The relationship among adolescent perceptions of control, perceptions of maternal caretaking and identity development
Abstract
This is an exploratory investigation of the relationship among adolescent locus of control, perceived maternal caretaking and adolescent identity development. Julian Rotter and his associates have discovered that individuals differ in the degree to which they believe they are able to influence the outcomes of events in their lives. Further research (Connell, 1985; Harter, 1978) has found that children differentiate between the domain (cognitive, social, physical) and source of control (internal, external or unknown) in their perceptions of control. A theoretical and empirical link has been made between internal locus of control and adaptive behaviors such as positive self-concept and independence (Crandall, Katovsky, & Crandall, 1965; Crandall, Katovsky & Preston, 1962; Harter, 1978) as well as identity achievement (Abraham, 1983; Grotevant, 1987). In addition, the family is thought to be an important context for the development of both perceptions of control and identity status (i.e., achieved, moratorium, foreclosed, and diffused). Therefore, it was hypothesized that identity achieved adolescents would percieve their mothers as more supporting or demanding while identity diffused subjects would perceive their mothers as controlling or punishing. Also, it was hypothesized that identity achieved and moratorium subjects would perceive less external control across domains than identity diffused or foreclosed subjects. Finally, it was hypothesized that girls would perceive less control and more support in the family than boys, and that perceptions of external and unknown control would decrease with age. Subjects were 248 adolescents who completed questionnaires that measured multidimensional, domain specific perceptions of control, perceptions of maternal caretaking and identity status. Results indicated that subjects in moratorium were less likely to feel external control in the social domain than either foreclosed or diffused subjects. Also, perceptions of supporting maternal caretaking were significantly positively correlated with internality over most domains while perceptions of punishing maternal caretaking were significantly positively correlated with externality. Additionally, girls reported feeling significantly less internal control in the family than boys. Girls also reported feeling significantly more support in the family than boys. Generally, findings suggest that perceptions of control are domain-specific and linked to both identity and perceptions of caretaking.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Schulenberg, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Families & family life|Personal relationships|Sociology|Developmental psychology|Social studies education
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