Security and Closeness With Mothers and Fathers in the Transition to Adolescence: Differences by Temperament

Relations between parental (mother and father) sensitivity and opportunity for productive activity during early and middle childhood and fifth graders' perceptions of security and closeness to each parent were examined for 771 children. In addition, differential susceptibility to parental sensitivity and opportunity for productive activity was examined for children with difficult temperaments. Perceived security with respect to both mothers and fathers was related to both parental sensitivity and opportunity for productive activity. In the case of opportunity for productive activity, relations were stronger for children with difficult temperaments. By contrast, productive activity was the only significant predictor of perceived closeness; and it was significant only for mothers. However, the productive activity by child temperament interaction was significant for both mothers and fathers. Overall, the findings are consistent with the idea that parent-child relationships often undergo transformations during the transition to adolescence.