Relationship between parental psychological control and adolescencent behavioral problems: the mediator role of different types of autonomy

Adolescence is a restructuring period which includes significant changes such as gaining new cognitive abilities, development of identity, increase in autonomy and decrease in dependency to parents. These developmental changes, specifically heightened need for autonomy may invalidate previous parenting practices such as parental control. The aim of the present study was to examine the mediating roles of different types of autonomy which are Emotional Autonomy and Self-Determination Autonomy (Self-Determination) in the relationship between maternal psychological control and behavioral problems in adolescents. The sample of the research consists of 121 female and 79 male participants. 200 adolescents recruited from 9th and 10thgrade of four public high schools in Tekirdağ. The results of mediation analyses indicated that both emotional autonomy and self-determination mediated the relationship between psychological control and anxiety for females as well as relationship between psychological control and depression for both gender. Besides, just self-determination mediated the relationship for psychological control and anxiety for males. However, results showed that only emotional autonomy mediated the relationship between psychological control and hostility for both gender.