PARENTAL WARMTH, CONTROL AND LATE ADOLESCENTS’ SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING IN EUROPE: MEDIATING EFFECTS OF DEPENDENCY ON PARENTS Ania Filus1, Beate Schwarz2, Kostas Mylonas3, David L. Sam4, Paweł Boski5 1The University of Queensland, Australia 2The University of Applied Sciences in Zurich, Switzerland 3The University of Athens, Greece 4The University of Bergen, Norway 5The University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Poland

AIMS OF THE STUDY To determine what are the optimal patterns of parenting for late adolescents’ subjective well-being (SWB) in Europe (example of Greece, Norway, Poland & Switzerland). To investigate psychological mechanisms accounting for the effects of parenting and late adolescents’ SWB.

WHY EUROPE? One can observe a remarkable cultural & socioeconomic diversity in Europe. Yet, unlike the American or Asian contexts, the European one has been neglected in the c-c studies on parenting and adolescents’ functioning.

WHY PARENTING & ADOLESCENTS’ SWB? Adolescence is the age of many changes that can negatively impact youth (e.g. Turner & Helms, 1999). Understanding factors affecting adolescents’ SWB is crucial – high SWB may act as a buffer against many negative outcomes (e.g. Eccles et al., 1996; Plunkett et al., 2007). Research shows that parents- adolescents relationships are one of the most important factors affecting adolescents’ SWB (e.g. Leung & Zhang, 2000; Chirkov & Ryan, 2001; Suldo & Huebner, 2004) .

PARENTING & ADOLESCENTS’ SWB ACROSS CULTURES Research indicates that parental warmth is universally positively associated with adolescents’ outcomes (e.g. Khaleque & Rohner, 2002; Flouri & Buchanan, 2003; Dimitrieva et al., 2004). On the contrary, relations between parental control and adolescents’ outcomes differ across cultures: Individualistic cultures medium control is optimal as the goal of socialization is child’s independence. Collectivistic cultures high control is optimal as the goal of socialization is child’s interdependence.

MEDIATING ROLE OF INDIVIDUATION Hardly any c-c studies have explored potential psychological mechanisms through which parenting affects adolescents’ outcomes. Theory suggests that individuation from parents could be one of such mechanisms: Individuation is mostly affected by patterns of parenting (e.g. Bowen, 1979); Adolescents’ individuation is related to their well-being (e.g. Flemming & Anderson, 1986); The process of adolescents’ individuation reveals cultural variation (Kagitcibasi, 2011).

MODEL OF RELATIONSHIPS Positive affection towards a child Operationalised as adolescent life satisfaction and self-esteem Degree to which parents permit the adolescent to express his ideas, beliefs and points of view Degree of parental strictness and behavioural standards expressed for adolescents Operationalised as a degree of psychological, functional & financial dependency on parents

THIS STUDY 739 adolescents (Mage = 18.21 years old) from Greece, Norway, Poland & Switzerland. Questionnaire method (translation-back translation used to prepare language versions): The Parenting Style Inventory II (Darling & Toyokawa, 1997) The Multigenerational Interconnectedness Scale (Gavazzi & Sabatelli, 1987) The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) The Satisfaction With Life Scale (Pavot & Diener, 1993)

MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENCE First measurement equivalence was assessed for each scale via Multi-Group CFA in Mplus v 7.2. Analysis supported metric equivalence – sufficient condition for cross-cultural comparisons of the relationships between variables. Reliabilities for all scales were good (Cronbach’s alphas > .70).

TESTING MODELS OF RELATIONSHIPS To test the hypothesized model of relationships between variables we applied Multi-Group SEM with latent constructs in Mplus v 7.2. Models were assessed separately for mothers and fathers (observation of correlation matrices indicated differences in the relationships between mothers’ and fathers’ parenting and adolescents’ outcomes).

DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS PARENTING AND ADOLESCENTS’ SWB MODEL FOR MOTHERS no c-c differences Χ(265) = 437.66*, CFI=.928, RMSEA=.060

DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS PARENTING AND ADOLESCENTS’ SWB MODEL FOR FATHERS C-c differences the path highlighted in red Χ(262) = 456.56*, CFI=.913, RMSEA=.064

MEDIATION MECHANISM MODEL FOR MOTHERS No c-c differences Χ(754) = 1244.03*, CFI=.904, RMSEA=.059

MEDIATION MECHANISM MODEL FOR MOTHERS Warmth indirectly impacts adolescents’ SWB via psychological and functional dependence Χ(754) = 1244.03*, CFI=.904, RMSEA=.059

MEDIATION MECHANISM MODEL FOR MOTHERS Autonomy granting indirectly impacts adolescents’ SWB via psychological dependence Χ(754) = 1244.03*, CFI=.904, RMSEA=.059

C-c differences the paths highlighted in red MEDIATION MECHANISM MODEL FOR FATHERS C-c differences the paths highlighted in red Χ(742) = 1199.53.03*, CFI=.903, RMSEA=.058

Warmth indirectly impacts adolescents’ SWB via financial dependence MEDIATION MECHANISM MODEL FOR FATHERS Warmth indirectly impacts adolescents’ SWB via financial dependence Χ(742) = 1199.53.03*, CFI=.903, RMSEA=.058

CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that mothers’ parenting characterised by high warmth and autonomy granting is important for late adolescents’ SWB in Europe. However, maternal warmth and autonomy granting promote psychological and functional dependence, which in turn have negative impacts on late adolescents’ SWB (antagonistic effects).

CONCLUSIONS In terms of fathers’ parenting, autonomy granting seems to have universally positive effects on late adolescents’ SWB. Paternal warmth had direct positive effect on adolescents’ SWB only in Greece and Norway. However, paternal warmth related positively and indirectly to adolescents’ SWB in all four countries: it promotes financial dependence on fathers which in turn promotes adolescents’ SWB (enhancing effect)

FUTURE DIRECTIONS Need for future studies exploring the relations between parenting and adolescents’ SWB in Europe: The need to include more European countries; The need to explore other mediators; The need for longitudinal studies exploring the relations between parenting, individuation and adolescents’ SWB through the periods of adolescence and emerging adulthood.

a.filus@uq.edu.au