(PS3-23) Perceptions of Mother and Father Accommodating Behaviors and Anxiety Outcomes in Adolescents

Abstract Text: Adolescent perceptions of parenting behaviors significantly influence anxiety outcomes (De Man, 1986). Parenting behaviors, often focused solely on mothers, seldom consider fathers separately (e.g., Hale et al., 2006; Reitman & Asseff, 2010). Gender norms often lead to differences in parenting, with mothers perceived as more nurturing and fathers perceived as harsher (Yaffe, 2020). Maternal behaviors are often viewed as overly accommodating and anxious and are linked to adolescent internalizing problems (Muris & Merckelbach, 1998). In contrast, more challenging paternal parenting (competitive play, encouraging assertiveness) may protect against anxiety at younger ages (Bögels & Phares, 2008). Gender differences also exist in general anxiety outcomes, as females experience higher rates of anxiety disorders (Keiley et al., 2003). Considering these age and gender differences, the present study examined differences in perceptions of maternal and paternal accommodation and anxiety outcomes in an adolescent sample. It was hypothesized that: (1) adolescents will perceive higher rates of accommodating behaviors in mothers than in fathers; (2) the strength of the relationship between perceived accommodation and anxiety will differ significantly for perceptions of maternal and paternal accommodation; (3) the association between perceived parenting behaviors and anxiety outcomes will be stronger in females than males. Data were collected using online surveys via Qualtrics. Participants were 569 adolescents (M_age = 17.9), who earned psychology course credit. Participants completed the Family Accommodation Scale for Anxiety and Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale. Adolescents reported significant differences in accommodating behaviors for mothers and fathers (t = 11.4 (568), p</em> < .001), with mothers perceived as more accommodating (M = 24.20, SD = 9.20) than fathers (M = 20.50, SD = 9.22); these differences were consistent for both male and female reports. The association between female perceptions of parental accommodation and self-reported anxiety differed significantly between perceptions of maternal (r = .00) and paternal (r = -.16) accommodation (Fisher’s z = -2.33, p = .02), with only perceptions of paternal accommodation significantly correlated with anxiety. The association between male perceptions of parental accommodation and self-reported anxiety did not differ significantly between perceptions of maternal (r = -.06) and paternal (r = .01) accommodation (Fisher’s z = -.62, p = .54), with neither perception of paternal accommodation nor maternal accommodation significantly correlated with anxiety. When examined by adolescent gender, the relationship between perceptions of paternal accommodation for females (r = -.16) was significant, but not for males (r = -.06).  The results indicate that higher perceived paternal accommodation is associated with lower female anxiety. Future research could explore variables like paternal attachment in diverse families to understand how the quality of this relationship impacts female anxiety cross-culturally. Overall, this study supports implications for paternal involvement in the treatment of anxiety disorders for the benefit of adolescent daughters.