Kyriaki Fousiani

Does Parental Autonomy Support Relate to Adolescent Autonomy? An In-Depth Examination of a Seemingly Simple Question:

In contemporary research on autonomy development, autonomy has been defined as independence (vs. dependence) or as self-endorsed (vs. controlled) functioning. Analogously, perceived parental autonomy support involves either perceived parental promotion of independence (PI) or perceived parental promotion of volitional functioning (PVF). The primary aim of the present study among Belgian and Greek adolescents (N = 658; 58% girls; M age = 16.3 years) was to examine associations between the two types of parental autonomy support, on one hand, and the two types of adolescent autonomy, on the other hand. The secondary aim was to investigate the moderating role of various background variables (i.e., gender, country of residence, and age) in these associations. As hypothesized, perceived parental PVF was related to adolescents’ self-endorsed (vs. controlled) motives. The relation between perceived parental PI and adolescent independence was qualified by an interaction with perceived parental PVF. Finally, although mean-level differences in the study constructs were found across gender, country, and adolescent age, the structural associations among constructs were invariant across these demographic groupings. These findings provide further insights in the complex dynamics involved in adolescent autonomy development in multiple national contexts.

Cultural value orientation and authoritarian parenting as parameters of bullying and victimization at school

The purpose of the present study was to examine the existing association between cultural value orientation, authoritarian parenting, and bullying and victimization at school. The participants (N = 231) were early adolescents, randomly selected from 11 different schools in urban and rural areas of Cyprus. Participants completed self reports measuring cultural value orientation, authoritarian parenting, bullying, and victimization. These instruments were the following: the cultural value scale (CVS), the parental authority questionnaire (PAQ), and the revised bullying and victimization questionnaire (BVQ-R). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine mediation effects. It was found that vertical individualism acted as a mediator between authoritarian parenting and bullying. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between authoritarian parenting and the vertical dimensions of both cultural value orientations (individualism and collectivism), but not with the horizontal dimensions of either cultural orientation. Further, authoritarian parenting was also positively associated with bullying and victimization at school. The main contribution of the present study is the finding that vertical individualism significantly mediates the relationship between authoritarian parental style and bullying propensity.

Authoritarian Parenting, Power Distance, and Bullying Propensity

This study aimed at examining the existing relation among parenting, cultural value orientation, and bullying propensity at school. The participants (N = 231) were early adolescents randomly selected from 11 different schools in urban and rural areas of Cyprus. The results showed that a statistically significant relation exists between parental authoritarianism and child bullying propensity. In contrast, no such relation was found between bullying and the authoritative parenting style. An argument that has been proposed by prior research is that bullying incidents in collectivistic types of cultures can be attributed to the authoritarian parenting style that is widely used and valued in such cultures. However, authoritarian parenting was found to be positively correlated with the vertical dimension of both collectivistic and individualistic value orientation. Further, the results of this study show that children with vertical cultural value orientation are more likely to engage in bullying only when they come from families that use authoritarian parental styles. These findings are discussed in terms of the significance of power distance in the prediction of bullying behavior.

Opportunistic propensity hinders commitment to acts in conditions of forced compliance and compliance without pressure

The psychosocial literature contains empirical evidence of the effects of personality variables on commitment to acts. The association of economic opportunism was explored with respect to postexperimental attitude change, intentions, and intrinsic motivation of individuals (N = 132) toward acts with either forced compliance or compliance without pressure. In conditions of commitment and compliance without pressure, both intention and intrinsic motivation decreased as economic opportunism increased, while in conditions of commitment and forced compliance, intention increased as economic opportunism increased. Attitude change and economic opportunism did not appear to be associated in any experimental condition. These findings suggest that tendency to noncooperativeness predisposes to reduced concern for consistency and compliance with performed acts.

Parenting, cultural value orientation and bullying

The purpose of the present study was to examine the existing association between cultural value orientation, authoritarian parenting, and bullying and victimization at school. The participants (N = 231) were early adolescents, randomly selected from 11 different schools in urban and rural areas of Cyprus. Participants completed self reports measuring cultural value orientation, authoritarian parenting, bullying, and victimization. These instruments were the following: the cultural value scale (CVS), the parental authority questionnaire (PAQ), and the revised bullying and victimization questionnaire (BVQ-R). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine mediation effects. It was found that vertical individualism acted as a mediator between authoritarian parenting and bullying. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between authoritarian parenting and the vertical dimensions of both cultural value orientations (individualism and collectivism), but not with the horizontal dimensions of either cultural orientation. Further, authoritarian parenting was also positively associated with bullying and victimization at school. The main contribution of the present study is the finding that vertical individualism significantly mediates the relationship between authoritarian parental style and bullying propensity.

Social embeddedness and economic opportunism: a game situation

According to Evolutionary Game Theory, multiple exchanges with partners are necessary to foster cooperation. Multiple exchanges with partners tend to enhance the good experience of the partners and the predictability of their behaviour and should therefore increase cooperativeness. This study explored whether social embeddedness, or the preference for close and stable social relationships, a variable which tends to increase multiple exchanges, is associated with more cooperative attitudes; and whether social embeddedness increases cooperative behavior towards unknown partners in a game situation. The first study, with 169 undergraduates, indicated that social embeddedness (preference for close and durable social relations) was negatively associated with opportunistic attitudes. The second study had a sample of 60 undergraduates playing a Trust Game with unknown partners and showed that self-reported social embeddedness was positively correlated with scores for cooperative economic behavior towards the partners. These results highlight the relationships of social embeddedness with cooperative attitudes and behaviour.

Preference for Non-Cooperative Economic Strategies is Associated with Lower Perceived Self-Efficacy, Fewer Positive Emotions, and Less Optimism

The goal was to investigate the association of economic opportunism with self-efficacy, optimism, and positive emotion. It was hypothesized that economic opportunists should experience lower self-efficacy, less positive thinking, and less optimism. Study 1 (N = 206) showed that economic opportunism was negatively correlated with self-efficacy, optimism, and positive affect, and positively correlated with negative affect. Study 2 (N = 128) indicated that individuals reporting higher self-efficacy were less likely to defect on their counterparts in a game situation. These findings show the negative association of opportunistic propensity with self-efficacy and positive emotions. Implications for experimental research on economic opportunism and positive emotions are discussed.

Parenting, cultural value orientation and bullying: vertical individualism as predictor of bullying and victimization

The purpose of the present study was to examine the existing association between cultural value orientation, authoritarian parenting, and bullying and victimization at school. The participants (N = 231) were early adolescents, randomly selected from 11 different schools in urban and rural areas of Cyprus. Participants completed self reports measuring cultural value orientation, authoritarian parenting, bullying, and victimization. These instruments were the following: the cultural value scale (CVS), the parental authority questionnaire (PAQ), and the revised bullying and victimization questionnaire (BVQ-R). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine mediation effects. It was found that vertical individualism acted as a mediator between authoritarian parenting and bullying. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between authoritarian parenting and the vertical dimensions of both cultural value orientations (individualism and collectivism), but not with the horizontal dimensions of either cultural orientation. Further, authoritarian parenting was also positively associated with bullying and victimization at school. The main contribution of the present study is the finding that vertical individualism significantly mediates the relationship between authoritarian parental style and bullying propensity.