Black hawk down?: Establishing helicopter parenting as a distinct construct from other forms of parental control during emerging adulthood
Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to establish a measure of helicopter parenting that was distinct from other forms of parental control, and to examine parental and behavioral correlates of helicopter parenting. Participants included 438 undergraduate students from four universities in the United States (M(age) = 19.65, SD = 2.00, range = 18-29; 320 women, 118 men), and at least one of their parents. Analyses revealed that helicopter parenting loaded on a separate factor from both behavioral and psychological control, and that helicopter parenting was positively associated with behavioral and psychological control, but not at levels suggesting complete overlap. Results also revealed that helicopter parenting was positively associated with parental involvement and with other positive aspects of the parent-child relationship; but negatively associated with parental autonomy granting and school engagement. Discussion focuses on the implications of helicopter parenting for healthy development during emerging adulthood.
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Studies investigating the overprotective or controlling dimension of helicopter parenting were also included.
“As helicopter parenting is a fairly new term (Padilla-Walker and Nelson, 2012) studies which investigated the overprotective or controlling dimension of helicopter parenting were also included.”
From A Systematic Review of “Helicopter Parenting” and Its Relationship With Anxiety and Depression (2022) · cites this paper as Padilla-Walker and Nelson, 2012
Cites
Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties.
Arnett, J. J. (2000) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.55.5.469 · Cited by 16,843 · see citing works
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Helping or Hovering? The Effects of Helicopter Parenting on College Students’ Well-Being
Schiffrin, H. H., Liss, M., Miles-McLean, H., Geary, K. A., Erchull, M. J., & Tashner, T. (2014) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-013-9716-3 · Cited by 643 · see citing works
Coyne, S. M., Padilla-Walker, L. M., & Howard, E. (2013) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/2167696813479782 · Cited by 314 · see citing works
Self-citationVernino, S., Bourne, K. M., Stiles, L. E., Grubb, B. P., Fedorowski, A., Stewart, J. M., Arnold, A. C., Pace, L. A., Axelsson, J., Boris, J. R., et al. (2021) · Autonomic Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2021.102828 · Cited by 304 · see citing works
Parent and Child Traits Associated with Overparenting
Segrin, C., Woszidlo, A., Givertz, M., & Montgomery, N. (2013) · Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1521/jscp.2013.32.6.569 · Cited by 265 · see citing works
Investigating Helicopter Parenting, Family Environments, and Relational Outcomes for Millennials
Odenweller, K. G., Booth-Butterfield, M., & Weber, K. (2014) · Communication Studies · doi:10.1080/10510974.2013.811434 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Helicopter Parenting and Emerging Adult Self-Efficacy: Implications for Mental and Physical Health
Reed, K., Duncan, J. M., Lucier-Greer, M., Fixelle, C., & Ferraro, A. J. (2016) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-016-0466-x · Cited by 228 · see citing works
Luebbe, A. M., Mancini, K. J., Kiel, E. J., Spangler, B. R., Semlak, J. L., & Fussner, L. M. (2018) · Assessment · doi:10.1177/1073191116665907 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Schiffrin, H. H., Erchull, M. J., Sendrick, E., Yost, J. C., Power, V., & Saldanha, E. R. (2019) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-019-01513-6 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
A Systematic Review of “Helicopter Parenting” and Its Relationship With Anxiety and Depression
Vigdal, J. S., & Brønnick, K. K. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.872981 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Hong, P., & Cui, M. (2020) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-019-01541-2 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Wang, J., Lai, R., Yang, A., Yang, M., & Guo, Y. (2021) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.078 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Gao, W., Hou, Y., Hao, S., & Yu, A. (2023) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-022-01702-5 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
- Authors
- Padilla‐Walker, L. M., & Nelson, L. J.
- Affiliations
- Brigham Young University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Padilla‐Walker, Laura M.
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescence
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-04-13
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1177-1190
- ISSN
- 0140-1971 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9254
- OpenAlex
- W2169392336
- Cited by
- 558
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 51 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 57 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 45 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 49 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 12
- FWCI
- 19.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescence (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ScholarsArchive (Brigham Young University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Parental Involvement in Education
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Psychosocial Factors Impacting Youth
- Keywords
- helicopter parenting, parental control, emerging adulthood, behavioral control, psychological control, parental involvement, parent-child relationship, school engagement, undergraduate students
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Decision Making, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Human Development, Male, Parent-Child Relations, Parenting, Personal Autonomy, Young Adult
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