Adolescent Effortful Control as Moderator of Father's Psychological Control in Externalizing Problems: A Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT

This longitudinal study investigates the moderating role of a temperamental trait, the effortful control, in the relation between father's psychological control and externalizing problems. In Wave 1, the participants included 507 adolescents attending the second classes of two public schools situated in two Italian cities; in Wave 2, 482 adolescents attending the fifth classes of high school participated again in the study. The results demonstrated a positive contribution of paternal achievement-oriented psychological control to externalizing problems and a moderator effect of effortful control in the relationship between the father's psychological control and externalizing problems. These findings extend current knowledge on the role of the father in the difficult task of balancing the promotion of individuality without falling into psychological control that can trigger externalizing problems among adolescents, especially when the temperament of the latter does not foresee the availability of self-regulating abilities that mediate disadvantageous reactivity.

KEYWORDS:

• Effortful control
• externalizing problems
• paternal psychological control

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ugo Pace

Ugo Pace is a professor of developmental psychology and the director of the School of Psychology at UKE – Kore University of Enna, Italy. His research interests are concerned with the psychological health of adolescents, focusing primarily on the development of identity and autonomy and the relative level of adjustment (behaviors, addictions, moods).

Giulio D'Urso

Giulio D'Urso is a psychologist, expert in forensic psychology, and PhD student in “Social Inclusion in Multicultural Contexts.” His research interests are developmental and educational psychology, and social and forensic psychology.

Carla Zappulla

Carla Zappulla is a professor of developmental psychology at University of Palermo, Italy. Her main research interests concern the study of risk behaviors in childhood and adolescence, with particular attention to the intra-individual (temperament, identity) and inter-individual components (attachment relationship, parenting), and to emotional competence and regulation.