Longitudinal Relations between Parental Monitoring, Parental Acceptance, and Externalizing

114 Pages·2017·0.83 MB·English

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Theses and Dissertations Graduate School
2014
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Rachel Garthe
Virginia Commonwealth University
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LONGITUDINAL RELATIONS BETWEEN
PARENTAL MONITORING, PARENTAL ACCEPTANCE, AND EXTERNALIZING
BEHAVIORS AMONG URBAN AFRICAN AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University

By: RACHEL C. GARTHE
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, North Central College, 2011

Director: Terri N. Sullivan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology

Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia
May 2014
ii
Acknowledgments

Support for this study was by NIH grant K5K01DA15442, which was award to Dr. Wendy
Kliewer. The findings and conclusions from this study are from the author, and do not
necessarily represent the official position of the NIH. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Terri
Sullivan for her guidance and efforts in helping me with this thesis. I am very grateful for her
encouragement and assistance. I would also like to acknowledge the other members of my
thesis committee, Dr. Wendy Kliewer and Dr. Elizabeth Farmer, for their support and
feedback throughout the process of this project.
iii
Table of Contents
Page

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………ii

List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………........vi

List of Figures………………………………………………………………………………..vii

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………...viii

Introduction………………………..…………………………………………………………..1

Literature Review…………….…………………………………………..……………………6

The Parent Child Relationship in Adolescence…….………………………..………...6

Developmental Changes in Adolescence……...………………………………7

Parenting Styles Theory………………………….…………………………....9

Attachment Theory………………………………………………...…………13

Family Systems Theory………………………………………………………15

Parenting in African American Families…………………....……………………….17

The Protective Role of Parental Factors………………..……………………………22

Parental Knowledge and Monitoring Strategies……….…………………….23

Parental Knowledge and Externalizing Behaviors………….……………….24

Parenting Practices that Promote Parental Knowledge………………………29

The Influence of Child Disclosure……...……………………………29

The Influence of Parental Control………………...…………………33

The Influence of Parental Solicitation……………...………………..35

Relations between Parental Acceptance, Parental Control, and
Parental Solicitation………………………...………………..36

Putting It All Together: Parental Monitoring, Parental Acceptance,
Externalizing Behaviors……………………………………………...41
iv

The Influence of Sex and Age...………………………………...…………………...42

Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………………….........45

Study Hypotheses……………………………………………………………………….........48

Method…...…………………………………………………………………………………..48

Setting………………………………………………………………………………..48

Participants…………………………………………………………………………..49

Procedure……………………………………………………………………….........50

Measures…………………………………………………………………………….51

Parental Monitoring………………...……………………………………......51

Parental Acceptance…………..….………………………………………......53

Delinquency and Aggression………………………………………….…......53

Data Analysis…...…………..……………...…………………………………………55

Results……………………………………………………………………………………......56

Attrition Analyses and Descriptive Statistics……………………………………….56

Hypothesis 1…………………………………………………………………………60

Hypothesis 2: The Influence of Sex and Grade…….………….……………………62

Hypothesis 3……………………………………..…………………………………..63

Post Hoc Analyses…………………………………………………………………...66

Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………70

Parental Knowledge, Child Disclosure, and Externalizing Outcomes……………...71

Parenting Practices that Promote Parental Knowledge……………………………..73

Parenting Practices that Promote Child Disclosure………………………………....74

Post Hoc Analyses…………………………………………………………………..77
v

Limitations…………………………………………………….…………………….78

Implications and Future Research Directions……….………………………………80

Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………..81

References………………………………………………………….…………….…………..82

Appendix: Measures…………………………………………………………………………98

Vita…………..……………………………………………………………………………...104
vi
List of Tables

Page

Table 1. Means, Standard Deviations, and Scale Ranges of Study Variables
for the Total Sample………………………………………………………………...57

Table 2. Intercorrelations among Study Variables………………….……………………….59

Table 3. Standardized Path Coefficients for Model 1: Direct, Indirect and Total Effects…...61

Table 4. Chi-Square Tests and Measures of Overall Fit for the Longitudinal Path Models…63

Table 5. Standardized Path Coefficients for Model 2: Direct, Indirect and Total Effects..….65

Table 6. Standardized Path Coefficients for Post Hoc Analyses: Direct,
Indirect and Total Effects…………………………………………………………..68
vii

List of Figures
Page
Figure 1. Path Model Representing Relations between Parental Control and
Solicitation, Child Disclosure and Parental Knowledge………….………………60
Figure 2. Path Model Representing Relations between Child Disclosure
Parental Knowledge and Externalizing Behaviors…………………………...…...64
Figure 3. Path Model Representing Relations between Parental Solicitation, Acceptance,
Knowledge, Child Disclosure, and Externalizing Behaviors……………………..67
Abstract

LONGITUDINAL RELATIONS BETWEEN
PARENTAL MONITORING, PARENTAL ACCEPTANCE, AND EXTERNALIZING
BEHAVIORS AMONG URBAN AFRICAN AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS

By Rachel C. Garthe, B. A.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014

Major Director: Terri N. Sullivan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology

The prevalence of aggression and delinquency increase during adolescence and are
associated with psychosocial adjustment difficulties. It is important to identify aspects of the
parent-adolescent relationship that may protect adolescents from these externalizing
behaviors. The current study examined longitudinal relations between parental monitoring
behaviors, child disclosure, and externalizing behaviors. Participants included 326 African
American adolescents and their primary maternal caregivers, recruited from urban
neighborhoods characterized by high rates of violence and low socioeconomic status.
Participants provided data annually (three waves across two-year timeframe) through face-to-
face interviews. Results of longitudinal path models showed that child disclosure predicted
parental knowledge, and parental knowledge was associated with fewer externalizing
outcomes. Higher levels of parental control predicted less child disclosure. Finally, parental
acceptance predicted fewer child-reported delinquent behaviors through increased levels of
child disclosure. Implications suggest that parent-adolescent communication and parental
acceptance are protective factors, associated with decreased externalizing outcomes in
African American youth.