EXAM 2
WEEK 4
Session 6. (Content Lecture 5) Family Relationships and Autonomy (Nelemans)
The dynamics of the parent-adolescent relationship change during adolescence. Adolescents begin to claim more autonomy
from their parents who gradually release the control they exert. Thus, the parent-adolescent relationship transforms from being
a hierarchical relationship to one that is more egalitarian. Many processes contribute to this transformation, including changes in
parenting behaviors and in parent-adolescent conflict. This lecture focuses on the changes that occur in how parents and
adolescents relate to each other during adolescence.
Required Readings
Textbook Chapter 4 and Chapter 9 (pp. 246-260)
Learning Objectives / Lecture Overview
After this lecture, students will be able to:
1. Understand the main principles of Family Systems Theory;
2. Describe the 4 main parenting styles and their effect on adolescents;
3. Describe changes in the parent-adolescent relationship across adolescence;
4. Describe how (changes in) the parent-adolescent relationship affect(s)
adolescent adjustment, and vice versa.
1. The family/parent-adolescent relationship
What is a ‘family’?
• Dictionary definition: Married, 2-parent and biological offspring but different
forms & sizes (adopted, gay, gescheiden) worden er steeds meer
answer may be culture-dependent
• Structures common ‘historically’ are not as common today
o E.g., in terms of structure and size and also culture-dependent!
o Whites meer gebroken gezinnen (gescheiden, alleen staand)
o Nonwhites meer gebroken gezinnen, maar ook meer uitgebreide gezinnen (wel decrease) dan whites
• In all societies, the family fulfills similar functions:
o Socialization of children/adolescents
o Enduring source of (practical/economic & emotional/social) support
o Continuity of relationships across the life course = social embedding
The family as a system Bowen (1966, 1978); Broderick & Smith (1979); Kantor & Lehr (1975)
• Focus traditionally on mother-child/adolescent relationship
• Family Systems Theory = an organized whole, consisting of interrelated parts that influence
each other
o System = set(s) of elements standing in interrelation among themselves and with
the environment
Interrelation = not A affects B, but A & B affect each other bidirectional
o Changing, self-organizing, and adapting to (changes in) its members and the outside environment
System is flexible, but strives for stability (= equilibrium)
o Family = cohesive emotional unit (intensive emotional connection)
The family as a system
• Holism
o To understand family, it is not enough to look at members separately
o Roles (e.g., caretaker)
• ‘Hierarchy’/structure
o Organized into subsystems
o By gender or generation– B
o Individual level
o Dyadic level – marital relationship
o Dyadic level – parent-child relationship
o Dyadic level – sibling relationship
o Triadic level – child with both parents / one parent with both kids
o Family level/wholeneration
• Boundaries
o At every level (subsystems, inside/outside)
o Permeability varies across families
o Permeability evolves over time
o “Spillover” vs. “compensation”: Associations between dyadic
relationships within the whole family = When there are ‘loose’
boundaries between subsystems (parent-child and marital
relationship)
Spillover = what happens in 1 system affects the other
systems
Compensation = what happens in one system is compensated by another system
Compartmentalization = the systems are quite independent from each other (thus, there are strict
boundaries)
,The family as a system: Boundaries
• Longitudinal study by Sherrill et al. (2017) in USA
o Results: meer ruzie tussen ouders onderling meer ruzie tussen
kind en ouder in een dag en een dag later + meer ruzie tussen
kind en ouder meer ruzie tussen ouders onderling dag later
o Spillover
• Longitudinal study by Mastrotheodoros et al. (2020) in NL
o Wanted to find an explanation for the spillover focus on mood
o Results: ruzie tussen ouders onderling meer boosheid bij
moeder en kind meer conflict tussen moeder en kind dag later
+ meer conflict tussen moeder en kind meer boosheid bij
moeder en kind dag later
o Vicious cycle one explanation for spillover is the effect on
individual moods
•
• Longitudinal study by Kouros et al. (2014) in USA
o Focuses on the positive aspects of spillover
o Results: goede kwaliteit huwelijk betere ouder-kind
relatie kwaliteit dezelfde dag + lage kwaliteit huwelijk
betere ouder-kind relatie kwaliteit dag later
(compensation)
o Dus positive spillover in the same day and compensation
Adolescence = disruption of homeostasis
• New balance/equilibrium needs to be found
• Process of (family) adaptation
• Three influences: genotype, shared environment (home), unshared environments (peer, group, school)
o In case of parents: overlap between genotype and shared environment (except non-biological children,
adoption) because parents play a role in both
2. Parenting styles and adolescents
Parenting styles (stability across time/development, specific behaviors change - Baumrind (1978); Maccoby & Martin (1983))
and adolescent functioning (Stage-environment fit model (Eccles et al., 1991))
Important methodological considerations Stage-environment fit model (Eccles et al., 1991)
Control can be good or bad
Control higher levels of internalizing symptoms Monitoring lower levels of externalizing behavior (behavioral
(psychological control) control)
Low support/ involvement High support/involvement
• Parental control in different environments leven in een oorlog ja of nee
• Cultural considerations
o Are Asian parents authoritarian? (or protective/”strict-affectionate”?) rules are acceptable
o Correlation between ethnic (minority) background and family environment...
