Parenting Style During Adolescence: Stability and Relationship with Behavioural Change

McFarquhar, Tara (2025) Parenting Style During Adolescence: Stability and Relationship with Behavioural Change. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

Preview

PDF Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

This thesis explores stability and change in parenting during adolescence, in both typical and high-risk populations. The portfolio contains the following chapters: 1, an introduction to the thesis portfolio; 2, a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the stability of parenting style and dimensions during adolescence; 3, a bridging chapter which considers definitions of stability and provides context for the empirical chapter; 4, an exploration of parenting trajectories using Growth Curve Modelling in a sample of adolescents with behavioural problems and their respective outcomes and 5, an overall discussion and critical evaluation.

Findings suggest that parenting dimensions such as demandingness and responsiveness remain relatively stable in community samples, supporting the use of a single measurement to predict outcomes across adolescence. In a sample of adolescents taking part in interventions for problem behaviour, distinct trajectories of positive parenting and monitoring/supervision were identified, with differences in reported outcomes based on parent and adolescent perspectives. High positive parenting correlated with better outcomes in terms of lower conduct disorder and higher pro-social behaviour, while sudden increases in monitoring were associated with negative outcomes.

Theoretical and clinical implications include the need for interventions that emphasize warmth over control and supervision tailored to individual adolescents, and modernization of parenting measures to account for the digital age, where online supervision is as critical as physical monitoring. These findings contribute to understanding how parenting evolves during adolescence and inform the design of more effective interventions and policies to improve adolescent outcomes.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	29 Oct 2025 11:34
Last Modified:	29 Oct 2025 11:34
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100824
DOI:

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item