Summary:
The current study examined the associations between trait and state anxiety of adolescents and parental practices of rearing and perceived autonomy granting by parents. The sample consisted of 177 Greek students of secondary education who attend 2nd and 3nd grade of Lyceum at schools in Attica.
The following instruments were employed for the data collection: a) Demographics questionnaire, b) Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory Gr. (STAI) (Liakos & Giannitsi, 1984. Spielberger, Gorush, & Lyshene, 1970), γ) EMBU-C questionnaire (revised for children and adolescents) Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran, (Perris, Jacobsson, Linndström, Knorring, & Perris, 1980. Kokkevi & Stefani, 1988), δ) Autonomy Granting Scale (Sessa & Steinberg 1991, as cited in Bush, Peterson, Cobas, & Supple, 2002).
The findings indicated that trait and state anxiety and parental dimensions of overprotection, rejection and anxious rearing, are linked. Emotional warmth was negatively associated with the two dimensions of anxiety. Moreover, gender differences were observed in expression of anxiety, with the girls scoring higher percentages of trait and state anxiety. However, regarding autonomy granting by parents, the gender differences were not statistically significant. In addition, the paternal role seems to be crucial for the anxiety in adolescence, even though adolescents perceive their mother as overprotective to a greater degree. Furthermore, concerning the two distinct age groups of the participants, statistically significant differences were observed only regarding the dimension of anxious rearing from father, with the participants at the age of 16 exhibiting lower levers, in comparison to the participants at the age of 17. In addition, parental educational level does not seem to differentiate the results regarding the associations between anxiety and autonomy. Lastly, autonomy granting is predicted by the parental dimensions of overprotection and rejection.
Keywords:
adolescence, trait anxiety, state anxiety, family, autonomy, rearing
