Changes in Parent-Child Relationship Satisfaction During Adolescence: The Effects of Ecological Contexts Author:Huey-Ya Lin, Ying-Ling Hsiao
Research Article
This study estimated the trajectory of changes in parent-child relationship satisfaction during adolescence over time. In addition, this study examined the effects of ecological contextual changes (including adolescent perceptions of parenting practices, the quality of parental marital relations, friends’ support, and school grades) on changes in parent-child relationship satisfaction. The data used in this study was drawn from wave 1, 3 and 6 in the Taiwan Youth Project (TYP), and a total of 1226 students completed 3 waves of data collection. The results of the growth curve models showed that parent-child relationship satisfaction significantly declined when the adolescent was in between 7th grade of middle school and the junior year of high school. Changes in parenting practices and parent’s marital satisfaction perceived by adolescents were associated with changes in father-child and mother-child relationship satisfaction. Adolescents who perceived their parents used more inductive reasoning, more monitoring behaviors, and less physical punishment were more likely to have a good relationship with their parents. Also, adolescents who perceived their parents had a satisfying marriage tended to have a better quality relationship with their parents. Changes in friends’ support and school grades were associated with changes in mother-child relationship satisfaction but not associated with changes in father-child relationship satisfaction. The findings of this study advance theoretical understanding of how parent-child relationships change during adolescence and provide some implications for practical application.