Perfectionism and relationship quality in parent-adolescent dyads

Abstract

Perfectionism can be both a result of difficulties in the parent–adolescent relationships and a source of interpersonal problems according to the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model. Applying this in the family context, the present study investigates the longitudinal interplay between relationship quality and perfectionism characteristics in parent-adolescent dyads. The study examined a sample (N = 443) of adolescents (m_{age at Time 1} = 15.6 years old, 69.3% cisgender women) and their parents (m_{age at Time 1 =} 43.8 years, 84.3% cisgender women) using an actor-partner model in a cross-lagged longitudinal design with three waves. Results showed that adolescents’ perceptions of relationship quality with their mother predicted significant relative changes in adolescents’ perfectionistic concerns. Furthermore, adolescents’ perceptions of relationship quality with both their parents predicted changes in parental perfectionistic strivings. However, parental perfectionistic strivings predicted decreases only in adolescents’ perceptions of relationship quality with their father. These results underscore the critical role of adolescents’ views on the parent-child relationship in shaping both their own and their parents’ perfectionism, as well as potential differences between mother and father relationship quality dynamics with perfectionism.

Plain Language Summary

Why was the study done? Being a perfectionist can arise from issues in how children connect with their parents, and it can also create problems in their interactions with others. This study aimed to understand how perfectionism and the quality of relationships between parents and their teenage children influence each other over time. What did the researchers do? The researchers followed families with children aged 10 to 18 to explore these dynamics. They examined how perfectionism and relationship quality in parent–adolescent pairs affect each other. What did the researchers find? Interestingly, how teenagers view their relationship with their parents can also affect both their own and their parents’ perfectionistic tendencies. Additionally, parents who strive for perfection, can lead to teenagers feeling that their relationship with their parents, more significantly with their father, is getting worse. What do the findings mean? These findings highlight how important it is for teens and parents to feel good about their relationship. The quality of the parent-child relationship can significantly impact both the teenagers’ and the parents’ tendencies toward perfectionism, reducing their feeling that they need to be perfect.