Profiles of Parenting Autonomy Support and Control: A person-Centered Approach in Students’ Adjustment to the Transition to Middle School

The entry of students into middle school constitutes a life transition that involves adaptive challenges at the psychological, academic and social levels. The provision of autonomy support and avoidance of controlling tactics by parents can be effective resources to help the students through this transition. The purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to identify distinct profiles of parenting support of autonomy and of control, and (2) to examine whether membership to these profiles relates to students’ school adjustment once in middle school. Latent profile analysis served to analyze data collected from a sample of 672 students in the spring of their sixth grade and one year later at middle school. Results revealed a three-class model of parenting: Autonomy Centered group (67%), Control Centered group (8.0%), Autonomy/Control Balanced group (25%). School adjustment was poorest for students whose parents belong to the Control Centered group and generally the highest for those whose parents belong to the Autonomy Centered group.