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Patterns and Predictors of Mother–Adolescent Discrepancies across Family Constructs

  • Empirical Research
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Abstract

Parent–child discrepancies pervade the family literature; they appear in reports of relationship dynamics (e.g., conflict; Laursen et al. 1998), parent and child behaviors (e.g., monitoring; De Los Reyes et al. 2010), and individual family members’ beliefs (e.g., parental legitimate authority; Smetana 2011). Discrepancies are developmentally normative (Steinberg 2001) but also may be indicators of relationship and adjustment problems for teens (Ohannessian 2012). Because of this variation, it is important to consider the extent to which parent–child discrepancies are a function of both the dyad and the family construct considered. The present study contributed to our understanding of informant discrepancies in family relationships by considering the patterning, consistency, and correlates of mother–adolescent discrepancies across three family constructs that vary in their objectivity. Using person-centered analyses, discrepancies in adolescents’ and mothers’ ratings of parents’ right to know about teens’ activities, mothers’ knowledge of them, and positive mother–adolescents relationships were examined in 167 middle class, primarily European American mother–adolescent dyads (M teen age = 15.68 years, SD = .64, 53 % female). Each construct was best described by three profiles, one where adolescents’ standardized ratings were consistently higher than mothers’, one showing the reverse, and one revealing little disagreement. Adolescent-reported problem behavior (but not depression), behavioral and psychological control, and mothers’ wellbeing significantly predicted profile membership. Most dyads maintained consistent membership in a discrepancy profile across at least two family constructs. Results contribute to understanding the different sources of discrepancies in views of the family.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge and thank Denise Antony and the Rush-Henrietta School District, Dr. Kevin McGowen and the Brighton School District, and the many families who participated in this research. We would also like to thank the multiple research assistants who helped recruit participants and enter data and the Fetzer Institute for support of this project.

Funding

This study was funded through a grant from the Fetzer Institute.

Authors’ Contributions

WR conceived of the current study, oversaw the design and interpretation of the data, performed the statistical analyses, and drafted the majority of the manuscript and revisions. JS conceived of and organized the broader research project of which these analyses were a part, helped conceptualize the current study, participated in interpretation of the data and results, and helped draft and edit the manuscript and revisions. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, 140 7th Ave. S. Davis 114, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Wendy M. Rote

  2. Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Meliora Hall, RC 270266, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA

    Judith G. Smetana

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  1. Wendy M. Rote
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  2. Judith G. Smetana
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Correspondence to Wendy M. Rote.

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The authors report no conflicts of interest with this study.

Ethical Approval

All procedures involving human subjects in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Rochester Institutional Review Board and the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments and comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all adult participants in the study. Informed consent for all minors participating in the study was obtained from their legal guardians; minors additionally provided informed assent.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 6.

Table 6 Domain-differentiated stimuli for RTK, maternal knowledge, and behavioral control
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Rote, W.M., Smetana, J.G. Patterns and Predictors of Mother–Adolescent Discrepancies across Family Constructs. J Youth Adolescence 45, 2064–2079 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0515-1

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