o STILL: “even though authoritative parenting is less common in ethnic minority families, its effects on
adolescent development are beneficial in all ethnic groups”
Parenting styles & adolescent functioning Calafat et al. (Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Czech
Republic)
• Cross-cultural comparison: substance use, self-esteem, school performance, personal disturbances
• Results: parenting styles relate to substance use and other outcomes in the same way in different countries explored
+ authoritative parenting correlated with positive outcomes and authoritarian parenting correlated with negative
outcomes
, 3. Changes in (the dynamic of the) parent-adolescent relationship
Adolescent storm & stress? (vooral early midadolescence)
• Hall (1900) & Freud (1960/1970) storm & stress
o ‘Detachment’ inside the family → high parent-adolescent conflict
o = normal, healthy, and inevitable
o = universal/across cultures
• Current scientific review
• Large individual differences in family constellations (verschillende classes) +
change over time (increase early-mid maar decrease mid-late)
• ‘Adolescent development’ does not happen in a vacuum
o → developmental history of parent-child interaction patterns and relationship quality before adolescence =
important! relationship with parents most negative most decrease in parental support most
problems in adolescence the poorer get poorer
Normative developmental change
• Longitudinal study by De Goede, Branje, & Meeus (2009) in NL
o Results support: early to mid-adolescence decrease in
perceived support from mothers and fathers. Mid to late-
adolescence the support increases for girls and for boys
stable.
o Results conflict: early to mid-adolescence increase in
perceived conflict with mothers and fathers, especially for
girls. Mid to late-adolescence conflict with mothers and
fathers decreases for boys and girls.
o Results power: early to mid-adolescence decrease in
power from mothers and fathers. Mid to late-adolescence
power decreases even more.
Normative developmental changes: in sum
• Relationship between parent-adolescent become
more egalitarian over time
• From vertical to horizontal
• From asymmetrical to symmetrical
• From dependent to interdependent
Increase in parent-adolescent conflict?
• What do parents and adolescent flight about? Autonomy-related
issues! (=‘control’-issues cognitive)
• The adolescent autonomy develops (cognitive) who am I? where do
I belong? Who do I want to become? What do I want? vs
independence (behavior)
• Making independent choices and decisions, having independent
thoughts and feelings (→ increased ‘need’ for privacy)
• Predictors/driving forces AUTONOMY Parent-adolescent
conflict
Increase in parent-adolescent conflict: WHY?
