Brief report: Agreement between parent and adolescent autonomy expectations and its relationship to adolescent adjustment

Abstract

While disagreement in autonomy expectations between parents and their adolescent children is normative, it may also compromise adolescent adjustment. This study examines the association between parents' and adolescents' agreement on autonomy expectations by cognitive social domains and adolescent adjustment. A sample of 211 Chilean dyads of adolescents (57% female, Mage = 15.29 years) and one of their parents (82% mothers, Mage = 44.36 years) reported their expectations for the age at which adolescents should decide on their own regarding different issues in their life. Indexes of parent–adolescent agreement on autonomy expectations were estimated for issues of personal and prudential domains. Greater agreement in the prudential than in the personal domain was observed. For boys and girls, higher agreement in adolescent–parent autonomy expectations in the personal domain was associated with lower substance use. A negative association between level of agreement in adolescent–parent autonomy expectations in the prudential domain and externalizing behaviors and substance use was found.