, 54, 58–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capelli, C. A., Nakagawa, N., & Madden, C. (1990). How children understand sarcasm: The role of context and intonation. Child Development, 61, 1824–1841.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colman, R. A., Hardy, S. A., Albert, M., Raffaelli, M., & Crockett, L. (2006). Early predictors of self-regulation in middle childhood. Infant and Child Development, 15, 421–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coplan, R. J., Hastings, P. D., Lagacé-Séguin, D. G., & Moulton, C. E. (2002). Authoritative and authoritarian mothers’ parenting goals, attributions, and emotions across different childrearing contexts. Parenting: Science and Practice, 2, 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Criss, M., & Shaw, D. S. (2003). Parent–child synchrony and antisocial behavior in middle childhood. Social Development, 12, 379–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Criss, M., Shaw, D. S., & Ingoldsby, E. M. (2003). Mother–son positive synchrony in middle childhood: Relation to antisocial behavior. Social Development, 12, 379–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • d’Acremont, M., & Van der Linden, M. (2007). How is impulsivity related to depression in adolescence? Evidence from a French validation of the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. Journal of Adolescence, 30, 271–282.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, D., Dunn, J., Furstenberg, F. F., & Plomin, R. (1985). Environmental differences within the family and adjustment differences within pairs of adolescent siblings. Child Development, 56, 764–774.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davidov, M., & Grusec, J. E. (2006). Untangling the links of parental responsiveness to distress and warmth to child outcomes. Child Development, 77, 44–58.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Denissen, J. A., van Aken, M. A. G., & Dubas, J. S. (2009). It takes two to tango: How parents’ and adolescents’ personalities link to the quality of their mutual relationship. Developmental Psychology, 45, 928–941.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, T. (2006). Emotional self-regulation in preschoolers: The interplay of child approach reactivity, parenting, and control capacities. Developmental Psychology, 42, 84–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Finkenauer, C., Engels, R. C. M. E., & Baumeister, R. F. (2005). Parenting behavior and adolescent behavioural and emotional problems: The role of self-control. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 29, 58–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (1992). Age and sex differences in perceptions of networks of personal relationships. Child Development, 63, 103–115.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gestsdottir, S., & Lerner, R. M. (2008). Positive development in adolescence: The development and role of intentional self-regulation. Human Development, 51, 202–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1990). Social skills rating system manual. Circle Pines: American Guidance Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grusec, J. E., & Goodnow, J. J. (1994). Impact of parental discipline methods on the child’s internalization of values: A reconceptualization of current points of view. Developmental Psychology, 30, 4–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hetherington, E. M., Clingempeel, W. G., Anderson, E. R., Deal, J. E., Stanley Hagan, M., Hollier, A. E., et al. (1992). Coping with marital transitions: A family systems perspective. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 57, Nos. 12-3, 227.

  • Ingoldsby, E., Shaw, D. S., & Garcia, M. (2001). Intra-familial conflict in relation to boys’ adjustment at school. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 35–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, E. E., & Gerard, H. B. (1967). Foundations of social psychology. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobak, R. R., Cole, H. E., Ferenz-Gillies, R., Fleming, W. S., & Gamble, W. (1993). Attachment and emotion regulation during mother-teen problem solving: A control theory analysis. Child Development, 64, 231–245.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kochanska, G., & Aksan, N. (1995). Mother–child mutually positive affect, the quality of child compliance to requests and prohibitions, and maternal control as correlates of early internalization. Child Development, 66, 236–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kochanska, G., Murray, K. T., & Harlan, E. T. (2000). Effortful control in early childhood: Continuity and change, antecedents, and implications for social development. Developmental Psychology, 36, 220–232.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laible, D., & Thompson, R. A. (2007). Early socialization: A relationship perspective. In J. E. Grusec & P. D. Hastings (Eds.), Handbook of socialization: Theory and research (pp. 181–207). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lengua, L. J. (2006). Growth in temperament and parenting as predictors of adjustment during children’s transition to adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 42, 819–832.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loukas, A., & Roalson, L. A. (2006). Family environment, effortful control, and adjustment among European American and Latino early adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 26, 432–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J. (1981). A longitudinal study of the consequences of early mother–infant interaction: A microanalytic approach. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 46.

