The relationship between parental controlling behavior and perceptions of control of preadolescent children and adolescents

Previous research has suggested that a noncontrolling, independence-encouraging parenting style is correlated with children's having an internal locus of control. In the present study, children's and adolescents' reports of parent behaviors were used. Parental acceptance and child-centeredness were found to be related to more internal control beliefs in both preadolescent children and adolescents. Parental controlling behavior, however, was related to more internal control beliefs in preadolescent children and more external control beliefs in adolescents. The relationships among structure, parent controlling behavior, and the age and developmental level of children are discussed.