View article

Overparenting involves the application of developmentally inappropriate parenting tactics that far exceed the actual needs of adolescents and emerging adults. Past research as well as elements of self-determination theory suggest that this type of parenting should be associated with greater child problems in relation to other people and a more critical family environment. These hypotheses were tested on 477 emerging adult child-parent dyads from 30 of the 50 United States who both completed self-report measures of overparenting and elements of a critical family environment. In addition, emerging adults completed self-reports of problems, primarily in relation to other people, and how they cope with them. Results of a structural equation model indicated that the child, but not parent, overparenting latent variable was strongly associated with reports of more child problems. Both the emerging adult child and …