• Separation-individuation theory (e.g., Blos, 1967 detachment from parents (Hall, Freud))
• Evolutionary perspective (e.g., Holmbeck, 1996; Steinberg, 1989, 2000)
o Pubertal development (hormonal changes + individuation → searching for a sexual partner)
Parent-adolescent conflict predictor of → reorganization/realignment of the parent-adolescent relationship
• Maturational perspective (e.g., Collins, 1990; Laursen & Collins, 2009; Smetana, 1995)
WEEK 4
Session 6. (Content Lecture 5) Family Relationships and Autonomy (Nelemans)
The dynamics of the parent-adolescent relationship change during adolescence. Adolescents begin to claim more autonomy
from their parents who gradually release the control they exert. Thus, the parent-adolescent relationship transforms from being
a hierarchical relationship to one that is more egalitarian. Many processes contribute to this transformation, including changes in
parenting behaviors and in parent-adolescent conflict. This lecture focuses on the changes that occur in how parents and
adolescents relate to each other during adolescence.
Required Readings
Textbook Chapter 4 and Chapter 9 (pp. 246-260)
Learning Objectives / Lecture Overview
After this lecture, students will be able to:
1. Understand the main principles of Family Systems Theory;
2. Describe the 4 main parenting styles and their effect on adolescents;
3. Describe changes in the parent-adolescent relationship across adolescence;
4. Describe how (changes in) the parent-adolescent relationship affect(s)
adolescent adjustment, and vice versa.
1. The family/parent-adolescent relationship
What is a ‘family’?
• Dictionary definition: Married, 2-parent and biological offspring but different
forms & sizes (adopted, gay, gescheiden) worden er steeds meer
answer may be culture-dependent
• Structures common ‘historically’ are not as common today
o E.g., in terms of structure and size and also culture-dependent!
o Whites meer gebroken gezinnen (gescheiden, alleen staand)
o Nonwhites meer gebroken gezinnen, maar ook meer uitgebreide gezinnen (wel decrease) dan whites
• In all societies, the family fulfills similar functions:
o Socialization of children/adolescents
o Enduring source of (practical/economic & emotional/social) support
o Continuity of relationships across the life course = social embedding
The family as a system Bowen (1966, 1978); Broderick & Smith (1979); Kantor & Lehr (1975)
• Focus traditionally on mother-child/adolescent relationship
• Family Systems Theory = an organized whole, consisting of interrelated parts that influence
each other
o System = set(s) of elements standing in interrelation among themselves and with
the environment
Interrelation = not A affects B, but A & B affect each other bidirectional
o Changing, self-organizing, and adapting to (changes in) its members and the outside environment
System is flexible, but strives for stability (= equilibrium)
o Family = cohesive emotional unit (intensive emotional connection)
The family as a system
• Holism
o To understand family, it is not enough to look at members separately
o Roles (e.g., caretaker)
• ‘Hierarchy’/structure
o Organized into subsystems
o By gender or generation– B
o Individual level
o Dyadic level – marital relationship
o Dyadic level – parent-child relationship
o Dyadic level – sibling relationship
o Triadic level – child with both parents / one parent with both kids
o Family level/wholeneration
• Boundaries
o At every level (subsystems, inside/outside)
o Permeability varies across families
o Permeability evolves over time
o “Spillover” vs. “compensation”: Associations between dyadic
relationships within the whole family = When there are ‘loose’
boundaries between subsystems (parent-child and marital
relationship)
Spillover = what happens in 1 system affects the other
systems
Compensation = what happens in one system is compensated by another system
Compartmentalization = the systems are quite independent from each other (thus, there are strict
boundaries)
,The family as a system: Boundaries
• Longitudinal study by Sherrill et al. (2017) in USA
o Results: meer ruzie tussen ouders onderling meer ruzie tussen
kind en ouder in een dag en een dag later + meer ruzie tussen
kind en ouder meer ruzie tussen ouders onderling dag later
o Spillover
• Longitudinal study by Mastrotheodoros et al. (2020) in NL
o Wanted to find an explanation for the spillover focus on mood
o Results: ruzie tussen ouders onderling meer boosheid bij
moeder en kind meer conflict tussen moeder en kind dag later
+ meer conflict tussen moeder en kind meer boosheid bij
moeder en kind dag later
o Vicious cycle one explanation for spillover is the effect on
individual moods
•
• Longitudinal study by Kouros et al. (2014) in USA
o Focuses on the positive aspects of spillover
o Results: goede kwaliteit huwelijk betere ouder-kind
relatie kwaliteit dezelfde dag + lage kwaliteit huwelijk
betere ouder-kind relatie kwaliteit dag later
(compensation)
o Dus positive spillover in the same day and compensation
Adolescence = disruption of homeostasis
• New balance/equilibrium needs to be found
• Process of (family) adaptation
• Three influences: genotype, shared environment (home), unshared environments (peer, group, school)
o In case of parents: overlap between genotype and shared environment (except non-biological children,
adoption) because parents play a role in both
2. Parenting styles and adolescents
Parenting styles (stability across time/development, specific behaviors change - Baumrind (1978); Maccoby & Martin (1983))
and adolescent functioning (Stage-environment fit model (Eccles et al., 1991))
Important methodological considerations Stage-environment fit model (Eccles et al., 1991)
Control can be good or bad
Control higher levels of internalizing symptoms Monitoring lower levels of externalizing behavior (behavioral
(psychological control) control)
Low support/ involvement High support/involvement
• Parental control in different environments leven in een oorlog ja of nee
• Cultural considerations
o Are Asian parents authoritarian? (or protective/”strict-affectionate”?) rules are acceptable
o Correlation between ethnic (minority) background and family environment...
