Parental psychological control, autonomy support and Italian emerging adult’s psychosocial well-being: a cluster analytic approach

ABSTRACT

According to a person-oriented approach, the study was addressed to inquire the existence of different groups of emerging adults (EAs) each characterized by distinct configurations of parental psychological control and autonomy support conceptualized in terms of promotion of volitional functioning (PVF) and in terms promotion of independence (PI). At the study participated 476 Italian undergraduate students following the academic track in several south Italian universities. Results showed the existence of four profiles: 1. the Moderate Volitional Dependence cluster; 2. the Moderate Controlling Independence cluster; 3. the Volitional Independence cluster; 4. the Controlling Dependence cluster. In line with the study conducted in Belgium context, these findings confirmed that the lack of independence may or may not co-occur with psychological control. Differently, it seemed that PC and PVF do not appear to be quite incompatible. In fact, not in all the four groups identified, scores of PC and PVF where in opposite direction showing that Italian families tend to engage in practices that reflect the ‘autonomous relatedness’ model in which volitional goals are encouraged along with strong ties and interdependence. Differences between cluster in terms of EAs’ adjustment were investigated. The implications of the findings for future empirical investigation and clinical intervention were discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Emerging adulthood
• parental psychological control
• parental autonomy support
• cluster analysis

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Notes on contributors

Francesca Liga

Francesca Liga is Associate Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (DIMED) of the University of Messina (Italy). Her research areas focus on different aspects of developmental psychology, particularly regarding risk and protective factors in adolescence and the process of adolescents’ individuation.

Alida Lo Coco

Alida Lo Coco is Full Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Palermo (Italy). Her research interests focus on parent-child relations, empathy and the psychosocial adjustment in adolescence and emerging adulthood.

Pasquale Musso

Pasquale Musso , PhD, is Research Fellow and Teaching Assistant at the University of Palermo (Italy). His research interests focus on issues in developmental psychology, as related to the social development of adolescents and emerging adults, especially to their positive development, acculturation processes and socio-psychological adaptation, and the development of mutual intercultural relations.

Cristiano Inguglia

Cristiano Inguglia is Assistant Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Palermo (Italy). His research interests include the study of psychological and social adaptation of children, adolescents and emerging adults of different backgrounds.

Sebastiano Costa

Sebastiano Costa is a PhD at the Division of Psychology of the Nottingham Trent University (UK). His research interests focus on the motivational processes and emotional dynamics underlying the relation between contextual factor and psychological well‐being in several settings.

Maria Grazia Lo Cricchio

Maria Grazia Lo Cricchio is a PhD at the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Palermo (Italy). Her research interests include the study of psychological and social adaptation of adolescents and emerging adults in several settings.

Sonia Ingoglia

Sonia Ingoglia is Assistant Professor in Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology at the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Palermo (Italy). Her research interests include the study of parent-child relations and the psychosocial adjustment in adolescence and emerging adulthood.