Anxiety predictors across child development: the role of parental overprotection and child locus of control

Abstract

Parental overprotection has been previously identified as a risk factor for child anxiety. Research efforts are now focusing on the control-related cognition locus of control as a cognitive mediator to explain the relationship between parental overprotection and child anxiety. The purpose of the present study was to identify the different ages at which locus of control functions as a mediator or moderator of the relationship between overprotection and anxiety in children. A non-clinical sample of children (N =146) ranging in age from 7 to 19 years comprised three age groups (8-10, 12-14, and 16-18 years). Participants completed self-report measures that assessed parental overprotection, child locus of control, and child anxiety. Contrary to predictions, significant correlations between the main constructs were found only in the full sample, but not within separate age groups. The lack of statistically significant findings precluded further testing of mediation of moderation models within the age groups. However, testing of these models in the full sample suggested that a non-significant mediation model was a better fit than a moderation model. Differences in the relationships among overprotection, locus of control, and child anxiety may exist when examined across a wide age range compared to when examined by age groups and thus, further investigation with respect to the role of child age is warranted.