Psychology

Issues and challenges in studying parental control: Toward a new conceptualization

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Although investigators have long considered parents' exertion of control over children as a central part of the socialization process, the study of control has been marked by conceptual and empirical confusion. This article outlines some of the history of the construct of control in the context of parenting, delineating the development of the contemporary approach that distinguishes among multiple forms of control. It proposes a refinement of this approach such that only parenting characterized by pressure, intrusion, and domination should be considered control, whereas parenting frequently labeled control but characterized mainly by guidance should be considered structure. This article highlights the benefits of distinguishing between these two dimensions of parenting rather than multiple forms of control. © 2009, Copyright the Author(s). Journal Compilation © 2009, Society for Research in Child Development.

Publication Title

Child Development Perspectives

Publication Date

2009

Volume

3

Issue

3

First Page

165

Last Page

170

ISSN

1750-8592

DOI

10.1111/j.1750-8606.2009.00099.x

Keywords

control, parenting, structure

Share

COinS