  • McCarthy, C. J., Lambert, R. G., & Seraphine, A. E. (2004). Adaptive family functioning and emotion regulation capacities as predictors of college students’ appraisals and emotion valence following conflict with their parents. Cognition & Emotion, 18, 97–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCartney, K., Burchinal, M. R., & Bub, K. L. (2006). Best practices in quantitative methods for developmentalists. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 71(3, Serial No. 285).

  • Melby, J. N., & Conger, R. D. (2001). The Iowa family interaction rating scales: Instrument summary. In P. K. Kerig & K. M. Lindahl (Eds.), Family observational coding systems: Resources for systemic research (pp. 33–58). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mischel, W., Shoda, Y., & Rodriguez, M. L. (1989). Delay of gratification in children. Science, 244, 933–938.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moilanen, K. L. (2007). The adolescent self-regulatory inventory: The development and validation of a questionnaire of short-term and long-term self-regulation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 36, 835–848.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moilanen, K. L., Shaw, D. S., Dishion, T. J., Gardner, F., & Wilson, M. N. (in press). Predictors of longitudinal growth in inhibitory control in early childhood. Social Development.

  • Morris, A. S., Silk, J. S., Steinberg, L., Myers, S. S., & Robinson, L. R. (2007). The role of the family context in the development of emotion regulation. Social Development, 16, 361–388.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, B. C., Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R. A., Shepard, S., & Guthrie, I. K. (1999). Consistency and change in children’s emotionality and regulation: A longitudinal study. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 45, 413–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R. C., & Steinberg, M. (1991, April). Relationship between children and kindergarten teachers: Associations with home and classroom behavior. Paper presented at the meeting for the Society for Research in Child Development, Seattle, WA.

  • Prinz, R. J., Foster, S. L., Kent, R. N., & O’Leary, K. D. (1979). Multivariate assessment of conflict in distressed and non-distressed mother–adolescent dyads. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 12, 691–700.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Purdie, N., Carroll, A., & Roche, L. (2004). Parenting and adolescent self-regulation. Journal of Adolescence, 27, 663–676.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raffaelli, M., & Crockett, L. J. (2003). Sexual risk taking in adolescence: The role of self-regulation and attraction to risk. Developmental Psychology, 39, 1036–1046.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raffaelli, M., Crockett, L. J., & Shen, Y. L. (2005). Developmental stability and change in self-regulation from childhood to adolescence. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 166, 54–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scaramella, L. V., & Leve, L. D. (2004). Clarifying parent–child reciprocities during early childhood: The early childhood coercion model. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 7, 89–107.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scaramella, L. V., Conger, R. D., & Simons, R. L. (1999). Parental protective influences and gender-specific increases in adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 9, 111–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, D. S., Winslow, E. B., Owens, E. B., Vondra, J. I., Cohn, J. F., & Bell, R. Q. (1998). The development of early externalizing problems among children from low-income families: A transformational perspective. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 95–107.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sheeber, L. B., Davis, B., Leve, C., Hops, H., & Tildesley, E. (2007). Adolescents’ relationships with their mothers and fathers: Associations with depressive disorder and subdiagnostic symptomatology. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116, 144–154.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sroufe, A. L. (1996). Emotional development: The organization of emotional life in the early years. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L., Darling, N. E., & Fletcher, A. C. (1995). Authoritative parenting and adolescent development: An ecological journey. In P. Moen, G. H. Elder, & K. Luscher (Eds.), Examining lives in context (pp. 423–466). Washington, DC: APA.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, R. A. (1994). Emotion regulation: A theme in search of definition. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 59, 25–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The research reported in this paper was supported by grants to the second author from the National Institute of Mental Health, grants MH 50907 and MH 01666. We are grateful to the work of the staff of the Pitt Mother & Child Project for their years of service, and to our study families for making the research possible. We also would like to thank Jennifer Silk for providing feedback on an initial draft of the paper, and Michael Criss for providing assistance with study data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Development and Family Studies, Department of Technology, Learning and Culture, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6122, Morgantown, WV, 26506-6122, USA

    Kristin L. Moilanen & Amber Fitzpatrick

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Daniel S. Shaw

Authors
  1. Kristin L. Moilanen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daniel S. Shaw
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amber Fitzpatrick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristin L. Moilanen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moilanen, K.L., Shaw, D.S. & Fitzpatrick, A. Self-Regulation in Early Adolescence: Relations with Mother–Son Relationship Quality and Maternal Regulatory Support and Antagonism. J Youth Adolescence 39, 1357–1367 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9485-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9485-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation