Date of Award

Fall 12-2012

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Program

Psychology

Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Monica Marsee

Second Advisor

Paul Frick

Third Advisor

Carl Weems

Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of parental psychological control on the association between parental psychopathology and youth relational aggression in a community sample of 118 adolescents (aged 11-17) and their parents. Additionally, an analysis was conducted to examine the moderating role of positive parenting on the association between parental psychopathology and relational aggression. Further analyses controlled for overt aggression and examined effects of youth gender. Results suggest psychological control partially mediates the association between parental psychopathology and relational aggression. The overall mediation was not significant after controlling for overt aggression; however, the association between psychological control and relational aggression remained significant. The moderation was not significant. Parental psychopathology interacted with gender; specifically, psychopathology was significantly associated with relational aggression only for boys. Findings demonstrate the complexity of associations between different parenting variables and relational aggression, and the necessity of assessing the effects of overt aggression and gender.

Rights

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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