Investigating the relationship between family systems structural characteristics and the differentiation of self in late adolescents during the launching phase: Mediating role of the parental boundary ambiguity

This study aims to examine the mediating role of mothers' boundary ambiguity in the relationship between the family system's structural characteristics and the self-differentiation of late adolescents during the launching phase. For this purpose, for this study, 95 university students between the ages of 19 - 24, who lived separately from their family and their mothers, were reached. The Parent-Adolescent Relationship Questionnaire (PARQ) was presented to both mothers and late adolescents to measure the family system's structural characteristics. In addition, "Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI-R)" was presented to adolescents, and "Boundary Ambiguity Scale for Parents of Adolescents Leaving Home" was presented to mothers. Mediation analysis was used to analyze the models. According to the study results, maternal ambiguity does not mediate the relationship between the family system's structural characteristics and the late adolescents' self-differentiation. When the paths in the mediation model were analyzed for each structural feature, it was found that the perceived triangulation by both the mother and the late adolescent was related to the mothers' boundary ambiguity. There appears to be a difference between the perceptions of mothers and late adolescents for coalition and cohesion. Only the mother-adolescent coalition perceived by mother is associated with mothers' boundary ambiguity. In addition, although no relationship was found between cohesion and mothers' boundary ambiguity, cohesion perceived by late adolescents is related to late adolescents' high levels of self-differentiation. In the discussion section, these findings were discussed within the framework of the literature.