Controlling, protective, or both: An examination of parenting behaviors associated with child anxiety

Abstract

Overcontrol and overprotection are often used interchangeably within parenting literature. This has also impacted the questionnaires that are used to assess these parenting behaviors. However, theoretical differences between these constructs may result in different associations with child anxiety. These autonomy-restricting parenting behaviors may be of particular importance during middle childhood/early adolescence as children are building independence during this developmental period. The current study examined measures of overprotective and overcontrolling parenting behaviors in a sample of 262 parents of 8- to- 14-year-old children via online recruitment. Three measures of parenting associated with parental overprotection and overcontrol were examined. Further, a series of factor analyses were completed to examine the factor structures of these measures. An additional factor analysis examined items across all three questionnaires. Individual factors of overcontrol and overprotection that map onto theoretical definitions of the constructs were not found. Findings may indicate that current measures are unable to distinguish between these constructs. Additionally, a measure of overcontrol and a measure of overprotection were both positively associated with child anxiety. There was not a significant difference between the strength of correlations. This research highlights the need for clarity in definitions and measurement of parenting behaviors. Continued research may result in increased utility of parenting measures in the evaluation of child anxiety treatment outcomes.