Perceived parental psychological control predicts intraindividual decrements in self-regulation throughout adolescence.

The present study examined the intraindividual, longitudinal, cross-lagged associations between adolescents' perceptions of mothers' and fathers' psychologically controlling parenting and their self-regulation from ages 11-17. Using 7 waves of data involving 500 families and their adolescents (Mage = 11.29; SD = 1.01 at Wave 1), results indicated that adolescent-reported increases in mothers' and fathers' psychological control prospectively and uniquely predicted intraindividual decrements in their self-regulation, controlling for prior levels of self-regulation. Sex differences were largely absent except for one, where fathers' psychological control predicted adolescent females', but not males', declines in self-regulation, and where reverse associations manifested. Implications for intervention efforts are suggested for parents, educators, and practitioners, and future directions for research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).