o STILL: “even though authoritative parenting is less common in ethnic minority families, its effects on
adolescent development are beneficial in all ethnic groups”
Parenting styles & adolescent functioning Calafat et al. (Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Czech
Republic)
• Cross-cultural comparison: substance use, self-esteem, school performance, personal disturbances
• Results: parenting styles relate to substance use and other outcomes in the same way in different countries explored
+ authoritative parenting correlated with positive outcomes and authoritarian parenting correlated with negative
outcomes
, 3. Changes in (the dynamic of the) parent-adolescent relationship
Adolescent storm & stress? (vooral early midadolescence)
• Hall (1900) & Freud (1960/1970) storm & stress
o ‘Detachment’ inside the family → high parent-adolescent conflict
o = normal, healthy, and inevitable
o = universal/across cultures
• Current scientific review
• Large individual differences in family constellations (verschillende classes) +
change over time (increase early-mid maar decrease mid-late)
• ‘Adolescent development’ does not happen in a vacuum
o → developmental history of parent-child interaction patterns and relationship quality before adolescence =
important! relationship with parents most negative most decrease in parental support most
problems in adolescence the poorer get poorer
Normative developmental change
• Longitudinal study by De Goede, Branje, & Meeus (2009) in NL
o Results support: early to mid-adolescence decrease in
perceived support from mothers and fathers. Mid to late-
adolescence the support increases for girls and for boys
stable.
o Results conflict: early to mid-adolescence increase in
perceived conflict with mothers and fathers, especially for
girls. Mid to late-adolescence conflict with mothers and
fathers decreases for boys and girls.
o Results power: early to mid-adolescence decrease in
power from mothers and fathers. Mid to late-adolescence
power decreases even more.
Normative developmental changes: in sum
• Relationship between parent-adolescent become
more egalitarian over time
• From vertical to horizontal
• From asymmetrical to symmetrical
• From dependent to interdependent
Increase in parent-adolescent conflict?
• What do parents and adolescent flight about? Autonomy-related
issues! (=‘control’-issues cognitive)
• The adolescent autonomy develops (cognitive) who am I? where do
I belong? Who do I want to become? What do I want? vs
independence (behavior)
• Making independent choices and decisions, having independent
thoughts and feelings (→ increased ‘need’ for privacy)
• Predictors/driving forces AUTONOMY Parent-adolescent
conflict
Increase in parent-adolescent conflict: WHY?
• Separation-individuation theory (e.g., Blos, 1967 detachment from parents (Hall, Freud))
• Evolutionary perspective (e.g., Holmbeck, 1996; Steinberg, 1989, 2000)
o Pubertal development (hormonal changes + individuation → searching for a sexual partner)
Parent-adolescent conflict predictor of → reorganization/realignment of the parent-adolescent relationship
• Maturational perspective (e.g., Collins, 1990; Laursen & Collins, 2009; Smetana, 1995)
