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Project

The Triangle Relationship Between Chinese Parents, Grandparents and (Grand-)children: Associations between (Co-)parenting and Early Adolescent Well-being

This PhD dissertation aimed to examine parenting and coparenting constructs in three generations of Chinese families and their relationship with adolescent problem behavior, demographic and family factors, i.e. parental attachment and couple relationship quality. To reach this, 1163 early adolescents, 1038 mothers, 926 fathers and 248 grandparents participated in a cross-sectional survey. Additionally, a sample with 10 parents and 6 grandparents was interviewed. The results are organized in five studies.

The first study examined the conceptual structure of a parenting questionnaire and its association with early adolescent problem behavior. Confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for a five-factor parenting model (i.e., support, proactive control, punitive control, harsh punitive control and psychological control) across early adolescents, parents and grandparents. Several parenting dimensions were significantly associated with early adolescent problem behaviors, but depending on informants, associations were different.

The second study investigated the factorial structure and validity of the Chinese version of the Coparenting Relationship Scale to measure the parent-parent and parent-grandparent coparenting relationship quality. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the seven-dimensional coparenting model (i.e., coparenting support, undermining, agreement, closeness, endorsement of partner’s parenting, exposure to conflict, division of labor) for parent-parent coparenting, not for parent-grandparent coparenting. Significant associations between coparenting constructs and adolescent problem behavior and marital relationship quality indicated concurrent validity of the questionnaire.

In the third study, narratives from parents and grandparents revealed established coparenting constructs, but given the cultural context, specific characteristics of the parent-grandparent coparenting relationship appeared. Grandparents showed subordinate power in childrearing. There was more agreement between parents than parent-grandparent agreement, especially regarding harsh punishment.

The fourth study examined different coparenting perceptions across mothers, fathers and grandparents and investigated possible covariates (i.e., early adolescent problem behavior and some demographic factors) that may explain coparenting. In general, fathers and grandparents were more positive about the coparenting relationship with mothers, than mothers about the coparenting relationship with fathers and grandparents. More positive coparenting was associated with less adolescent problem behaviors. Older adolescent age and higher SES were significantly related to more coparenting agreement and closeness.

The fifth study examined the mediating role of the parent-adolescent relationship in the association between parent-parent coparenting and early adolescent problem behavior, and the moderating role of couple relationship quality in the association between parent-parent coparenting and adolescent’s parental attachment. Both adolescent’s attachment to mother and adolescent’s attachment to father mediated the association between coparenting and adolescent problem behavior. Maternal, not paternal reports of couple relationship quality moderated the association between coparenting and problem behavior. 

This dissertation highlights the importance of demographic characteristics and other family factors (e.g. parental attachment and couple relationship quality) in the investigation of the association between (co-)parenting and early adolescent problem behavior in Chinese three-generational families. Findings may inspire researchers to further examine the (co)parenting process, and guide practitioners in the field of family and parenting support in counseling or development of intervention initiatives. 

Date:13 Oct 2015 →  8 Apr 2022
Keywords:Grandparenting, Behavior problems, Parenting, Coparenting
Disciplines:Orthopedagogics and special education
Project type:PhD project