The multiple-forms approach to control.
Scholars have always deemed control to be fundamental in the parenting context, but its characterization has changed over time. Early scholars defined control in terms of pressure, intrusiveness, and domination, viewing it as detrimental to children . At the same time, however, they acknowledged that it was also maladaptive for parents to allow children free rein, as children require some guidance. In contrast, contemporary work has focused on multiple forms of control, some of which are characterized not by pressure, intrusiveness, or domination, but rather by guidance as well as other characteristics. We refer to this framework as the multiple-forms approach. Schaefer was one of the first to identify more than one form of parental control . His circumplex model included psychological control versus autonomy as well as what he labeled firm versus lax control. He defined a continuum of psychological control versus autonomy; psychological control included the presence of parental domin...