ABSTRACT
This study examines whether the widely reported positive relation between “authoritative” parenting and adolescent adjustment is moderated by the ecological context in which adolescents live. A socioeconomically and ethnically diverse sample of approximately 10,000 high school students completed measures concerning their family background; their parents’ behavior; and four indicators of adjustment: school performance, self-reliance, psychological distress, and delinquency. The students were grouped into 16 ecological niches defined by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and family structure, and analyses were conducted within each niche to contrast the adjustment scores of adolescents from authoritative versus nonauthoritative homes. Analyses indicate that the positive correlates of authoritative parenting transcend ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and family structure. Virtually regardless of their ethnicity, class, or parents’ marital status, adolescents whose parents are accepting, firm, and democratic earn higher grades in school, are more self-reliant, report less anxiety and depression, and are less likely to engage in delinquent behavior.
