Did Perceived Parenting in Adolescence Change as a Result of the COVID-19 Lockdown? A Natural Experiment

The first COVID-19 lockdown was an unexpected event that brought many changes to the lives of individuals as well as family functioning. The aim of this natural experiment is to study the changes in maternal parenting as perceived by adolescents (psychological control, autonomy support, and overcontrol) as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown. The data for T1 were collected in February 2020 and a follow-up was conducted in May 2020 (approximately 8 weeks after lockdown). In total, 155 adolescents participated in both waves (mean age 14.5 years, 60.4% girls). The final sample was biased toward higher achieving pupils with less problematic behavior and more adaptable personality characteristics. The results show a significant decrease in perceived psychological control and feelings of overcontrol but no change in autonomy support. The changes did not vary according to gender or the mother's employment situation during lockdown. The decrease in psychological control was greater with higher initial levels of satisfaction with the mother and lower levels of disobeying parents. The present study is an important step in understanding the actual changes in parenting (as perceived by adolescents) as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown. Based on our results and previous studies, we argue that the COVID-19 lockdown may have had a positive effect on the dynamics in some families.