Parent Psychological Control and Responses to Interpersonal Stress in Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

This study examined links between parent psychological control and responses to interpersonal stress in emerging adulthood and whether temperament (i.e., behavioral inhibition [BI] and behavioral activation [BA]) moderated this association. A sample of 161 emerging adults ( Mage = 19.48, SD = 1.00) enrolled in a public university reported their perceptions of parent psychological control, responses to stress, and BI and BA. Results revealed that parent psychological control and temperament made both independent and interactive contributions to emerging adults’ responses to stress. Specifically, psychological control and BI were associated with maladaptive responses, whereas BA was associated with adaptive responses. In some cases, susceptibility to parent psychological control varied as a function of BI and BA. This study extends previous research with children and adolescents by demonstrating that parenting and temperament are associated with responses to stress in emerging adulthood.