Control Versus Autonomy During Early Adolescence

Research and theorizing about adult control have often made seemingly conflicting recommendations and predictions about the potential impact of that control on children's social and intellectual development. Researchers concerned with intrinsic motivation have argued for minimal use of controlling strategies with children; other researchers, in contrast, argue that relatively high levels of adult control, when exercised in an emotionally supportive relationship, produce the best developmental consequences. Optimal levels of control undoubtedly change as children grow older. Person‐environment fit theory suggests that the match between the child's need for autonomy and the amount of adult control exercised is critically important. This article puts this theory into a developmental framework, and suggests that parents and teachers need to modulate their levels of control based on the developmental stage of the child. Optimal developmental outcomes ought to result from an environment that gradually reduces adult control as the child's desire for autonomy increases. Evidence from the Michigan Study of Adolescent Life Transitions is presented to support this hypothesis.